I'm somewhere in the 2nd phase of a cycle on a new tank. I'm testing daily with an API Master Test Kit. When testing for Nitrites as soon as I put in the 5 drops the water in the test tube turns purple. After five minutes the water is a light greenish color. 0 ppm is blue. Is the Nitrite spike indicating the end of the cycle is near I have been waiting for? Over the last 10 days or so nitrites have been steady at 2 ppm. The greenish color started yesterday.
Nitrite spike?
- Thread starter pwomble
- Start date
pwomble said:
Sorry, unfortunately API representatives confirm that this turning immediately purple, and then processing into a very green color shows that it's very high, off the charts. You can confirm this (like I have to do), by mixing 1 sample of tank water with 9 samples of plain tap water (with no conditioners), and then drawing your sample from that. That should give you a nice bright purple, probably 2.0 ppm. Multiply that by 10 (the number of your diluted samples), and boom, you have 20ppm. Obviously not safe for fish.
I feel your pain, I've seen green every day for 4 weeks now.I hope someone will revisit fishless cycling to discuss the issue of unusually long, stubborn, unending high NitrIte cycles... you are the fourth person in the past two weeks to bring up the same issue. I'm still fighting with mine. Wish you the best.
*P.S. a couple things I've been told to do is reduce the amount of ammonia you're adding (if it's liquid/food etc) to a tiny tiny amount. Some people have suggested a water change, but this wasn't a lasting solution for me at the 2 week point. I may try it again this week.
I can explain your results.....unfortunately it was pointed out to me earlier this week http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90613 . As was in my case which I had identical situation I found I was off the scale....try filling vial 1/4 to fill line with tank water rest with tap...I think you will find that you have a nitrite level within range but all in all just says your nitrites are super high.....mine turns almost sea green after 3 or 4 minutes....purple immediately....FOR GOSH SAKES dont put in stress zyme to speed it up....messed everything up for me...now ammonia nitrite and nitrates are screwey....but alas I always have to learn the hard way! Hopefuly for both our sakes it means cycle getting close with super high nitrites eh!
edit:
Sorry was posting same time as NeonJulie....didnt mean to repeat what she already posted
edit:
Sorry was posting same time as NeonJulie....didnt mean to repeat what she already posted
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Will try to explain where I am at, I was dosing around 4 ppm ammonia daily and watching ammonia drop to zero 24 hours later (Temp 82 - no fish)...but nitrites were off the scale...nitrates were extremely high as well....when hearing about the nitrites( I had thought I was cycled seeing a color similar to zero nitrite) I decided to see if I could speed up the cycle by dumping in some Stress zyme I had. 24 hours later I still have ammonia at 4 ppm and nitrites off the scale...nitrates were in the neighborhood of 80ppm. I am assuming high nitrates are normal since I had done no water changes and high nitrites for a few weeks would create this (tap water shows 0 nitrate, nitrite, ammonia)....but am lost as to why all of a sudden my ammonia stopped converting in a 24 hour time period (actually more like 30 hours).
I have came to the conclusion that the only thing I changed was adding the stress zyme so that was what changed the ammonia cycle (obviously I may be wrong but no other parameters have changed). I have just tonight within the last 2 hours done a major water change (90 gallon tank so no small chore) and will re- dose ammonia in an hour or so once I do a check to see what my water parameters are.
side note:
Please, if I offended anyone who is a stress zyme fan....my appologies...I am only making a conclusion on facts I have seen. I certainly am the first to admit I know very little on this subject.
I have came to the conclusion that the only thing I changed was adding the stress zyme so that was what changed the ammonia cycle (obviously I may be wrong but no other parameters have changed). I have just tonight within the last 2 hours done a major water change (90 gallon tank so no small chore) and will re- dose ammonia in an hour or so once I do a check to see what my water parameters are.
side note:
Please, if I offended anyone who is a stress zyme fan....my appologies...I am only making a conclusion on facts I have seen. I certainly am the first to admit I know very little on this subject.
You had stated in another post that you had a 10 gallon also, Is the tank cycled? If so did you use anything from it to seed the 90 gallon like filter squeezings or decor or gravel?
Turn your heater up! Aim for 85-87F. This increased temperature speeds up the metabolism of the bacteria which reduces the cycle time! As long as you have no fish that can't tolerate the higher heat. Turn on any bubble wands, lower the water an inch or two if using HOB filters, turn on any Powerheads you might have. Increasing agitation increases the dissolved O2 levels which bacteria like/want/need. A quick word on pH. Ideally you want the pH of the tank to be ~7.5. The ammonia to nitrIte bacteria prefer a higher pH (closer to 8.0), while the nitrIte to nitrAte bacteria prefer a lower pH (closer to 7.3). Go too high and your nitrItes will build up, go too low and your ammonia won't get converted. If you have a pH crash (either too high or too low, say pH 6.0 or pH 9.0) you have to do a PWC. At these ranges your bacteria will seriously begin to slow down metabolism.
Turn your heater up! Aim for 85-87F. This increased temperature speeds up the metabolism of the bacteria which reduces the cycle time! As long as you have no fish that can't tolerate the higher heat. Turn on any bubble wands, lower the water an inch or two if using HOB filters, turn on any Powerheads you might have. Increasing agitation increases the dissolved O2 levels which bacteria like/want/need. A quick word on pH. Ideally you want the pH of the tank to be ~7.5. The ammonia to nitrIte bacteria prefer a higher pH (closer to 8.0), while the nitrIte to nitrAte bacteria prefer a lower pH (closer to 7.3). Go too high and your nitrItes will build up, go too low and your ammonia won't get converted. If you have a pH crash (either too high or too low, say pH 6.0 or pH 9.0) you have to do a PWC. At these ranges your bacteria will seriously begin to slow down metabolism.
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Yes I have a 10 gallon tank...did it the hard way with a few fish....I have whisper type filter in it and placed another filter in with it for a few days then took it out and placed it on top of my wet/dry filter on my 90....I am thinking it did help speed me up by taking my nitrites off the scale where they are now...I did this about 5 or 6 days ago.
Now after I did a 90 + water change I have got my ammonia down to .25.....nitrite is around 2.0...nitrate is still way up around 50 or more.....
This stuff must still be in my substrate...Was hoping a serious water change would clean up nitrates
but either way will raise temperature a few degrees and go back and re-dose ammonia to around 3 ppm and hope tomorrow will be back on track...
Note:
Sorry I didnt mean to hi-jack this thread with my problem
Now after I did a 90 + water change I have got my ammonia down to .25.....nitrite is around 2.0...nitrate is still way up around 50 or more.....
This stuff must still be in my substrate...Was hoping a serious water change would clean up nitrates
but either way will raise temperature a few degrees and go back and re-dose ammonia to around 3 ppm and hope tomorrow will be back on track...
Note:
Sorry I didnt mean to hi-jack this thread with my problem
I you haven't read this article, you should. There are some good tips throughout.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88796&page=1&pp=15
Good luck Red.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88796&page=1&pp=15
Good luck Red.