Where have all the NitrAtes gone...

NeonJulie said:
hmm... well it's not like the light has been off since the beginning... lights are on at least an hour a day. This is my source...

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?p=744398&highlight=#744398
"Keep the tank lights off and direct/indirect sunlight to a minimum. This time in the tank is RIPE for algae outbreaks. High ammonia levels, steady CO2 levels (from high aeration), and possible light can cause your tank to look like pea soup. The bacteria do NOT require a light source, and in fact, direct sunlight can cause the bacteria to multiply slower. Bottom line, keep it dark!"
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I'm not sure about the information from this site. What I can say is that when scientist did experiment to grow this bacteria they used glass tops with the room lights on for 10-14 hours.
 
So I have some updates... today I decided since nothing else was really working, to do a 100% water change. It dropped my NitrItes down to 2-2.5 ppm. I've been adding only the tiniest, tiniest drops (probably 3) of Ammonia. This evening when I tested, about 12 hours later, I showed:

.5ppm NitrItes
160ppm NitrAtes.

The NitrAte test is as red as red can be... does this mean now I have too much of the next type?! Or will these high NitrAtes not come back after the last water change? And is there any way the water change, the Prime or anything else, could have skewed the test results, and I shouldn't get my hopes up that I'm headed for a break?
 
I restarted the cycle? How did I do that exactly?
 
you added more ammonia, but you didn't restart the cycle. if anything, it's making more progress now. sounds almost cycled to me.
 
Well the surprise news was this morning I tested my water, and waited for it to turn purple, and waited, and then I realized, it wasn't purple at all. I tested a second time, and sure enough... I got blue!!! 0ppm! Tomorrow we'll know for sure, to ensure I get a second day of 0ppm after dosing a full stock amount of ammonia. I'm not sure if the big water change was the breakthrough to get out of the stall for me, since it was only two days ago that I changed it. The cycle was technically started on 11-13, so it's been going for 36 days. (Seems like forever...)

I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a Dwarf Gourami, and 7 or 8 Neons. Is there a certain order I'd need to put them in, or can they go in together? (I'm not concerned about bioload so much as territory establishment/low stress.)
 
NeonJulie said:
Well the surprise news was this morning I tested my water, and waited for it to turn purple, and waited, and then I realized, it wasn't purple at all. I tested a second time, and sure enough... I got blue!!! 0ppm! Tomorrow we'll know for sure, to ensure I get a second day of 0ppm after dosing a full stock amount of ammonia. I'm not sure if the big water change was the breakthrough to get out of the stall for me, since it was only two days ago that I changed it. The cycle was technically started on 11-13, so it's been going for 36 days. (Seems like forever...)

I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a Dwarf Gourami, and 7 or 8 Neons. Is there a certain order I'd need to put them in, or can they go in together? (I'm not concerned about bioload so much as territory establishment/low stress.)
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try to add the toughest fish first (and unfortunately, neither neons or DGs are all that hardy.)
 
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fishcatch22 said:
try to add the toughest fish first (and unfortunately, neither neons or DGs are all that hardy.)
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Are you worried about water conditions? I'd like to hear the reasoning behind that.

I can probably arrange for my friend to probably drop off those 2 guppies he was wanting to give me.

But I'm curious as to why you think after a fishless cycle, that I shouldn't put in my fish?? Isn't this why we do fishless cycle? So we don't have to worry about the fragile ones? Anyway, I'm planning on the drip method for acclimation. I already have my buckets and airline tubes.
 
NeonJulie said:
But I'm curious as to why you think after a fishless cycle, that I shouldn't put in my fish?? Isn't this why we do fishless cycle? So we don't have to worry about the fragile ones?
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No...it is done to prevent unnecessary damage to the fish. Even though your first cycle has been completed there are many other factors that come up in the first six months to a year after an aquarium is started. Like others have said fragile fish should be added in last.
 
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