nitrate & ammonia question

S

stacic8679

Medium Fish
#1
May 18, 2009
95
0
0
indiana
#1
I checked last night and the ammonia level was 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 5. I checked this evening and ammonia level is up to 0.5, nitrites 0 and nitrates 5. I thought once I had nitrates the ammonia level would stay down. Should I do a water change or see if the nitrates start pushing the ammonia down?
 

unwritten law

unwritten law

Superstar Fish
#2
Sep 2, 2008
1,471
0
0
36
DC
#2
That's a bit of a spike. How long has the tank been running? If you never have seen nitrites then it's not cycled cause ammonia turns into nitrite a lot faster than nitrite into nitrate.
 

homebunnyj

homebunnyj

Superstar Fish
#3
Jul 13, 2005
1,299
4
0
Western NC
#3
I would watch it closely. Hopefully it will be lower in the morning. If not, then water change. Doing one now surely wouldn't hurt, but I think my curiosity would get the best of me... Your call.

You haven't tossed your old filter media or added dechlorinated water or anything like that, have you?
 

Matt Nace

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#5
I would wait til tomorrow and retest.Fish all seem fine? Then leave it be. Careful when you feed to not overfeed. Sometimes all the tinkering just delays the cycle. Unless the ammonia or nitrIte is getting high on your color charts..leave it go!

Also..make sure you rinse well the test tubes after each use. Maybe in your case you wnat to wash the one you use to test the ammonia in with treated water.
 

S

stacic8679

Medium Fish
#6
May 18, 2009
95
0
0
indiana
#6
Fish seem fine. I have only had a positive nitrite reading one time. It was 0.5. The next day it was gone and the nitrates were going up. On THursday I got some gravel from an established tank and put it in mine with the hopes of speeding up the process, I will just watch it. I think I will start feeding every other day because in all honesty I probably feed them too much. I give them a pretty big pinch at night. And by them I mean 3 tiger barbs, 1 sunburst platy, adn 1 dwarf guarami. And they are in a 23g tank. Figured that might be the next question. Thanks for all your help. Staci
 

unwritten law

unwritten law

Superstar Fish
#10
Sep 2, 2008
1,471
0
0
36
DC
#10
cycle should be close to done but if you have been disturbing it, like changing the filter, messing with the substrate, looking at the tank in the wrong way, the cycle can last longer.
 

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