My New Test Kit
- Thread starter BlueBaron
- Start date
In the great scale of things, that's actually not all that bad after only 9 days of having a tank up and running? Do you have anything in there besides rock, and maybe some deco?? That Ammonia is pretty low, and if your Nitrite is only 2ppm, then you won't have too much longer to go before you can put in some hardy fish to really jump start the tank. You could always do around a 20% water change on it, to lower those levels some more, and see where it takes you. You may get lucky enough to get it down lower to zero, and put something like Danios or Gouramis in the tank, and kick your cycle into high gear.
what is adding the ammonia? are you doing a fishless cycle and adding ammonia yourself? If so...then the nitrite is either on its way up or on its way down 
If its on its way down then you're close to the end...if its on its way up then you still have awhile to wait Having lots of nitrate is good, I'd tend to guess your nitrite is on its way down.
If its on its way down then you're close to the end...if its on its way up then you still have awhile to wait Having lots of nitrate is good, I'd tend to guess your nitrite is on its way down.
Yes Wait a few days. You must wait until the nitrite and ammonia are at zero. Because you have no ammonia, I am assuming that your nitrites will be gone any time now.
Out of curiousity, have you tested the nitrate levels in your tap water?
As froggy said, do not worry about your pH. A stable pH is farrrrr more important than an arbitrary target pH. Most "correct" pH levels refer to fish in the wild - but most of our fish are not wildcaught and have been raised in different parameters anyway. Plus, you are likely to have similar water parameters to the store where you bought your fish (assuming it was from in town) and the fish will already be fairly acclimated to the water.
In the future, you may want to buy a bottle of ammonia at the grocery store. It's only 99 cents a bottle, or so, and is a lot easier and cheaper than fish flakes. Plus, it's easier to measure!)
But don't worry about the nitrites being so high because there are no fish to be hurt (this is why fishless cycling is great!). Just wait it out. You're already right on schedule
Wait a few days. You must wait until the nitrite and ammonia are at zero. Because you have no ammonia, I am assuming that your nitrites will be gone any time now.Out of curiousity, have you tested the nitrate levels in your tap water?
As froggy said, do not worry about your pH. A stable pH is farrrrr more important than an arbitrary target pH. Most "correct" pH levels refer to fish in the wild - but most of our fish are not wildcaught and have been raised in different parameters anyway. Plus, you are likely to have similar water parameters to the store where you bought your fish (assuming it was from in town) and the fish will already be fairly acclimated to the water.
In the future, you may want to buy a bottle of ammonia at the grocery store. It's only 99 cents a bottle, or so, and is a lot easier and cheaper than fish flakes. Plus, it's easier to measure!)
But don't worry about the nitrites being so high because there are no fish to be hurt (this is why fishless cycling is great!). Just wait it out. You're already right on schedule