Since you have a test kit on hand-I would cut back on your water changes and only make a 50% weekly with vacuum in all areas you can reach without moving anything. Test daily and make 50% water ONLY based on test results of 0.25ppm or greater Ammonia/nitrite.
Once you start seeing nitrAte for several days without ammonia/nitrIte spikes you are most likely cycled. Continue to monitor prams daily for another week-then reduce to every 2 days-As long as you haven't had any ammonia/nitrite spikes and still showing nitrate of at least 5-10ppm-I would reduce testing to weekly.
To make sure, you don't have any live plants in the tank...correct....
Also, if you haven't already-do a base-line test on your source water-with and without your dechlorinator.
I don't know anything about the testing products you are using-but you might want to take your water to a pet shop to be tested to rule out problems with your test product. Be sure and find out what kind of test products they use and get numbers for everything-Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and if they will do the KH/GH get that too. See if they will let to watch them do the test too.
Since you have a test kit on hand-I would cut back on your water changes and only make a 50% weekly with vacuum in all areas you can reach without moving anything. Test daily and make 50% water ONLY based on test results of 0.25ppm or greater Ammonia/nitrite.
Once you start seeing nitrAte for several days without ammonia/nitrIte spikes you are most likely cycled. Continue to monitor prams daily for another week-then reduce to every 2 days-As long as you haven't had any ammonia/nitrite spikes and still showing nitrate of at least 5-10ppm-I would reduce testing to weekly.
To make sure, you don't have any live plants in the tank...correct....
Also, if you haven't already-do a base-line test on your source water-with and without your dechlorinator.
I don't know anything about the testing products you are using-but you might want to take your water to a pet shop to be tested to rule out problems with your test product. Be sure and find out what kind of test products they use and get numbers for everything-Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and if they will do the KH/GH get that too. See if they will let to watch them do the test too.
i have 2 live plants in there. My source water has 0 ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. and okay i will probably be doing weekly WC instead of every 2 days and let you guys know what is happening
What type of plants re they? Live plants can cause what is known as a silent cycle. The plants utilize the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to grow so this can lead to 0ppm readings on your tests. You prob dont have enough plants in there to cause this but its something you should be made aware of
I don't think that's what it is. The ammonia would still be 0 in a silent cycle. I don't think it would hurt to switch to a better water conditioner... I don't think there's a big difference between them but Tetra just doesn't seem to be an overall great brand.
I don't think that's what it is. The ammonia would still be 0 in a silent cycle. I don't think it would hurt to switch to a better water conditioner... I don't think there's a big difference between them but Tetra just doesn't seem to be an overall great brand.
apart from tetra and nutrafin, there's nothing in my pet store :/
What type of plants re they? Live plants can cause what is known as a silent cycle. The plants utilize the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to grow so this can lead to 0ppm readings on your tests. You prob dont have enough plants in there to cause this but its something you should be made aware of
I can still post photos when i have them, idk what plants they are
Okay i also have a 10 gallon cycling. It first had a fancy goldfish in there. I remember last time i tested water i had ammonia in there about 0.6. Then i bought a bigger tank and moved the goldfish in there. I then added a betta in the 10 gallon. This is the only tank that I treated with the free bottle of nutrafin cycle I got with one of my tanks just to see if it really works.
I tested for water today and my readings were:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Does this mean that my tank has really cycled or does this just mean that because i removed the goldfish and replaced it with a smaller bio-load, the BB died and everything is re-starting?
I have the feeling it is not cycled because i have 0 nitrates though :/
No live plants and last WC was 3 days ago if that matters.
Test daily. Wait until you get a reading of something. This will probably take a week, longer with live plants... Also, I'm not familiar with the nutrafin test kit but I know the API test kit have very, very specific rules to follow on the nitrate test in particular and I've seen many people mess up test results by getting the nitrite/nitrate test directions confused.
If the tank is cycled, you will eventually get a nitrate reading. If not, you are going to get an ammonia and/or nitrite reading.
Edit: Also, your BB should not have died as long as you kept the filter running, it had some sort of food source and you never put any untreated tap water in the tank. If your BB did die off you would likely notice an ammonia spike.
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