[CRShelton]

I am cycling my first 10 gallon tank. I am doing a fish-in cycle because neither I, nor apparently the pet store employee, knew what we were doing at first. My betta is not in the tank, just a single small feeder goldfish.

I am about 16 days into the cycle. I have been doing 20-30% water changes every other day. Around day 7 my ammonia dropped down to near 0 and my nitrites really started taking off. Then nitrites stayed high for a while and nitrates started showing up. The nitrates got quite high while the nitrites were still spiking, around 80 ppm according to my API liquid tests.

A few days ago the nitrites finally started to come down a bit, but the nitrates have not seemed to go up much. This morning, nitrates and nitrites are reading 0, and ammonia is about .25 ppm, which really confuses me because I have not done a water change since my last reading, where the nitrates were at about 5-10 ppm, nitrites between .25 and .5 ppm, and ammonia was 0.

Could something be eating my nitrates and converting them back into ammonia? I have a driftwood with some java moss and an old conch shell in the tank. Besides that it's still empty.

Is it possible I neutralized my API tests somehow?

Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[ao]

Do you have excess algae growth or plants in your tank?

 

[CRShelton]

No algae. The only plant is the java moss, just a small bunch attached to some driftwood.

 

[sparkyjoe]

I would be inclined to remove the conch shell because I believe it can change your water chemistry.

What are your other water parameters? PH, GH? Water chemistry is interrelated and one level being out of whack can effect the others.

It's also possible that your Java Moss is a factor.

BTW, what do you plan to do with the poor little goldfish?
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[CRShelton]

The PH is around 7.2.

The Conch, Driftwood, and Moss all went in on the same day. The PH went high for a few days and then came back down. I would really like to leave the Conch in if possible, it has sentimental value.

I have not measured the GH. I bought an API freshwater testing kit with my tank but alas no GH test included.

I am about to run a new battery of tests after waiting 12 hours. I will update the thread with the new info.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[ao]

one conch shell probably wont do much to a ten gallon. I had three smaller seashells in my planted 1 gallon once, it was the healthiest tank I coul have ever asked for

 

[CRShelton]

Oh, re: the goldfish I am looking for a good home for him. Anyone in NYC feel free to file your adoption papers. Until then he will be part of my magic act and I can promise him clean water if not much space in the betta's old 2.5 gallon.

 

[ao]

I'm in NYC :S but I dont think I'm up for a gold fish....craigslist is usually the way to go, my friend sold all of his 4 goldfishies on there.

 

[sparkyjoe]

Is that 7.2 PH from your tap or tank? I believe seashells can raise your PH.

You gotta do what you gotta do, but I would caution you to do more research before adding a natural seashell to a freshwater aquarium. Water chemistry can be a challenge on a good day but when you add something that can change your water parameters then you're courting disaster.

Good luck with your cycle.

 

[ao]

I've tested it before with my test kits. it raises the PH a about .4 over a month but also kept it very stable by adding to the hardness and this was in a 1 gallon, doubt it will do anything more than that in a ten gallon .

 

[Hallyx]

it raises the PH a about .4 over a month .

That's not much if you're doing a 30% weekly change for cleanup. Something to watch, CR. I'd suggest comparing your sourcewater to your tank water over time, to map you pH excursions. Not a big deal; NY has excellent water.

As for your nitrite and nitrate drop, that is a puzzler (second one this week that I'm aware of). An ammonia drop/nitrite spike in 7days on a low-NH3-input, fish-in cycle is unusual. More to be expected from a fishless, high-NH3 environment. Plus you're probably keeping your temperature low in deference to the goldfish. Even with a messy goldfish, I would expect it to take considerably longer.

What temp is the water? What filter are you using? Is it big driftwood, giving off tannins? (The pH-lowering tendencies will slow the cycle a little.)

Where is your Betta camping out while this tank is prepared?

Would you rather try a fishless cycle and be done in two weeks?

 

[Olympia]

The fact that it was a goldfish, totally fine to have shells in there since they need higher pH and hard water.
What are you puttin in the tank now?
You put the goldfish in a 2.5, right? So the 10 gallon is empty?
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[CRShelton]

"I should have done more research" has been a common theme with this new hobby.

The goldfish is still in the 10 gallon tank and seems healthy. There is a heater in the tank for my betta (if he ever gets to move in :-?), but I have it turned off. The temp never really gets low enough to be optimum for a goldfish because of the NY summer temps and because my apt. stays particularly warm this time of year.

I don't have a 2.5 gallon. The betta is in a 1.5 gallon bowl which I purchased when I first got him. Again, lack of research and faulty info from the pet store employee. Once I realized he wants more space, I got the 10 gl.

I am now getting 0 readings across the board for a few days on Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. The only explanation I can think of is that I somehow deactivated my entire test kit, or at least the nitrate tests. Does anyone know where I could find (or how to create) water that is high in nitrates to test my kit with? Can't really afford a new kit until payday on Fri.

 

[ao]

you have the API trst kit? give the nitrate bottle a vicious shaking before using

 

[CRShelton]

This sounds promising. Should I do both bottles? Should I shake the other test bottles before using as well?

 

[CRShelton]

OK, that made my nitrates show up. Thanks so much. Still 0's on the others, but maybe that means the cycle is working? It's 3 weeks today. Is that too short for a cycle?

 

[Hallyx]

OK, that [shaking] made my nitrates show up. Thanks so much. Still 0's on the others, but maybe that means the cycle is working? It's 3 weeks today. Is that too short for a cycle?

Unless you've seeded your tank with some live nitrifying bacteria, I wouldn't expect your cycle to have even begun. Your ammonia source (the Goldy) deserves the respect of maximum ammonia of 0.5. Also, Goldfish like cooler temperatures than bacteria. Even with bacteria seeding, a fish-in cycle can take a couple of months.

This is all part of your research, CR. ;-}

Pull the drip part off your Nitrate #2 test bottle (pops right out with pliers, carefully) and drop in a pea-sized bead or pebble. Makes a rattlecan bottle out of it for easy, thorough mixing. None of the other bottles need shaking.

API test kits are consistently reliable. It's not likely you got an old one.

 

[CRShelton]

I guess I am more confused than I Ever realized. if my cycle hasn't begun, where are my ammonia and nitrates, which were once plentiful in my tank? Why is no new ammonia showing up over several days of testing, and what is the source of my nitrates?

Perhaps the java moss have brought the bacteria with it into my tank to seed things?

 

[sparkyjoe]

Beneficial Bacteria grow on all surfaces in a tank so if the Java Moss came from a cycled tank it may help. If it's growing rapidly, I would imagine it also may be helping slightly to reduce your level of toxins?

I dunno.

Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the water test kit. Personally I give all the bottles a slight shake, but those Nitrate bottles are funky; have to shake the heck out of #2.
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[CRShelton]

Today's tests show the expected(?) results. Ammonia and Nitrites at 0, and Nitrates somewhere between 0 and 5 ppm, which is a little less than yesterday's test, which makes sense because yesterday was also a 30% water change.

I really want to get this right, and I *really* appreciate all the help from the forum. I can't wait for Svengali (my betta) to see his new home, but I can be as patient as necessary to make sure it's safe for him.

At this point, would you recommend just close monitoring of the water for a while, or some extra action. Which do you think would be least stressful to the goldy: staying in the 10 gallon while it (hopefully) cycles, or being in a much smaller bowl which I can keep very clean for him/her until I find a home?

Again, Svengali and I are tremendously grateful for your input over the last week.