Am I cycled?

SomeHappyFish

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I'm using Salifert Test Kits.

Day 0: I added a full 4oz of Turbo Start 900 + Fishless Fuel for a 2ppm of ammonia

Day 1: Ammonia is 1.5ppm,Ph 8.15, Phosphate 0ppm

Day 3 or 4: Ammonia is now 0ppm (Ph/Phos is the same)

Day 6: 0ppm Ammonia, 1ppm Nitrite and 100ppm nitrate due to 1ppm Nitrite ane salifert converting Nitrites to Nitrates to make a reading.

Day 8: 0ppm Ammonia, 2ppm Nitrite or 0.4ppm if I look through the sides has salifert's instructions

Am I cycled or cycling and the test kits are confusing me?
 

Uncle99

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Bonjour!

You have rock, flow and sand?
If so cycled a day or too after bacteria add.
Proceed. Add a fish or two.

Most Test kits for ammonia useless.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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I'm using Salifert Test Kits.

Day 0: I added a full 4oz of Turbo Start 900 + Fishless Fuel for a 2ppm of ammonia

Day 1: Ammonia is 1.5ppm,Ph 8.15, Phosphate 0ppm

Day 3 or 4: Ammonia is now 0ppm (Ph/Phos is the same)

Day 6: 0ppm Ammonia, 1ppm Nitrite and 100ppm nitrate due to 1ppm Nitrite ane salifert converting Nitrites to Nitrates to make a reading.

Day 8: 0ppm Ammonia, 2ppm Nitrite or 0.4ppm if I look through the sides has salifert's instructions

Am I cycled or cycling and the test kits are confusing me?
You really only need to test for ammonia and nitrate. Once your tank is producing nitrates AND ammonia is zero, then you have a sufficient population of nitrifying bacteria to handle a fish or 2 (depending on the size of your tank). As you noted, the presence of nitrite will mess with your nitrate value, so, if you have super high nitrate and no ammonia, it *might* be helpful to know the nitrite level for the purposes of whether or not a large water change is needed.
 
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SomeHappyFish

SomeHappyFish

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You really only need to test for ammonia and nitrate. Once your tank is producing nitrates AND ammonia is zero, then you have a sufficient population of nitrifying bacteria to handle a fish or 2 (depending on the size of your tank). As you noted, the presence of nitrite will mess with your nitrate value, so, if you have super high nitrate and no ammonia, it *might* be helpful to know the nitrite level for the purposes of whether or not a large water change is needed.
I have 2ppm looking on top.
 
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SomeHappyFish

SomeHappyFish

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But what's your nitRATE? NitrITE is irrelevant.
Like I stated in my initiale post: "Day 6: 0ppm Ammonia, 1ppm Nitrite and 100ppm nitrate due to 1ppm Nitrite salifert converting Nitrites to Nitrates to make a reading."

and like you said:
"As you noted, the presence of nitrite will mess with your nitrate value"

My nitRATE are 100ppm. Which is an invalide result
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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Like I stated in my initiale post: "Day 6: 0ppm Ammonia, 1ppm Nitrite and 100ppm nitrate due to 1ppm Nitrite salifert converting Nitrites to Nitrates to make a reading."

and like you said:
"As you noted, the presence of nitrite will mess with your nitrate value"

My nitRATE are 100ppm. Which is an invalide result
Once your tank is producing nitrates AND ammonia is zero, then you have a sufficient population of nitrifying bacteria to handle a fish or 2 (depending on the size of your tank). A

You have 0 ammonia.
You have nitrates.
Do a water change and move forward.
 

nitrojunki

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You have 0 ammonia.
You have nitrates.
Do a water change and move forward.
The way I see it ammonia is at the bottom of the food chain. nitrites are at the top, then There is nitraits with nothing to feed on them. So they have to be physically removed with your water changes.
someone correct me if i'm wronggme
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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The way I see it ammonia is at the bottom of the food chain. nitrites are at the top, then There is nitraits with nothing to feed on them. So they have to be physically removed with your water changes.
someone correct me if i'm wronggme
Sort of, but it's not matter of a "food chain" as different organisms can use various forms of nitrogen - some primarily use ammonia or nitrite for example, and nitrates are harder for corals to use than ammonia. There are still other organisms that convert nitrate into nitrogen gas, but these are usually not as plentiful in our systems as the others and so we see nitrate accumulate as an "end product" when really it's just a step in the cycle. And some organisms can sequester nitrogen from the environment and turn it into ammonia... the nitrogen cycle never ends Look up "nitrogen cycle" and I'm sure you will find many illustrations of how it works.
 

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