Hi all,
Lately I believe API less and less and want some advice on if you guys think my tank is cycled or not. A week ago, I put in a "seeder stick" or rock from an established and mature tank at my local and reputable fish store. Since then, I have seen my tank completely cycle, even adding ammonia in and it disappearing to that weird indistinguishable mark between 0 and .25 within 24 hours while my nitrates go up.
I have high levels of nitrates present (80) which indicates that bacteria is going all the way through the cycle and my ammonia is at 0 but the weirdest thing is that my nitrites are stuck at that weird purple color that could be a 1 or a 2 and they have been for 3 days now while the rest of my parameters have gone through the cycle. Throughout this week, I kept dosing with ammonia to feed the cycle, but now it has dropped all the way since I am letting it drop.
Honestly, I have cycled many freshwater tanks before and I feel like the presence of such high levels of nitrate show that it is cycled, I just feel like the nitrite test is off.
Attached is my parameter spreadsheet (yes the PH keeps dropping, we are going to put a skimmer and refugium in to help increase oxygen flow and decrease CO2 build up, tank is in a basement with little gas exchange).
I think that it is ready for a fish with careful monitoring and water changes as needed to monitor the cycle, but Im just wanting reassurance.
Lately I believe API less and less and want some advice on if you guys think my tank is cycled or not. A week ago, I put in a "seeder stick" or rock from an established and mature tank at my local and reputable fish store. Since then, I have seen my tank completely cycle, even adding ammonia in and it disappearing to that weird indistinguishable mark between 0 and .25 within 24 hours while my nitrates go up.
I have high levels of nitrates present (80) which indicates that bacteria is going all the way through the cycle and my ammonia is at 0 but the weirdest thing is that my nitrites are stuck at that weird purple color that could be a 1 or a 2 and they have been for 3 days now while the rest of my parameters have gone through the cycle. Throughout this week, I kept dosing with ammonia to feed the cycle, but now it has dropped all the way since I am letting it drop.
Honestly, I have cycled many freshwater tanks before and I feel like the presence of such high levels of nitrate show that it is cycled, I just feel like the nitrite test is off.
Attached is my parameter spreadsheet (yes the PH keeps dropping, we are going to put a skimmer and refugium in to help increase oxygen flow and decrease CO2 build up, tank is in a basement with little gas exchange).
I think that it is ready for a fish with careful monitoring and water changes as needed to monitor the cycle, but Im just wanting reassurance.