Cycling my 20G

[Harry g]

I’ve been cycling my 20 gallon for about 4-5weeks now and I’ve only been checking nitrites and nitrate for the last couple of weeks because my ammonia was at 0 ppm. My nitrites are now at 0 ppm and nitrates are at about 20 ppm. So when I went to my LFS today and they tested my water I was surprised to see that my ammonia had risen back to .5 ppm and still had the same nitrites and nitrates of 0. Is my tank done cycling or should I see if my ammonia will go back down? I used dr Tim’s ammonia and Turbo start 900 the only things I have done to my tank is top off and clean off the gunk off my filter pads for my HOB bio wheel 150 filter with tank water that was inside my HOB.




Test 4 was about 2 weeks ago no ammonia and the other picture was today with .5 ammonia my LFS uses the same test kit.

 

[exnisstech]

You have nitrates so I would slowly proceed adding livestock. Nothing wrong with testing ammonia and nitrite but I haven't owned test kits in years. When I see nitrates I move forward.

 

[Harry g]

You have nitrates so I would slowly proceed adding livestock. Nothing wrong with testing ammonia and nitrite but I haven't owned test kits in years. When I see nitrates I move forward.

My LFS said they wouldn’t sell me livestock because there is ammonia in the tank I’m not sure how I got more ammonia because I haven’t added anything and it was at 0.0 ppm.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

Nitrites are a non-factor in saltwater systems. If you are creating nitrates and ammonia is holding steady below the safe mark, you can slowly begin adding livestock.

 

[Harry g]

Nitrites are a non-factor in saltwater systems. If you are creating nitrates and ammonia is holding steady below the safe mark, you can slowly begin adding livestock.

My ammonia is at .5 and my nitrites are at 0 ppm and nitrates are 20ppm am I good to start adding livestock I’m just worried because my ammonia rose to .5 ppm without adding or doing anything to the tank

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

0.5 is still too high. You have a very immature biologic filter that is still colonizing and stabilizing. Fish produce a lot of waste and can very easily overwhelm your current bacteria population.

I would daily dose a small amount Dr. Tim's, check your ammonia and nitrates, and wait till you can add ammonia and test 1 day later to see that it's gone. You are good to go then to slowly add fish in a staggered ramp up to full population.

 

[Uncle99]

You were cycled 4 weeks ago.
You had nitrates, your ok to move forward.
I’d get a new LFS.

 

[fishyjoes]

If you like the LFS guys you've been dealing with, maybe take your test kit and a good amount of water and you both do the test using your kit, and then using theirs (as in, like have them watch you perform the test).
Either one kit is off, or one test procedure is wrong (or some combination).

Either way, I would suggest to not add ammonia again. The bacteria you need is already present. The only question is which ammonia reading is correct.

 

[Harry g]

If you like the LFS guys you've been dealing with, maybe take your test kit and a good amount of water and you both do the test using your kit, and then using theirs (as in, like have them watch you perform the test).
Either one kit is off, or one test procedure is wrong (or some combination).

Either way, I would suggest to not add ammonia again. The bacteria you need is already present. The only question is which ammonia reading is correct.

My test tested the same as my LFS my question is how did I get more ammonia after mine was already at 0 because it’s at .5 and it was 0 two weeks ago and I haven’t added anything, is my test kit and the lfs misreading or should I wait it out, we both use the api kit.