I think my tank is cycled based on tests. What do you think?

[Fish?]

So my tank which is about 3-4 weeks old at this point is I'm pretty sure cycled now. Last week when I tested I got a reading on Nitrite at 2ppm and Nitrate at 0ppm, today Nitrite is at 0ppm and Nitrate is 5ppm. But what's throwing me off is my ammonia which has a reading of 0.25 by the looks of it. It has stayed there for every test except for the very first few tests. So my theory is that I'm reading it wrong. But I might be wrong, and yes I'm using API which I REALLY regret because of those tubes. Thank you so much.

 

[zukihara]

I would suggest posting what you used to cycle it and when.

 

[Fish?]

I would suggest posting what you used to cycle it and when.

I used fritz turbostart and a clownfish

 

[MERKEY]

Api test kit?

If so it gives false ammonia .25 readings consistently.

 

[ying yang]

I been using api test kits for 9 years now on freshwater and last 2 months on saltwater.
I came to conclusion years ago that the test for amnonia even if say reads the tiniest amount of amnonia even 0.05 it can only show 0.25 as that lowest reading other than 0 and 0.05 isnt 0
This is my thinking anyway .some say colours hard to read which sort of agree but yellow is yellow and lime green is lime green imo.
I would say your cycled if used bacteria in a bottle and your amnonia rose then dropped and you can add 2ppm amnonian chloride and it drops within 24 hours to test that amnonia is getting used by the bacteria alot are saying on this website. And also if your nitrite rose then dropped to 0ppm like you say then definately your good to go

 

[Fish?]

I been using api test kits for 9 years now on freshwater and last 2 months on saltwater.
I came to conclusion years ago that the test for amnonia even if say reads the tiniest amount of amnonia even 0.05 it can only show 0.25 as that lowest reading other than 0 and 0.05 isnt 0
This is my thinking anyway .some say colours hard to read which sort of agree but yellow is yellow and lime green is lime green imo.
I would say your cycled if used bacteria in a bottle and your amnonia rose then dropped and you can add 2ppm amnonian chloride and it drops within 24 hours to test that amnonia is getting used by the bacteria alot are saying on this website. And also if your nitrite rose then dropped to 0ppm like you say then definately your good to go

ok thank you, I'm gonna wait a week then add another fish just to be safe and b/c I cant go until the weekend lol

 

[brandon429]

your tank is cycled because of what a cycling chart shows on week 4, not because of your test kits

 

[ReapersReef]

So my tank which is about 3-4 weeks old at this point is I'm pretty sure cycled now. Last week when I tested I got a reading on Nitrite at 2ppm and Nitrate at 0ppm, today Nitrite is at 0ppm and Nitrate is 5ppm. But what's throwing me off is my ammonia which has a reading of 0.25 by the looks of it. It has stayed there for every test except for the very first few tests. So my theory is that I'm reading it wrong. But I might be wrong, and yes I'm using API which I REALLY regret because of those tubes. Thank you so much.

API has a tendency to show .25 reguardless of if theres ammonia or not, ive had the same problem, youll wait moths for it to change, but it wont... it is the Biggest flaw in the API tests. it even tells you somewhere in the kit that it can do that. its a false positive, likely.

 

[melonheadorion]

i would say that you are cycled.

with that said, from the point my tank cycled, me ammonia has ALWAYS been .25. this is the reading with an API kit as well. however, i will say contrary to what people may say about the API kit, is that it may not be incorrect. i know this because my readings match what my API kit shows, the LFS shows, and what my red sea kit shows.

in the end, i would slowly add fish. keep an eye on things of course to make sure you dont get any drastic jumps in ammonia, but if fish are thriving, and doing well, i wouldnt worry about that .25 reading.