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When the ammonia disappears, the nitrate will be significantly higher. On the API kit (which isn't so much inaccurate as people can flub it up or misinterpret colors and results), your five minute results should look yellow, and may be the tiniest bit green, but lighter than 0.25.
A lot of people are going to say that once it's 0ppm you're cycled and can start adding fish, but I opted to wait until my nitrites were also 0ppm and that 2ppm of ammonia was converted from nitrite to nitrate before adding livestock.
Since you overdosed your tank, the bottled bac just wasn't enough to convert all of that ammonia. I've never used One and Only, but did use FritzZyme 9 when I almost had a tank crash. It can be dosed daily if needed, but I only used it because I had a tank full of fish, corals, and inverts.
My advice is to wait. But you can throw all of the bottled stuff you want at it. ;)
When the ammonia disappears, the nitrate will be significantly higher. On the API kit (which isn't so much inaccurate as people can flub it up or misinterpret colors and results), your five minute results should look yellow, and may be the tiniest bit green, but lighter than 0.25.
A lot of people are going to say that once it's 0ppm you're cycled and can start adding fish, but I opted to wait until my nitrites were also 0ppm and that 2ppm of ammonia was converted from nitrite to nitrate before adding livestock.
Since you overdosed your tank, the bottled bac just wasn't enough to convert all of that ammonia. I've never used One and Only, but did use FritzZyme 9 when I almost had a tank crash. It can be dosed daily if needed, but I only used it because I had a tank full of fish, corals, and inverts.
My advice is to wait. But you can throw all of the bottled stuff you want at it. ;)
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Hi Everyone. Just wanted to come one here and give my results of the last week.
Dr Tim emailed me back on Monday 11/8. Told me to dose the tank again with Ammonia. I got the tank up to 2 ppm.
Today the Ammonia & nitrite went to 0 but my Nitrates seem a little high.
would your guy recommend doing a water change? Would it be safe to add a few fish now or should I dose ammonia and wait some more ?
Sat 11/6
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 2.0
Nitrate 7.0
Sun 11/7
Ammonia .50
Nitrite. 2.0
Nitrate 7.4
Mon 11/8
Ammonia. .25
Nitrite. .25
Nitrate. 8.0
Dosed 4ml of ammonia on Monday after testing
Tue 11/9. 12:50pm
Ammonia. 1.0
Nitrite. 2.0
Nitrate. 14.50
Tue 11/9 7:57 pm. ( I got bored lol)
Ammonia. .50
Nitrite. 2.0
Nitrate. 16.0
Wed. 11/10.
Ammonia .25
Nitrite. .50
Nitrate. 15.3
Thr 11/11
Ammonia. .0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate. 14.3
Dr Tim emailed me back on Monday 11/8. Told me to dose the tank again with Ammonia. I got the tank up to 2 ppm.
Today the Ammonia & nitrite went to 0 but my Nitrates seem a little high.
would your guy recommend doing a water change? Would it be safe to add a few fish now or should I dose ammonia and wait some more ?
Sat 11/6
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 2.0
Nitrate 7.0
Sun 11/7
Ammonia .50
Nitrite. 2.0
Nitrate 7.4
Mon 11/8
Ammonia. .25
Nitrite. .25
Nitrate. 8.0
Dosed 4ml of ammonia on Monday after testing
Tue 11/9. 12:50pm
Ammonia. 1.0
Nitrite. 2.0
Nitrate. 14.50
Tue 11/9 7:57 pm. ( I got bored lol)
Ammonia. .50
Nitrite. 2.0
Nitrate. 16.0
Wed. 11/10.
Ammonia .25
Nitrite. .50
Nitrate. 15.3
Thr 11/11
Ammonia. .0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate. 14.3
Last edited:
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Fish Think Pink
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Welcome! Glad you joined.
As you likely know, ammonia > nitrite > nitrate ... and when your nitrates rise its time to do water change (or if really high throw GFO, biopellets, etc at it). Nitrates at 14 isn't yet that high for a FOWLR but if you want to start trying to maintain water parameters to eventually have corals then instead you don't want nitrates to go over 2ppm.
It sounds like you finished cycle and are ready for your first fish! Congrats
This is a great reference book type article I still refer:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.84/
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