Christian Patti

I setup my tank about 2 weeks and 2 days ago. When I first set it up I added a bottle of tetra safestart and 6 cherry barbs. I waited a week. After a week I still had ammonia so I did a water change and added another bottle of safestart the next day. I waited about 9 days(until today) and checked my readings. I have what seems to be 5ppm nitrate but it seems a little darker than the 5ppm color so I'm thinking It may be a lil more. I have 0ppm nitrate. And for ammonia It seems like I have 0 but I'm slightly worried because there seems to be the smallest slightest greenish tinge to the test tube. I think i may just be paranoid but I don't know I use API master kit by the way.

thanks

jdhef

You wrote nitrate twice. I'm hopping you have 0 nitrite and 5+ Nitrate. If that's the case your doing fine (assuming zero ammonia). I would just keep an eye on the ammonia, and if it starts going up, do a 50% water change.

If on the other hand thats 5+ on the nitrite, I'd do a 50% water change daily until the nitrites are zero.

Christian Patti

sorry lol I meant what you said 5+ nitrate 0 nitrite

and if ammonia does go up and I do waterchanges will that ruin the cycle

thanks again

Alessa

I have had the same problem with the test kits, and that normally means 0, I have noticed that it also depends on the light youre seeing it with.

you added the TSS so long ago... if the ammonia did happen to raise, I'd say a water change wouldnt hurt at all.

Christian Patti

thats good to know thank you