Ammonia Doesn't Seem To Be Converting Into Nitrites Anymore?

It's been a couple of days since I did a 50% water change to lower down the nitrates since my tank seemed to be at the point of being completely done cycling. After the water change my water readings were: Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Then I dosed my tank with 1ppm Ammonia and 3 days later the ammonia is still up (.5ppm) with 0 trace of Nitrites and 40ppm Nitrate. Did I do something wrong?

P.s My betta will be arriving within a week so I need the tank to be all done by then.

 

It's been a couple of days since I did a 50% water change to lower down the nitrates since my tank seemed to be at the point of being completely done cycling. After the water change my water readings were: Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Then I dosed my tank with 1ppm Ammonia and 3 days later the ammonia is still up (.5ppm) with 0 trace of Nitrites and 40ppm Nitrate. Did I do something wrong?

P.s My betta will be arriving within a week so I need the tank to be all done by then.

Your nitrates jumped from 5 to 40 in 3 days?

 

Your nitrates jumped from 5 to 40 in 3 days?

It did. Either that or I messed it up completely, but I remember the nitrates being at 5 for 2 days after WC.

 

only way to speed it up is TSS or other reputable bacteria in a bottle.

 

It's been a couple of days since I did a 50% water change to lower down the nitrates since my tank seemed to be at the point of being completely done cycling. After the water change my water readings were: Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Then I dosed my tank with 1ppm Ammonia and 3 days later the ammonia is still up (.5ppm) with 0 trace of Nitrites and 40ppm Nitrate. Did I do something wrong?

P.s My betta will be arriving within a week so I need the tank to be all done by then.

How big is your tank? What filter do you have? Is the filter one that needs to be filled with water before turning it back on?

Your first readings were perfect: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 5 nitrate... that would be a cycled tank. Why did you add so much more ammonia after that?
I'm just trying to get a better understanding. Not saying you did anything wrong.

No one knows cycling problems more than me. I have dozens of threads on this site when I couldn't get my tank to cycle. I learned quite a lot from that and may be able to help you. But I just need more info.

How are you testing the water? API master test kit? If possible, can you re-test. Lastly, what dechlorinator are you using?

(sorry that was a ton of questions, but I can probably help if you answer them... or at least try).

My first thought: It sounds like your tank is cycled, but you added way too much ammonia. The beneficial bacteria can't keep up. If ammonia wasn't being converted into nitrites, then you wouldn't have nitrates... so the bb is there. We just have to figure out the ammonia and why your nitrate is so high. Please re-test because it seems off. But we will see what it says and go from there.

 

How big is your tank? What filter do you have? Is the filter one that needs to be filled with water before turning it back on?

Your first readings were perfect: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 5 nitrate... that would be a cycled tank. Why did you add so much more ammonia after that?
I'm just trying to get a better understanding. Not saying you did anything wrong.

No one knows cycling problems more than me. I have dozens of threads on this site when I couldn't get my tank to cycle. I learned quite a lot from that and may be able to help you. But I just need more info.

How are you testing the water? API master test kit? If possible, can you re-test. Lastly, what dechlorinator are you using?

(sorry that was a ton of questions, but I can probably help if you answer them... or at least try).

My first thought: It sounds like your tank is cycled, but you added way too much ammonia. The beneficial bacteria can't keep up. If ammonia wasn't being converted into nitrites, then you wouldn't have nitrates... so the bb is there. We just have to figure out the ammonia and why your nitrate is so high. Please re-test because it seems off. But we will see what it says and go from there.

I have a 10 gallon with a regular sponge filter. I initially wanted to test out if my ammonia would turn 0 overnight, which it didn't, and I read somewhere that I need to dose my tank with it to feed the bacteria if I wasn't adding a fish right away.

I am using API and I've been testing each levels twice the past few days (I'm paranoid as they get) and I used API Stress Coat when I did the water change.

Also I tested my waters again and the readings were still pretty much the same: .25 ammonia 0 nitrite 40 nitrate

 

I have a 10 gallon with a regular sponge filter. I initially wanted to test out if my ammonia would turn 0 overnight, which it didn't, and I read somewhere that I need to dose my tank with it to feed the bacteria if I wasn't adding a fish right away.

I am using API and I've been testing each levels twice the past few days (I'm paranoid as they get) and I used API Stress Coat when I did the water change.

Also I tested my waters again and the readings were still pretty much the same: .25 ammonia 0 nitrite 40 nitrate

If ammonia is going down and nitrate is going up, then bacteria is converting it, it’s not uncommon to see no nitrites, because the bacteria converting nitrite to nitrate can be doing it as soon as the ammonia is converted to nitrite.

 

If ammonia is going down and nitrate is going up, then bacteria is converting it, it’s not uncommon to see no nitrites, because the bacteria converting nitrite to nitrate can be doing it as soon as the ammonia is converted to nitrite.

So will my betta be fine even though the ammonia's being converted real slow? I'm not really sure what else to do at this point.

 

If your nitrites spiked and then went down then I believe your tank actually is cycled.

Have you cleaned your sponge filter at any time during the cycling process. If not you may want to do so. To clean it just reserve some of the water you remove during a water change. Squeeze the sponge in this water until it runs fairly clear. That will clean the waste that has built up during the time you have been cycling. What is coming off isn't the bacteria. It is just a waste product.

I would do a water change to get the nitrates down as low as possible. Once you have cleaned the sponge and completed the water change I would go ahead and dose the ammonia back up to 2ppm. Run your tests again in 24 hours. If the cycle is in fact complete you should see no ammonia, no nitrites and some nitrates.

 

So will my betta be fine even though the ammonia's being converted real slow? I'm not really sure what else to do at this point.

In my opinion it’ll be fine. The Betta will make hardly any ammonia, so long as you don’t overfeed it, will take a week for ammonia readings to show up...

Once this lot of ammonia’s gone I’d add it and just make sure you don't overfeed it, ammonia will build up extremely slowly and your bacteria will have plenty of time to convert it.

worst case senario your tanks still cycling, the ammonia from a Betta and a few pellets in a 10 gallon will be nothing.

 

So will my betta be fine even though the ammonia's being converted real slow? I'm not really sure what else to do at this point.

The advice given so far is good. Just make sure you clean your sponge filter in tank water, not tap water. Tap water will kill your beneficial bacteria.
You have a heater too, correct?

 

The advice given so far is good. Just make sure you clean your sponge filter in tank water, not tap water. Tap water will kill your beneficial bacteria.
You have a heater too, correct?

I do. It's set at 80 atm

 

I think you did the nitrate test wrong, because the ammonia you added could not of made 40 nitrates in three days, or you ammonia and nitrite readings could be false and your nitrate readings is accurate.

 

Idk if this will comfort you or not, but betta are pet store fish for a reason...they are pretty tough and survive in miserable conditions like vases and little goldfish bowls with no heater or filter..(of course I'm not advocating for that kind of housing...it just is)..so just watching the water and caring enough to do water changes and so forth shows you are giving it the best possible life and I'm sure it will be fine.

 

Bettas live in tough conditions at a pet store because they often will do the least to help them survive long enough for them to sell, they don't stay long at a pet store, but that is what anyone thinks about the bettas they see, they think that they have been there for weeks but most likely, the bettas are at the pet store for only two or three days. This why people think they are hardy, but really they look like they were in a few hours away from death, but they are more like a week or two away from dying.

 

Idk if this will comfort you or not, but betta are pet store fish for a reason...they are pretty tough and survive in miserable conditions like vases and little goldfish bowls with no heater or filter..(of course I'm not advocating for that kind of housing...it just is)..so just watching the water and caring enough to do water changes and so forth shows you are giving it the best possible life and I'm sure it will be fine.

They may be able to adapt to rough conditions, but I was aiming to give my fish the most comfortable life I could provide, even if it comes down to having the perfect water levels. I guess I'm just being really cautious since I've lost a betta before. I appreciate it tho.