Finally, some progress!

Today is day 28 of my cycling...adventure...and I finally have nitrites! I tested them a couple of days ago (hoping that I was getting somewhere), and I had an in-between color that I didn't really want to call a reading - didn't want to get my hopes up. Today, it's confirmed, I have nitrites! I still have ammonia, and the nitrates in my tank are what they were a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to go with the idea (I think from Rose) that I have some nitrates in my tap water.

Now that I have nitrites, should I be testing daily? I've only been testing the ammonia thus far, and only every other day. I figure, now that things have started moving, I should keep an eye on what's going on...right? I mean, I don't think things will get so out of hand that it would change my morning 30% water change routine, would it?

 

Today is day 28 of my cycling...adventure...and I finally have nitrites! I tested them a couple of days ago (hoping that I was getting somewhere), and I had an in-between color that I didn't really want to call a reading - didn't want to get my hopes up. Today, it's confirmed, I have nitrites! I still have ammonia, and the nitrates in my tank are what they were a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to go with the idea (I think from Rose) that I have some nitrates in my tap water.

Now that I have nitrites, should I be testing daily? I've only been testing the ammonia thus far, and only every other day. I figure, now that things have started moving, I should keep an eye on what's going on...right? I mean, I don't think things will get so out of hand that it would change my morning 30% water change routine, would it?

HI Luna
Congrats! Your almost done with your cycle! ;D If it were me, I would do daily tests on all now that the cycle is leaning towards the end. You will want to watch those test results to be able to tell when the cycle is actually over.
I would still do those water changes, since the nitrite is toxic, along with the ammonia for your Betta.
Good luck!;D
~ kate

 

I agree. The Nitrites are actually more harmful to small and young fish due to them not being fully mature and can cause deformaties. So you are going to want to watch them closely so daily testing before the water changes are in order. You will want to keep the levels under 1.0 at the very highest in the Nitrites to protect her growth and formation during her babyness. It would not be a good idea for an adult fish but during her small stage of life, it is more serious. So if you see that a 30% water change is not enough to keep it below the 1.0 level you may have to do 40% to make sure that it stays below that. You don't want to knock it to 0 unfortunately or you will halt the cycle, but you need to have less than a 1.0 when you test. If 40% won't do it then kick it up to 50% but don't go higher than 50% or you will risk the cycle going backwards. (but if 30% will keep it below the 1.0 then just do the 30% and no more.) Am I making sense?

Congratulations on getting the cycle this far..it is an accomplishment and to do it with a fish in the tank and have her obviously happy and healthy as well is really a great accomplishment. You should be proud of yourself. I know I am proud of you.

Rose

 

Cool - hope you see the nitrites peak pretty soon.

 

Good thing I'm testing daily.

Yesterday, my ammonia and nitrites were about 0.25 before the change, and my nitrates were the 5.0 that I've had all along from my tap water (best guess).

Today:
Ammonia - same
Nitrites - 0.5
Nitrates - 10

They doubled! Overnight progress! Of course, that's before the 30% water change. I'm definitely getting somewhere...shouldn't be too much longer now, right?

 

YEAAAA..... You are almost there Luna! ;D Now that you have no ammonia, and your nitrite has spiked.. watch for it to go down now to 0. Then when you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrate and 10-20 for nitrates.. you are done!
;D

 

OPPS.. did I speak too soon? You still have ammonia showing... OK...
well you are still on the way! lol...

 

Yea, the cycle's so variable in length, but yours is moving along nicely.

 

Okay, today's readings before my 30%wc:
Ammonia - still 0.25
Nitrites - 1.0 (on the up and up...and up)
Nitrates - 15 (color was darker than 10, lighter than 20)

I know I'm going to have to do another water change today to keep those numbers down enough to not poison Kappa...how long should I wait to do the change, and how much do you think I should change out?

 

HI Luna
good readings... your still on your way! ;D Just not quite yet there. You are still showing ammonia... but your nitrIte has gone up, along with your nitrAte so that's a good thing. Another daily water change is in order. All I can say is its a good thing you only have a 5 gallon tank lol.. can you imagine a 55 gallon or even the 29g? Which is what I had to do with my 29 when I cycled with fish. First time.. didnt know better either lol. But all my other tanks were cycled w/o fish and soooo much easier.

A 25% daily water change is probably ok for your 5 gal tank. Whats that come to? about a 1.5 gal water change? Even tho most of us differ a little bit on the amount of wc, the main thing is that you are doing the daily water changes and that's what's important. ;D
keep up the good work and keep us posted on these test results!
~ kate

 

Well, I just did a 15%wc just to make sure those nitrites don't get too high before tomorrow morning's 30%wc.

 

Good going Luna
you are really keeping on top of this. ;D BTW, not sure if you ever posted a photo of your lil lady yet? Any photos of her?

~ kate
EDIT: never mind lol.. I just clicked on your camera icon and saw your photos there of Fishy. ;D Now I remember, she looks a lot like my girl, Darling. ;D

 

Kate, you seem to be a bit of an Absent-minded Professor. You might lose your head, if it wasn't floating in a fishtank!

 

LOL.. well after awhile it does get a little confusing trying to remember what everyones fish look like .
An absent minded professor? hmmmmm.... ... well my husband does call me a space cadet! So your not far off base!

 

...but...my Kappa's right there as my avatar...

*snicker*
*snort*

I'm not laughing AT you, really, I'm not! I'm laughing WITH you! ;D

 

...but...my Kappa's right there as my avatar...

*snicker*
*snort*

I'm not laughing AT you, really, I'm not! I'm laughing WITH you! ;D

OOO yehhhh surrrr your not! :;bb

 

That is okay, Kate. Just do not let it bother you. This little community started out small and I used to be able to remember everyone's betta by sight and now it is so hard to remember their names and pictures, but everyone is so forgiving.

I find myself more often than I like to admit.

Luna, your cycle is coming along quite nicely, and you can do a bit more of a water change in the morning like a 40% then if you want to not have to do another later in the day when the Nitrites are pushing the limits. Sometimes this will work and save you the necessity of doing two changes. Just do be sure not to do more than a 50% total in any 24 hour period. That has a tendency to stop things smack cold in their tracks.

Rose

 

That is okay, Kate. Just do not let it bother you. This little community started out small and I used to be able to remember everyone's betta by sight and now it is so hard to remember their names and pictures, but everyone is so forgiving.

I find myself more often than I like to admit.

Rose

Thanks Rose, I won't make excuses for not being very observant today.. I can say that my Fibro has really been kicking in and I have been very tired lately. But the fact was.. I was just being an 'air head' lol.. and Luna called me on it .

 

It's ok Kate.. now, if you start to forget your fish's names..

 

It's ok Kate.. now, if you start to forget your fish's names..

what names? LOL if I keep loosing my fish with names.. I won't have to worry about it anymore.. remember Moe, Larry and Curly? sigh.. :-\

 

Okay, today's readings are in...and I'll have to do another water change later; the 30% won't be enough.

Ammonia: hard to say...it looks almost yellow (0), but not perfectly, and it sat for a while - I don't know if that could alter the color. I'll say 0.1, just in case. This is progress, though...my ammonia finally dropped.
Nitrites: 1.0, hence the need for an additional water change later today.
Nitrates: the same between 10 and 20 color as yesterday, so I'm going with 15 again.

 

Well I will say in the subject of testing that the color can change after the time is up for the test, so the time is important. Otherwise you can get a false positive. So I would make sure tomorrow and keep close track of the time and make sure that you check on time for the ammonia as you may be down to 0 and not know it. It sounds like your nitrites are beginning to process to nitrates so you are on your way now. Good for YOU!

Rose

 

Well, I normally DO watch it closely, but this morning I had to...potty...while I was waiting for the tests to process. :-[

Well, I've done a 20%wc, which should get me until the morning change. Those nitrite-eating bacteria can get their act together any time now...really!

 

Well, I normally DO watch it closely, but this morning I had to...potty...while I was waiting for the tests to process. :-[

 

O!

Excused.

Rose

 

*pouts*
*flares*
*bites you both*

 

I went to my school's open house today, so I'm just now getting home. I gave Kappa a breakfast of daphnia since I knew I wouldn't be home to feed her lunch. This morning before I left, these were my numbers (pre-30%wc):
Ammonia - confirmed ZERO!
Nitrites - 1.0, so I knew I'd be doing another water change when I got home.
Nitrates - 20, so definitely with the progress and the water change needed.

BUT...I think I'm {insert powerfully vulgar yet fitting term of your choice - repeatedly}. :'( I did another 30%, since the numbers have been increasing slightly despite my double water changes, and I don't want Kappa to be in a festering cesspool.

When I was getting ready to check the nitrites again (from the water siphoned out before the 2nd wc), just to see where they'd gone since this morning...I realized, amongst all of the distractions from my parents talking to me and dad asking me about what happened and about a dozen other things all at once...I didn't put any Prime in the water before it went in her tank!

Obviously, I rushed over and added MORE than enough as soon as I realized, some right into the filter (maybe it'd protect what was left of my filter-based BB)...but I may have ruined everything. I figure, I should know by my water test tomorrow morning just how royally {more colorful language here}...flushed...I am. :'(

*bangs head on desk*

Now playing at an emotional wreck near you: Panicked, Distraught, and Devastated
Coming attractions: Wrath of Fish-Mum and Tank Hath No Fury

 

Luna,

I'm sorry this happened to you. Hopefully it will be of little or no consequence. If your water is from a municipal source (as opposed to private well water), in all likelihood it has either chlorine or chloramine in it -- both of which are highly toxic to fish as you probably know.

I'm more worried about Kappa than the cycle. But since you put the Prime in quickly after realizing the mistake, I'm guessing that she wasn't exposed for long enough to cause harm, especially since the untreated water was diluted by the tank water. Keep your chin up and pat yourself on the back for all the hard work you've done so far.

 

...yeah. Not only have I killed my cycle, I could have damaged my fish...but pat myself on the back for a good job until I ruined everything.

Somehow, that's not really...comforting. I know you mean well, but it's just not going over that way right now.

 

I definitely mean well and I'm sorry if my post annoyed you. I really don't think you ruined everything!

 

Don't worry, I've done this too before.. and more than once.

It's lead to the system that I do now of using gallon jugs to add new water to tanks. I put the treatment for 1 gallon in the jugs before filling them. Kind of my way to keep myself from forgetting, especially if distracted.

I think that your little Kappa should feel no adverse effects from this and while the cycle progress MIGHT be set back some, I don't believe it's totally lost.

 

Got lucky and didn't lose too much ground, but I've got ammonia again. Guess I know which bacteria died yesterday! Today's stats:
Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrites - 1.0
Nitrates - 20

 

I'm glad you didn't lose too much ground - you'll make it up soon. Your little one hasn't shown any effects from it?

 

No, she's still her feisty little piggie-fish self!

 

Great, that's the most important part so I'm glad to see that she's totally fine.

 

Good, good, good! I'm glad Kappa is okay and that your tank cycle has shown only a little setback! We all make mistakes with our aquariums and fish. As it turns out this was a little mistake with little consequence. I think if it were bad you'd know it by now. It's fortunate and it took acute awareness on your part to react so quickly considering the distractions at the time!

 

Well, the numbers were the same today...and she's still being her feisty, piggie-fish self.

 

Don't worry and try not to be too hard on yourself. It is a mistake yes, but not the end of the world. The cycle will regenerate and be fine.

Rose

 

How is the cycle progressing now?