Newbie with Tank cycle confusion.

Nicola · 09-13-2009, 04:59 PM

I have a AquaStart 320 Bow Front Glass Aquarium.
Volume: 28L
Lighting: 1 x 11w PL
Filtration: Undergravel.
　
The Aquarium is also equipped with an Aqua One Maxi Internal Filter 101F and an Aqua One 25W Heater and not to forget an Aqua One Thermometer.

I’m cycling the tank with 5 Tiger Barbs.

I added the Fish to 10 Gallons of dechlorinated water at 80 F on 3rd September and I first tested the water the very next day which was 4th September. The readings were:
　
4th:
PH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate: 0

I kept on testing the water every other day from the 4th September reading. Results as follows:

6th:
PH: 7.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.8
Nitrate: 0

8th:
PH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 10

10th:

PH: 6.5
Ammonia: 2.4
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 10
* As Ammonia went up I started testing the water everyday. Results as follows.
　
11th: PH: 6.5
Ammonia: 2.4
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
* Ammonia levels were high so I added a whole bottle of Tetra Safestart.

12th:
PH: 6.0
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

13th:
PH: 6.0
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

So what I want to ask is: How far am I through the cycle? Am I still on stage 1? Or am I on to stage 2 yet? I’m a little clueless since I added Safestart to the water.

Thank you in advance for the help.

Nicola · 09-13-2009, 07:08 PM

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Twistersmom · 09-13-2009, 07:22 PM

Hello Nicola, welcome to the forum!

I believe 28L is a little over 7 gallons.

Have you done any water changes through this cycle? How have the fish been acting?
If ammonia is .6 ppm, I would do a water change to put ammonia under .25 ppm.
Its hard to say where you are in the cycle. My guess would be that you are still in stage one. Usually, you start getting readings for ammonia, then nitrites, then nitrates. In my tanks, ammonia is the first to go to zero, but will still have readings for nitrite. You still have no reading for nitrates. Nitrates are needed to eat up ammonia and nitrites, that is why I am guessing you are still in stage one.

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