Nitrites! Finally!

[PurityFailed]

Oh yeah... I've got the nitrite joy. They're finally there! Cycling
completion here I come. Hehe. When I was doing my water tests this morning my
boyfriend came in and told me I was laughing like a maniac. I feel silly, but
I'm sure at least some of you can understand.

Just wanted to share the giddiness! ::nitrite dance::

Jessica
(Oh please let the tank cycle...)

[FishNut]

Cool. Do you have fish in the new tank? You may want to get Fritzyme and
some floss from your LFS to speed up the cycling of your tank. Good luck.
High Nitrites are toxic to fish so you may lose a few.
"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> Oh yeah... I've got the nitrite joy. They're finally there! Cycling
> completion here I come. Hehe. When I was doing my water tests this
morning my
> boyfriend came in and told me I was laughing like a maniac. I feel silly,
but
> I'm sure at least some of you can understand.
>
> Just wanted to share the giddiness! ::nitrite dance::
>
> Jessica
> (Oh please let the tank cycle...)

[PurityFailed]

>High Nitrites are toxic to fish so you may lose a few.
>From: "FishNut"

Vlad and the Platys are in there and still perky as ever. (male betta and
2female/3male platys) I can't seem to find one of my links that illustrates the
dangerous levels of nitrites though. Or is it just "all are pretty bad". Can
anyone either point me in the right direction or give out some tips?

I'm assuming water changing until they're 0 isn't too bright of an idea since
it seems like I'd lose the chance of establishing nitrite-muching bacteria.
But then again, just letting them climb indefinately doesn't seem to smart
either. I just did a 10% water change on Tuesday, but I'm willing to have
another soggy arm day if I decide to change some water.

Tank parameters are:
ammonia >.5
nitrite 2.0
pH 7.0
temp 80

Got so excited about the nitrites that I stopped there for today with the
testing. ;)

Thankee

Jessica

(Oh please let the tank cycle...)

[lonerider]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> >High Nitrites are toxic to fish so you may lose a few.
> >From: "FishNut"
>
> Vlad and the Platys are in there and still perky as ever. (male betta and
> 2female/3male platys) I can't seem to find one of my links that
illustrates the
> dangerous levels of nitrites though. Or is it just "all are pretty bad".
Can
> anyone either point me in the right direction or give out some tips?
>
> I'm assuming water changing until they're 0 isn't too bright of an idea
since
> it seems like I'd lose the chance of establishing nitrite-muching
bacteria.
> But then again, just letting them climb indefinately doesn't seem to smart
> either. I just did a 10% water change on Tuesday, but I'm willing to have
> another soggy arm day if I decide to change some water.
>
> Tank parameters are:
> ammonia >.5
> nitrite 2.0
> pH 7.0
> temp 80
>
> Got so excited about the nitrites that I stopped there for today with the
> testing. ;)
>
> Thankee
>
> Jessica
>

> (Oh please let the tank cycle...)
Not to burst your bubble but i was stuck in nitrites for 3 weeks. seems like
the bacteria that turn nitrites to nitrates are reall slow to get going.

lonerider

[Josh Mills]

In article >,
says...
>
> "PurityFailed" > wrote in message
> ...
> > >High Nitrites are toxic to fish so you may lose a few.
> > >From: "FishNut"
> >
> > Vlad and the Platys are in there and still perky as ever. (male betta and
> > 2female/3male platys) I can't seem to find one of my links that
> illustrates the
> > dangerous levels of nitrites though. Or is it just "all are pretty bad".
> Can
> > anyone either point me in the right direction or give out some tips?
> >
> > I'm assuming water changing until they're 0 isn't too bright of an idea
> since
> > it seems like I'd lose the chance of establishing nitrite-muching
> bacteria.
> > But then again, just letting them climb indefinately doesn't seem to smart
> > either. I just did a 10% water change on Tuesday, but I'm willing to have
> > another soggy arm day if I decide to change some water.
> >
> > Tank parameters are:
> > ammonia >.5
> > nitrite 2.0
> > pH 7.0
> > temp 80
> >
> > Got so excited about the nitrites that I stopped there for today with the
> > testing. ;)
> >
> > Thankee
> >
> > Jessica
> >
>
> > (Oh please let the tank cycle...)
> Not to burst your bubble but i was stuck in nitrites for 3 weeks. seems like
> the bacteria that turn nitrites to nitrates are reall slow to get going.
>
> lonerider
>
>
>
Yep I had high levels for about 3 weeks also even with 25% water changes
weekly. This was a 55 gallon with 10 tiny tiger barbs.

Josh

[PurityFailed]

>Not to burst your bubble but i was stuck in nitrites for 3 weeks. seems like
>the bacteria that turn nitrites to nitrates are reall slow to get going.
>
>loneride

Blast... Oh well. I was beginning to wonder if I had really messed something
up at first. I didn't even get trace ammonia for a week and a half. Then
another few weeks for the nitrites to show up (durn ick meds). I'm just happy
to know my test kit isn't faulty. LOL. Thanks for the pointer though. ;)

Jessica
(Oh please let the tank cycle...)

[NetMax]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> >Not to burst your bubble but i was stuck in nitrites for 3 weeks.
seems like
> >the bacteria that turn nitrites to nitrates are reall slow to get
going.
> >
> >loneride
>
> Blast... Oh well. I was beginning to wonder if I had really messed
something
> up at first. I didn't even get trace ammonia for a week and a half.
Then
> another few weeks for the nitrites to show up (durn ick meds). I'm
just happy
> to know my test kit isn't faulty. LOL. Thanks for the pointer though.
;)
>
> Jessica
> (Oh please let the tank cycle...)

A little salt in the water helps tremendously with helping the fish
tolerate the nitrite. If your water is hard, use aquarium salt. If your
water is soft, use marine salt to harden it a bit for your Platys (Vlad
won't mind for a little while). NO2 levels of under 0.5 are fine during
cycling, and to get your bacteria established. A 1.0 level would be bit
worrisome. Just do water changes (not necessarily gravel vacuuming).
This stage typically takes 3 weeks without outside seeding. Try to leave
your filter alone. I'm looking forward to hearing about your nitrate
dance :o)

NetMax

[PurityFailed]

>I'm looking forward to hearing about your nitrate
>dance :o)
>
>NetMax

Oh, it shall be glorious...

It'd be nice if someone manufactured a test kit specifically for tank
cycling/somehwat colorblind people. Cuz I mean, all reddish purple looks the
same to me! Maybe a test strip where there were different reactive spots and
they only colored in at the exact level and below. Oohhh.. I can dream. After
the tank's cycled all I'll have to worry about is,"OK. It's reddish. Swap
some water." regarding nitrites. Hehe.

On a semi-tech note, I just did another 10% water change. can't vaccuum the
gravel yet anyway cuz I still long for a Python. Letting the water swish
around through the filter for a while and then we'll see what color the tube
decides to be. Before I muffed with anything, they were still 2ppm (I hope) so
we'll see.

I'm adding another check next to aquarium salt for the next shopping trip and
I'll seriously consider adding it if I notice any signs of stress. (Nobody's
acting weird yet. No hard breathing, etc.) I'm just a bit leery of additives
to the tank as of right now, but if they seem to need it I'm on it. I'm still
kicking myself for the Ick meds but maybe I'm just a trained naturalist from
lurking in the reef section for so long.

Yes, I'm leaving the filter-tinkering be until things stabilize. My main
concern is just to get my little group through the cycle happy and healthy.

And thank you to everyone who's discussed my cycling with me. I know it's a
repetitive subject and I truly appreciate the replies especially since I
couldn't hear your eyes rolling. ;)

Jessica


(Oh please let the tank cycle...)

[NetMax]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> >I'm looking forward to hearing about your nitrate
> >dance :o)
> >
> >NetMax
>
> Oh, it shall be glorious...
>
> It'd be nice if someone manufactured a test kit specifically for tank
> cycling/somehwat colorblind people. Cuz I mean, all reddish purple
looks the
> same to me! Maybe a test strip where there were different reactive
spots and
> they only colored in at the exact level and below. Oohhh.. I can
dream. After
> the tank's cycled all I'll have to worry about is,"OK. It's reddish.
Swap
> some water." regarding nitrites. Hehe.
>
> On a semi-tech note, I just did another 10% water change. can't
vaccuum the
> gravel yet anyway cuz I still long for a Python. Letting the water
swish
> around through the filter for a while and then we'll see what color the
tube
> decides to be. Before I muffed with anything, they were still 2ppm (I
hope) so
> we'll see.
>
> I'm adding another check next to aquarium salt for the next shopping
trip and
> I'll seriously consider adding it if I notice any signs of stress.
(Nobody's
> acting weird yet. No hard breathing, etc.) I'm just a bit leery of
additives
> to the tank as of right now, but if they seem to need it I'm on it.
I'm still
> kicking myself for the Ick meds but maybe I'm just a trained naturalist
from
> lurking in the reef section for so long.
>
> Yes, I'm leaving the filter-tinkering be until things stabilize. My
main
> concern is just to get my little group through the cycle happy and
healthy.
>
> And thank you to everyone who's discussed my cycling with me. I know
it's a
> repetitive subject and I truly appreciate the replies especially since
I
> couldn't hear your eyes rolling. ;)
>
> Jessica

Each manufacturer uses different reagents, so the colour charts will vary
between them. I like Aquarium Pharmaceutical's for NH3/4 and NO2. The
test is quick, one reagent, and the colours are not too hard to
distinguish. Any yellow means NH3/4 is positive. After 5 minutes,
anything other than light blue means NO2 is positive. For pH, I like
Hagen, as they have 3 ranges, and I can fine tune as much as I need.
Somebody probably makes a more precise test kit for every measurement,
but I wonder how precise we actually need it. Hobbyist test kits are
already not that precise, but I think, good enough for what we should
need. Hold it up to a white wall with strong indirect lighting (and I
think women have better colour perception).

Regarding finger-tinkering, I usually stay out for about 3 months, to see
where my algae and plant situation will settle down to. You know when
you are doing a good job, when your fish swim into your net from
curiosity ;~)

NetMax

[Rick]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> >I'm looking forward to hearing about your nitrate
> >dance :o)
> >
> >NetMax
>
> Oh, it shall be glorious...
>
> It'd be nice if someone manufactured a test kit specifically for tank
> cycling/somehwat colorblind people. Cuz I mean, all reddish purple looks
the
> same to me! Maybe a test strip where there were different reactive spots
and
> they only colored in at the exact level and below. Oohhh.. I can dream.
After
> the tank's cycled all I'll have to worry about is,"OK. It's reddish.
Swap
> some water." regarding nitrites. Hehe.
>
> On a semi-tech note, I just did another 10% water change. can't vaccuum
the
> gravel yet anyway cuz I still long for a Python. Letting the water swish
> around through the filter for a while and then we'll see what color the
tube
> decides to be. Before I muffed with anything, they were still 2ppm (I
hope) so
> we'll see.
>
> I'm adding another check next to aquarium salt for the next shopping trip
and
> I'll seriously consider adding it if I notice any signs of stress.
(Nobody's
> acting weird yet. No hard breathing, etc.) I'm just a bit leery of
additives
> to the tank as of right now, but if they seem to need it I'm on it. I'm
still
> kicking myself for the Ick meds but maybe I'm just a trained naturalist
from
> lurking in the reef section for so long.
>
> Yes, I'm leaving the filter-tinkering be until things stabilize. My main
> concern is just to get my little group through the cycle happy and
healthy.
>
> And thank you to everyone who's discussed my cycling with me. I know it's
a
> repetitive subject and I truly appreciate the replies especially since I
> couldn't hear your eyes rolling. ;)
>
> Jessica
>
>
> (Oh please let the tank cycle...)


pick up your salt at a grocery store and save some money. Just get the
natural, no additives kind. I use Sifto course salt.

Rick

[Rick]

"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
>
> "PurityFailed" > wrote in message
> ...
> > >I'm looking forward to hearing about your nitrate
>> Each manufacturer uses different reagents, so the colour charts will vary
> between them. I like Aquarium Pharmaceutical's for NH3/4 and NO2. The
> test is quick, one reagent, and the colours are not too hard to
> distinguish. Any yellow means NH3/4 is positive. After 5 minutes,
> anything other than light blue means NO2 is positive. For pH, I like
> Hagen, as they have 3 ranges, and I can fine tune as much as I need.
> Somebody probably makes a more precise test kit for every measurement,
> but I wonder how precise we actually need it. Hobbyist test kits are
> already not that precise, but I think, good enough for what we should
> need. Hold it up to a white wall with strong indirect lighting (and I
> think women have better colour perception).
>
> Regarding finger-tinkering, I usually stay out for about 3 months, to see
> where my algae and plant situation will settle down to. You know when
> you are doing a good job, when your fish swim into your net from
> curiosity ;~)
>
> NetMax
>
I find the Hagen PH kit to be pretty good. I have all 3, low, mid and High
range although seldom use them now that I bought an electronic Hanna
Instruments PH meter. The Hagen tests compared to the Hanna are pretty
close.

Rick