I need help!

I've had my fish tank setup since March 2004. So far I've only had a little problem with ammonia getting high. But lately something odds been happening, and I'm not sure if I'm missing something.

Before Ammonia would spike to (2ppm), but never nitrate(0ppm for the past 5 months)

For the past two weeks, the ammonia level has stayed at 0ppm, but my Nitrate is at 4-5ppm. This was never the case before. Confused by this, I checked the water sample again and again.

I change the water on a weekly bases, I take out about half of the water since I only have a 10 gallon tank.

I thought Ammonia turns to Nitrite and then it turns to Nitrate

So, how could it be 0ppm Ammonia and 4-5ppm Nitrate???? I just dont' get it.

How can I stop this process??? Am I doing something wrong??

Bubbles

It does, that's why you don't have any ammonia in your tank but you have nitrate. All of the ammonia being produced is being changed by the beneficial bacteria in your tank. This is a good thing! It means that your biological cycle is established. Nitrate is a lot less poisonous to your fish than ammonia.

I'm so glad you cleared that up for me.....

I was scared to death!

I though Ammonia would partly show up on the test along with the Nitrate results.

I guess I don't get the cycle concept, since I can't see it!!!!

Ammonia won't show up because in an established tank it's being converted about as fast as it's being produced, so it doesn't have time to accumulate to the levels that we can test.

It sounds like you're on track to having a very healthy aquarium! Just keep an eye on your nitrate level. Try to keep it under 20ppm.

Good luck!

Albert is correct. A cycled tank reads ammonia 0, nitrites 0, and nitrates 10-20. This is perfect.

Keep an eye on the ammonia every week, just because you have nitrates doesn't mean it'll keep the ammonia in control. Things like feeding to much or your water company changing the water chemistry can result in a ammonia spike, if this happens the tank will go thru a mini cycle.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

The cycle of a tank is such:

Your fish eliminate into the water. This is ammonia.

The ammonia is broken down and recombined with oxygen by one type of bacteria that lives in your filter. The by-product of this bacteria - the re-combination of the ammonia - is nitrite.

The nitrite is then also broken down and recombined with oxygen by the second type of bacteria to produce yet another by-product - nitrate.

Real plants in a tank (including algae) can process this nitrate as a fertilizer to grow. In the absence of living plants, the nitrate levels can climb very high. To reduce the amount of nitrate in our tanks, we do a 20-30% water change at intervals determined by the amount of nitrate.

"Cycling" a tank simply means that you have given the two types of bacteria the opportunity to grow and colonize in your filter, gravel, and other surfaces of the tank, (The majority resides in the filter - for that is usually where there is far more surface area to colonize)and that there is now ample bacteria available to process the fish waste into the final product - nitrate.

Since you did not do a nitrite test, what you are seeing is your cycle forming in the tank, but not seeing the "middle information. Typically the ammonia procesing bacteria kick in and start processing ammonia into nitrite. The second type of bacteria take a while to get going, but when they finally do, you will see them start processing the nitrite into nitrate. The fact that you are now seeing some nitrate means that the second type of bacteria are now up and growing in your filter and doing their job. As their colony grows and responds to the amount of waste your fish are producing, you should see zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and anywhere from 5-80-160ppm nitrate. When this happens you need to do a water change to bring the nitrate levels down to under 20ppm.

Good going - your tank is cycling!!!!

Daryl, that is absolutely the best description of tank cycling I've read yet! Thanks for taking the time to shine some light on the entire process! It really explained alot to me!