Hi again

Ok so i just need some reassurance that things are ok. If youve been reading my fishless cycle thread then you will know that i have been carrying out a fishless cycle.
Now i added my ammonia earlier as a last check that i was almost finished. I added it 5 hours ago. Ive tested the water now (itchy fingers ) and ive got 0.25 ammonia (less than i added) 1.0 nitrItes and around 80 nitrAtes.

Is it pretty much normal to read NitrItes after adding ammonia. I mean if i test it tomorrow im pretty sure it will read 0 ammonia and 0 nitrItes as it usually does.

So is it normal to read nitrItes and ammonia whilst it is being converted into nitrAtes? Or should it happen almost immedialtly? Im sorry for my ramblings, i just want to be sure that everything is ok for my babies as i want them in there as soon as possible.

I think that it is normal, as i did put in a good ammount of ammonia like always, and i guess the bacteria has to have time to convert it into nitrites and nitrates.

Humm i dont know, please some one ease my mind, all this fish stuff is driving me crazy

Thank you

Well i guess five hours was too early to test it. Woke up this morning and teasted it and everything is perfect again! So the fishies are moving in after i finish work tonight and after ive changed some of the water to get the nitrates down.

Just make sure that when you add fish to the new tank, that you don't add the entire flsh load at once. In other words, don't take the tank to maximum capacity at once. While you have a nitrifyin bacterial community going, it is still "thin." As you add fish to the tank, the bacterial population will grow, as will the nitrifying capacity. Just go easy, keep testing the water as you add fish.

Dennis