Aquarium Forums UK

So its been 1 week and half / 2 weeks on and my results are
Ammonia between 1 & 2ppm (started at 8)
Nitrite between 2 & 5 ppm
Nitrate between 40 & 80 (probably nearer 80ppm)

It's quite hard to get an accurate reading with the api test kit. Found a pretty cool local lfs (fish n fins) I went to on Sunday and he recommended red sea tests as they are more accurate. How are my results looking?

Ammonia has pretty much stayed the same for like 3 days now and nitrite has gone up and so has nitrates, so I think the nitrite eating bacteria are trying to catch up which has stalled the ammonia eating bac for a little bit.
I was hoping to go and get a couple of clown fish at the weekend Saturday or Sunday so hopefully it's gone down to 0 by then. I test every morning. I have set my auto water changer up and that's changing 10 litres every 14 hours so hopefully that helps reduce to.

I doubt the cycle will be complete by this weekend.
You need 3 consecutive days of zeros for both ammonia and nitrite for the cycle to be complete, the ammonia isn't zero yet and the nitrites generally go to zero about 10 days later.

API do different versions of their Master Test Kit, Freshwater and Salt water (and there is a Pond & Reef version).
Are you using a "Freshwater" kit ? If yes then I'm sure the Red Sea tests would be more accurate.

All the best

MasonJ19 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 13:16 pm Yeah, well I got some live rock rubble off ebay and put it in the sump, so along with the live sand and a load of dr tims hopefully that will be enough. I lost a neon tetra in another tank (rip) so I put it in the tank as an ammonia source. My test kit came today so when I'm home I will check the ammonia levels.

The cycle will take longer using live rock rubble as there isn't the volume needed for the amount water you have in that system. In fact your virtually doing a fishless cycle by not using any live rock and seeding with live rock rubble could take weeks to fully cycle the aquarium.

Noo im not using the fresh water kit it's salt water haha. Even I'm not that silly! But I didn't know they did a reef one. It's just difficult to read the colour of the sample against the colours on the chart. Thing is with these kits in the house it looks darker until I step outside in natural light and it looks a lot lighter. I suppose they are just an indication more than an accurate reading.

Yeah I wish I had gone live rock way but I'm not to sure where I can get some from. If anyone has any recommendations I will try and get some.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284134516851 okay so I found this on ebay which isn't to far, I sent him a message to see if he would sell per kg rather than for all of it.

I wouldn't use live rock out of someone else's tank, especially from ebay, you don't know what nasties it has within.

Get a direct shipment from a reputable dealer.

deepblueaquatic

These are not far from you and stock TMC cured liverock which is one of the main marine importers for UK stock.

TMC - tropical marine centre

Trust me when I say this, as someone who speaks from experience of using cheap rock when I first started.

Okay yeah so I spoke to my local shop fish n fins and he said he has a couple kilos of live rock he can sell me and also he said he would give me a cut of some hardy coral and test my water. So jobs a gooden!