Water Parameter Advice

[snorlax33]

Problem. I just purchased an API Freshwater Master Test Kit. I tested the water in my 55gal.

55 gallon tank

Two 3 to 4 inch goldies.

8x filtration

Up and running for about two months and one month with the fish.

I know my water to be PERFECT for keeping all kinda of fish. Well water, 7.6ph. Live between many mountain lakes.

Ive never needed to test any aquarium before because I never took the hobby seriously and all my past fish have done very well with a filter and periodic water changes.

My results were.

Ph 7.6

Ammonia was between .25 and .50ppm

No2 was zero

No3 was .5 ppm the first day and 20ppm the second day.

Pleas tell me what this means. My fish seem and look very healthy.

I am very confused, Thanks for any advice.

[blackteles]

It sounds to me as though your tank hasn't cycled completely with ammonia showing up. Ammonia and nitrites should be at 0.0 in a cycled tank. How often and at what percentage are you performing your water changes?

[snorlax33]

I change 25% of the water every three or 4 days because I knew it could still be cycling.

[blackteles]

OK GC...my 55 gal tank took about 40 days to cycle. My personal experience is keeping your filtration at least 10x, changing at least 50% once weekly. But, if your tank isn't cycled you'll need to check your parameters daily and make daily water changes when necessary to get the ammonia down to 0.0. Have nitrites shown up in the tank as well as nitrates?

[snorlax33]

I have only ever tested it twice and both times there were no nitrites. Plenty of nitrates which leads me to believe that the bacteria that "eats" nitrites is there. Which is why Im so confused by these results.

I just did a big water change.

[Cynders]

Did you clean the filter media at all recently? This is strange. Any gravel?

[blackteles]

Different...I'd start testing your water daily and changing 50% of your water (daily if necessary) to keep the ammonia in check. Can you get some Nutrafin Cycle to help push your tank's BB colony ahead?

[bodoba]

What does your tap water test as? Have you been consistent with your water changes before the fish were added?

I agree that we need to see the dates and results of a few more tests in order to find a consistent pattern.

[snorlax33]

My tap tests as

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0

Ph 7.6

And I have been consistant with the water changes. 25% twice a week.

No gravel and no filter changes.

Im looking forward to a possible explanation for my problem. And thank you all for your help so far.

[snorlax33]

Id also like to reiterate that I just got the test kit. The tank ran for one month without fish while it cycled and one month with the two small goldfish. Ive tested twice in the past two days. No changes to the tank whatsoever and Im double positive that I'm using the test kit correctly.

[sasha]

hi im having similar results.

amonia .5

nitrite o

nitrates between 30 and 40 ppm

tank been running 4 weeks now.

did have nitrite for about 10 days but last 2 weeks o.

thanks

[flutterbudget]

Unless you were testing water and/or adding ammonia, I don't think the tank was cycling for the month you had it running without fish. Those bacteria won't colonize unless something is feeding them.

I am on a well also, and I have nitrate in my tap water, and sometimes ammonia. If you don't though, maybe you have the bacteria present, but the ammonia is being produced faster than it's getting converted to nitrite?

2x 25% water changes weekly actually only equals about 40% weekly, but when you're cycling it's likely that you'll need to do water changes more often than that as well. Daily or every other day is commonly needed.