Question: Cycling my tank

[Ryanne]

So, I test my tank every day. I have been running it for almost 2 months now. I got an ammonia source and then I warmed the tank and finally things started changing colors. So this evenings readings are Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0 and Ammonia .50. Do I dose the tank with ammonia again or is it ready when ammonia is 0? This is so confusing.

 

[WalkingFish]

So I'm a little confused on your post. You added ammonia a long time ago correct? Also there's nothing living in the tank at the moment correct? Maybe if I give you a simple Rundown this will make sense, because it sounds like you have already cycled your tank. The ammonia that you added could have been any sort of natural decaying waste like fish food, but adding straight ammonia is fine. The reason why you added this is because you're filter media needed to grow beneficial bacteria which eats ammonia, as well as other things. You should have tested your water right after adding ammonia say an hour or two later. That would have told you how many parts per million you added to your water. Which you want around 5 ppm. Once the filter media in your filter has produced a sufficient amount of beneficial bacteria, the ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels will all drop. Your nitrite and your nitrate levels are completely normal for an empty cycle tank and your ammonia level is low. The only missing information is did your levels go down? We don't know this because you have not told us what they were when you first dosed ammonia in the tank. If you are really worried about an imbalance in your tank or you're planning on putting some expensive fish in there I'd recommend either dosing your tank with some beneficial bacteria you can buy at a store or online also they have bio balls that go directly into your filter media. And lastly you can't go wrong with squirting a little quick start in your tank just to be on the safe side. Check out this wiki link if you need any more help. How to Cycle a Fish Tank (with Pictures) - wikiHow