# What if the Ammonia spike keeps going even after the Nitrite spike?



## c4talys7 (Sep 7, 2010)

I have tested my cycling tank water for Ammonia and Nitrites so far. I'm on day 9 of my cycle and I believe I have hit my Nitrite spike (Between 2.00 and 5.00ppm. The shades look about the same but it is much darker than it was yesterday.

Now the Ammonia seems to be going higher and higher I can't actually determine it anymore because it has turned a dark blue and was even more dark blue tonight. 

Does this usually happen? I thought that the ammonia was suppose to go down once the Nitrites started going up?

I have a 14gal cycling with shrimp in it. I have several Anacharis bunches in there as well.


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## Canuck Fins (Oct 5, 2010)

What kind of test kit are you using?


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

c4talys7,

If you are using an API freshwater master kit, your ammonia test colors run from yellow (0 ppm) to a forest green (8.0 ppm). Blue is not a test result for ammonia.

If you are seeing a blue result, you may have done the nitrite test by accident. Nitrite test colors run from sky blue (0 ppm) to violet (5.0 ppm).

The high end of the low ph test (7.6) is also sky blue.


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

Hmm can you take a pic of the ammonia test? I think mabe its time for a 50% water change being 9 days if you havent already done so then test the water an hour after you change it to see if it went down or not.


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## c4talys7 (Sep 7, 2010)

It is the ammonia test. I have watched it go from forest green into the dark blue that it is now over the course of 4 days. I am using the API test kit and am very familiar with taking chems I work at a pool and have to test for this stuff and more. So the test shows that it is way above 8.0ppm. Now with the water change wouldn't that ruin any Nitrites that I have? I thought you had to wait till the end of the cycle to do the water change?


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## JessG (Oct 7, 2010)

Are you still adding in a source of Ammonia, or have something decomposing in the tank? The signs of the nitrites is good, but if the source of ammonia is overwhelming your new bacteria friends, that could be the reason for the build up. If so, I'd remove whatever is adding new ammonia so the bacteria have some time to clear out what they already have.

Jess


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## c4talys7 (Sep 7, 2010)

Yeah I still have the shrimp in the tank because some people that replied from my thread when I first started the tank said to leave it in there still the tank was done cycling. But instead of the water change taking the shrimp out instead makes more sense so the bacteria just deals with what's in the tank without the shrimp adding more. 

Thanks!


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## c4talys7 (Sep 7, 2010)

*One of my tests*

Took this test today. The ammonia is on the left and the nitrites on the right. The nitrites have gotten even darker which is good but as you can see there is not difference in the ammonia.










The ammonia is still really blue. Way past the green point.


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## HarleyRigid (Dec 26, 2010)

Leaving your shrimp in is fine. Does it matter how high your ammonia gets? The higher it gets the more Nitrosomonas bacteria will grow and the quicker your ammonia will ultimately be converted. Remember from the cycling sticky... 'your best friends for cycling will be patience and your test kit'. Does not matter how high your ammonia level gets as enough bacteria will grow to convert it. The more ammonia = more nitrosomonas = more nitrite = more nitrospira = more nitrate which in the end means a butt kickin cycled tank. If you ask Baylee she will tell you how she ruined her cycle by messing around with things... shrimp in, shrimp out etc.
The "KISS" Theory works well here...

'K'eep
'I't
'S'imple
'S'tupid

Hope this helped


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## c4talys7 (Sep 7, 2010)

Yeah it did, I was just concerned because it wasn't going down at all. That's for your help! I can't wait till it's done. It's only day 10 so no rush here yet.


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## HarleyRigid (Dec 26, 2010)

Lol I know how you feel. Was so worried about Rocky in the little tank we first had him in and I was so excited to get some tank mates for him. It is over before you know it tho. Mine took 4 weeks. I also suggest bumping your heat up a little to help the bacterial growth.
Best of luck


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

c4talys7,

Lol, yes, your test is blue-ish, isn't it?

Since you don't have any LIVE critters in there, no worries...


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

"Since you don't have any LIVE critters in there, no worries...  "*

*Not counting bacteria, of course...


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