Adding Chaeto on brand new tank & cycling question

C

canadianeh

New member
My 40 gallon tank is in the middle of cycling. It has been 10 days and these are the water parameters:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 4.99 ppm
Nitrate 85 ppm

I am planning to do water change the end of this week to bring down the Nitrate.

Can I add Chaeto in one of the AIO chambers to help for nutrients transport?

Do you guys QT Chaeto and macroalgae before adding them into DT?
 
Wait on the water change until your cycle is complete. Your nitrate test results are not accurate since you have nitrites in the water. Yes you will likely want to make a very large water change once the cycle is complete, but waiting until after the cycle will help remove the additional nitrates that will be produced as your tank converts the nitrites into nitrates. I would also wait on adding the macro algae until the cycle is complete, although adding it now is not a problem.
 
thegrun said:
Wait on the water change until your cycle is complete. Your nitrate test results are not accurate since you have nitrites in the water. Yes you will likely want to make a very large water change once the cycle is complete, but waiting until after the cycle will help remove the additional nitrates that will be produced as your tank converts the nitrites into nitrates. I would also wait on adding the macro algae until the cycle is complete, although adding it now is not a problem.
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Why do you think it is not accurate? I am currently using Exact Idip 570nm to test all water parameters.
 
SFish said:
Because not all of it is converted so your number will go up.
Click to expand...

I think you are saying that not all nitrite is converted to nitrate? so isn't that why there is still left over of nitrite reading in the test?
Sorry but I am still trying to make sense of what you said
 
Nitrite will become Nitrate when your cycle is complete so there is no point in worrying about your Nitrate level right now because it's going to go up. When your cycle is complete you will have a reading of 0 Nitrite and it will stay there. Then you can do a water change to lower your Nitrate level. Once cycled your NH3 and NO2 will stay at 0 and you will only get NO3 readings.
 
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SFish said:
Because not all of it is converted so your number will go up.
Click to expand...

Now that is much clearer! =)

I understand the concept, and it does not mean that the measurement is not accurate. The measurement was accurate at the time of measurement and I understand that the Nitrite number should continue to decline while Nitrate will continue to rise.
 
I am a bit curious about your test kit. I've never heard of it before. Looks like a photometer. $340 is a lot of money though.
 
In addition, with conventional test kits, Nitrite in the water interferes with Nitrate tests resulting in a false Nitrate reading. I don't know whether it interferes with the iDip Nitrate test.
 
hmm, long thread I'll have to go through on that test kit on another site, seems interesting, but amazon has few reviews and not all that positive. As for chaeto, yea run it now, why not. Would help you get ahead of any nutrient problems.
 
It's still in the development stage. Some of the test don't read low enough to be useful. I'm pretty sure the PO4 test is one of them.
 
sde1500 said:
hmm, long thread I'll have to go through on that test kit on another site, seems interesting, but amazon has few reviews and not all that positive. As for chaeto, yea run it now, why not. Would help you get ahead of any nutrient problems.
Click to expand...

SFish said:
It's still in the development stage. Some of the test don't read low enough to be useful. I'm pretty sure the PO4 test is one of them.
Click to expand...

Just like every other products out there, there is always some that don't like a product for whatever reason that maybe. This product is good for me because it is digital and I don't need to play guessing game with the color, and I also can save the result. I can use Ipad, Iphone, or androids. I can use to test whatever I want and just need to buy the reagent.

Just out of curiosity, I actually purchased some Red Sea test kits and compared the tests with Idip's, and they are pretty similar. :cool:
 
First of all I like photometers. I like Hanna myself. I like the idea of this system but with what people are saying and the price tag of the kit I don't think it's worth it. Not sure about the accuracy of this system. Have you ran standards on it? The thing that makes me question it a bit are the strips. Certain tests like NH3 you can just use a cheap API test kit for. As far as the tester being able to link to a phone or tablet I really don't see the point but that's just me.
 
That's just 2 of many complaints that I've seen. There are maybe 3 useful tests on this thing. For NH3 and NO2 you really aren't going going to test that after your tank is cycled and you just need to know when the cycle is done. A few cheap test kits will get the job done. The company it self has admitted the PO4 test doesn't read low enough. The copper test you aren't going to use all that often. Hopefully they will improve and add to this system.
 
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Like I said I verify the results with Red Sea test kits, and they have been good. API strip test is different than photometer.

Anyway, I am happy And satisfied with my Idip. To each their own.

Let's start another thread if you want about Idip or continue the existing ones since I want to keep this thread on the topic.
 
The point is matching the color on an API test kit will get the job done for an NH3 test at a cost of $7 you don't need a photometer.
 
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