Cycling New 10G Tank

[chlwong]

Hey everyone.

So a few days ago (~4 days) I set up my tank and began to cycle it right away. After a couple of days I began testing my water and I had these results:
NH3: 0-0.25ppm

NO2: 0-0.25ppm

NO3: ~ 5ppm

I found this odd but I figured there wasn't any ammonia to start the cycle. So I took a sponge and some granite marbles from an older tank and swished them around in my new tank to seed it. I also put a pinch of fish food (which was ground up) in there.
A day later, I tested the water again and this time I got these results after dropping some fish food into the tank and waiting a few hours:
NH3: 0.25ppm
NO2: 0ppm
NO3: 5.0ppm

What is going on? Is my tank safe for fish already? If so, how? If not, what exactly is going on right now?

I'm headed out tomorrow morning to find some ammonia in a bottle in order to test if it is in fact cycled, but I thought I'd post something here in the hopes that someone else has had the same experience.

Thanks!

Cam

[ckmullin]

Wait....just wait.

The 'cycle' takes time for the nitrifying bacteria count to rise to appropriate levels for the tank as well as ammonia and nitrite to become zero.

Seed the tank with the old material which you did and just wait. the numbers you want are zero, zero and then a reading. When the first two are zero your tank is cycled.

(could be bad test kits as well)

[jvision]

I'm inclined to think it's the kit. Add the ammonia to at least a few ppm, then you'll get proper answers.

[FunkSolid]

I too question the resolution of these colorimetric assays. I think they are valuable and I use them, but delineating ammonia concentration @ 0.25 ppm is not realistic considering observer error and their inherent limitations. I like the idea of a more macro approach, dosing 2.0ppm and observing major drops in a 24 hour period. Then you know your bacteria are rocking! I did it on my 120 this summer and it was a beauty.