convinced its all going wrong

[Terrier1]

Hi all 

Please help!!!! I am convinced its all going wrong now, have been cycling tank for over 2 weeks nearly 3  and seem to be getting nowhere.

I will give you the best info I can and hope someone much more intelligent than me could shed some light on things.

This is the first time using such kits so feel free to tell me I am talking rubbish!!
NUTRAFIN TEST KH/GH

GH
Tap......... 5.6 degrees / 5 drops x 20 =100 x 0.056 =        5.6
Tank....... 10.08 degrees / 9 drops x 20 =180 x 0.056=      10.08

KH
Tap .........1.68 degrees/ 3 drops x 10= 30 x 0.056=           1.68
Tank.........3.92 degrees / 7 drops x 10=70 x 0.056=           3.92

API TEST KIT
PH
Tap ......   7.4
Tank ...... 7.4

Nitrate
Tap 40ppm
Tank 20ppm

Nitrite
Tank   5ppm

ammonia
Tank 2-4ppm difficult to read

I first filled the tank and added ammonia to 4ppm (jeyes kleen off) removed carbon and turned heater to 28 and
left the tank for a few days,  however it some became clear we had not washed the gravel enough even though it did run clear through the sieve. I changed about 80 percent and and added ammonia back up to 4ppm using the calculator and checked on a regular basis.
After a week we started to get Nitrites and soon went up over 5ppm however this is how it has stayed from then on with little or no drop in ammonia and no drop in nitrites and also no increase in nitrates (over 2 weeks now like this)
No more ammonia has ever been added.
Some other things that may or may not effect things are the tank was  a second hand marine tank but was washed out before use (no soap just clean water)
We added 3 bits of slate all other decor at moment is fake.

sorry for such a long post but we are really starting to get confused about where things are at the moment and how thing differ from tap to tank so much.
we are starting to think we may never get fish in the tank!!!!
any help would be massively welcomed before we lose the faith!!!!!!!

I work strange hours so wont always be able to respond straight away but will always get back as soon as poss.

Thank you
Lee

[TropicalFishForums]

[JumpMaster]

Have faith and patience!!!

If you have nitrites then you have ammonia munchers !!!! So, one every 24 check and top the ammonia up to 2ppm, you are on the right track. Cycling can take quit a while.

Don't bother with water changes

No need to check for nitrates, at this point, it is just a waist of the test liquid.

[plankton]

Do a 50% water change and let the ammonia drop to zero before topping up to 2ppm.
I think you've been adding too much ammonia, and the nitrite munchers aren't able to catch up.

[Terrier1]

Thanks guys for the advice, going to monitor up till Sunday as that is when I will get a chance to do a water change. I will report back the results if that's ok.
Could any of you clever people explain more about KH and GH Results, what they mean and why such a change from tap to tank. Just want to understand things properly so the  water quality is the best I can get it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[audigex]

The hardness is almost certainly down to your gravel - some of that cloudiness you first saw will have dissolved into the water, increasing the kH and gH of the water.

Overall, don't worry - 4 kH and 10 gH are well within normal/safe levels.

[Terrier1]

Oh great that's good to hear. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk