8 year old BD Male passed away.

[Black_Diamond]

Your thinking about this is backwards. Previously, you did not do water changes when you needed to and now you’re feeling pressured to do water changes when you shouldn’t.

At this stage of your cycle, if you remove the available ammonia and nitrite by doing water changes, you are effectively removing the food source that the bacteria need in order for the colony to increase in size.
Your nitrate level is getting higher, which is an indication of the conversion of the available nitrite Into nitrate. The nitrate should always be getting higher when the bacteria are converting toxic waste efficiently. Providing your nitrite is decreasing which it is and your nitrate is increasing which it is your cycle is progressing.
Do not do any water changes until your ammonia and nitrite are at zero because by doing so you will short circuit your cycle.

Hows this looking to everyone?

 

[danotaylor]

Nitrite is better but nitrates are less instead of more. Looks like you did a water change

 

[Black_Diamond]

No I havent touched it for over a week. The only thing I can think of is that the drum filter is working overtime again, because when it turns and uses its spray bar you have to fill it back up with fresh water and you do about 2 gallons a day. Hence why I never did water changes in the past. My nitrates have never been a problem cuz im running a drum filter on 440 gallons I mean the tank doesnt get very dirty.
Im starting to get concerned that without some cery dirty fish in there the bioload will never be enough for the drum filter and itll be too clean always.

 

[danotaylor]

As your nitrite goes down your nitrate will go up. It’s how the biological process works. The drum filter will not remove nitrate and 2 gallons per day will not give you a measurable reduction in your test results.
Your bioload is small now with just the 2 oscars so it’s not gonna climb crazy high, but you had pretty high readings of ammonia then nitrite a week or so ago when you nitrate was reading close to 20. It should be less than that since you haven’t done a water change.
1 of the 2 bottles with the nitrate test is kinda oily and needs to be shaken very well before use to give you an accurate result.

 

[Black_Diamond]

As your nitrite goes down your nitrate will go up. It’s how the biological process works. The drum filter will not remove nitrate and 2 gallons per day will not give you a measurable reduction in your test results.
Your bioload is small now with just the 2 oscars so it’s not gonna climb crazy high, but you had pretty high readings of ammonia then nitrite a week or so ago when you nitrate was reading close to 20. It should be less than that since you haven’t done a water change.
1 of the 2 bottles with the nitrate test is kinda oily and needs to be shaken very well before use to give you an accurate result.

Oh interesting let me retest

 

[Black_Diamond]

As your nitrite goes down your nitrate will go up. It’s how the biological process works. The drum filter will not remove nitrate and 2 gallons per day will not give you a measurable reduction in your test results.
Your bioload is small now with just the 2 oscars so it’s not gonna climb crazy high, but you had pretty high readings of ammonia then nitrite a week or so ago when you nitrate was reading close to 20. It should be less than that since you haven’t done a water change.
1 of the 2 bottles with the nitrate test is kinda oily and needs to be shaken very well before use to give you an accurate result.

Oh **** you are right look at my nitrates after shaking and retesting!

 

[danotaylor]

Ta-dah
As expected, your nitrates are steadily climbing as the nitrite is consumed. You ammonia looks pretty much at 0. Once the ammonia & nitrite are at 0 and your nitrate has peaked you have a cycled filter.
Remember, when you add the FRT and then in December you add the ray you will have a mini cycle again as the bioload increases beyond your filters conversion capability. It will take a week or 2 where you will see ammonia & nitrite present again.
Use the Seachem Prime in the detox dosing and salt to keep your fish & turtle happy & healthy until the ammonia & nitrite are at 0 again, then do large enough water changes to keep your nitrates in the 5-60 range between water changes