New, Confused, And Terrified

[dasfeeshcurry]

Hi all!
 
I'm new to both this forum and aquariums, and I need your help! My husband has wanted a tank for years, and while his dream is coming true, we've hit an obstacle that he didn't see coming. We set up our tank on Monday night (4 days ago). Yesterday (day 3) the water was cloudy, whereas it had been crystal clear. I found this forum by chance while researching, and read about cycling. From what I understand, the cloudiness is natural, a "bacterial bloom". What I don't understand is how to clear it up and/or help it along.
 
So, here's a little information about the tank:
10 gallons
No fish, as of yet.
No live plants.
Tank was filled with lukewarm tap water (read at about 84 degrees initially, but is now down to 74/75)
Water was treated with AquaSafe (dechlorinates and conditions, 2 teaspoons/10 gallons, per manufacturer's instructions.)
Everything was rinsed in cold water, including the tank itself, before setup.
A "Jungle 5-in-1" test strip revealed:
    0 Nitrates
    0 Nitrites
    GH of 150ppm
    KH of 180ppm
    pH of 8.4
 
A separate ammonia test kit (same brand) shows an ammonia level of 6.0.
 
So my questions are:
 
1. Do I leave the tank alone and let it sort itself out?
 
2. What is the quickest way to make the tank safe and fish-ready? How long, on average, does it take?
 
3. If I do need to take action to help, what is recommended?
 
4. Once the initial "cycle" is through, will it happen again, even if only partial water changes are done?
 
5. We also have a male Betta in a separate tank. I've read that you can use water from an established aquarium to help the cycle. Does his tank count as established? (Complete water changes every 2 weeks or so, depending on condition of water. Water is distilled with conditioning added.) And if so, how much of his water should be used?
 
 
I think that's it for now. Thank you in advance for all your help!
 
dasfeeshcury

 

[TwoTankAmin]

A separate ammonia test kit (same brand) shows an ammonia level of 6.0.
How could you possibly have ammonia in your tank if you added nothing? Yhis cannot be correct.
 
So my questions are:
 
1. Do I leave the tank alone and let it sort itself out?
No, you have to find out why you have the above reading. Bad test kit, did test wrong. Added ammonia and did not remember to post that?
 
2. What is the quickest way to make the tank safe and fish-ready? How long, on average, does it take?
Add Dr. tim's One and Only or Tetra's Safe Start. these will take a week or so. Otherwise borrow a bunch of media from folks with cycled tanks, get some gravel as an alternative. How fast depends on how much you can get, it can be insnatly with enough. live plants help too.
 
3. If I do need to take action to help, what is recommended?
That depends on what the problem is.
 
4. Once the initial "cycle" is through, will it happen again, even if only partial water changes are done?
If you do a fishless cycle its once and done. If you do a fish in cycle its a few times and will take much longer.
 
5. We also have a male Betta in a separate tank. I've read that you can use water from an established aquarium to help the cycle. Does his tank count as established? (Complete water changes every 2 weeks or so, depending on condition of water. Water is distilled with conditioning added.) And if so, how much of his water should be used?
The water is useless. the bacteria live on hard surfaces. They will be wherever there is a flow of water to bring them what they and good oxygen. This is usually one's filter but also on substrate, decor, plants etc. You move some of this to the new tank to give it a kick start. this shortens the time needed to cycle the new tank. You don't want to move much over 25% of the bacteria from a cycled tank as it will have a more serious period of recyling which could be a problem. Change the water for your betta every week and do only 50%.
 
Get liquid tests and recheck your pH. API would be acceptable. At 8.4 cycling with fish gets much more dangerous in terms of any ammonia.

 

[dasfeeshcurry]

I haven't added any ammonia to the water. I tested twice, and was astounded at the reading. The test kit that I got was the only one available to me at the time, and I'm thinking it was a bad kit. I just tested again, to make sure, and got the same reading. Again, no fish, no plants, no added ammonia. I'll try to find the liquid tests ASAP, but I live in a small town with limited resources, so that may take a few days.
 
Thanks for the tip on the Safe Start. I know I'll be able to pick that up tomorrow. Should I do a partial change before adding? Or do I need to wait until I've gotten an accurate ammonia reading?
 
Again, thanks for the help!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

You can find it all online
http/www.kensfish.com/
http/www.drsfostersmith.com/default.cfm
http/www.petsolutions.com/C/Aquarium-Supplies.aspx
http/www.thatpetplace.com/

 

[Blondielovesfish]

What size tank is the Betta in? Does it have a filter?
 
Partial water changes will help with the bacterial bloom but it will clear on its own.

 

[dasfeeshcurry]

The Betta is in a small tank, 1/2 gallon, I think. No filter.
 
And I think we've found the source of the ammonia. There's a small hole in the lid for the tank, and I saw our cat put its paw in it this morning. We're going to cover the hole, as we think it may be urine left on the cat's paw after using the litter box.

 

[fluttermoth]

There's no way that would create the amount of ammonia you have, there must be something else going on.
 
Have you tested some water you know is ammonia free, to check the accuracy of your kit? Bottled water would be ideal.

 

[Paradise3]

Have you been using water from your betta tank to top up your new tank when water changing to try and get the cycle started? If so, there's your ammonia. In a 1/2 gallon tank with no filter the ammonia will be building up very, very quickly. Which is in turn slowly killing your betta. You need to get the betta a new tank - 3 gallons minimum - and a filter. You will then need to do a fish-in cycle with the betta in the tank as your filter will not be mature. Has he got a heater at least? If not, he needs a heater as well.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

 
Have you been using water from your betta tank to top up your new tank when water changing to try and get the cycle started? If so, there's your ammonia. In a 1/2 gallon tank with no filter the ammonia will be building up very, very quickly. Which is in turn slowly killing your betta.

 
Look at the facts:
 
1 The 10 gal tank was set up 4 days before the first post was made.
2. In 4 days there is an ammonia reading of 6 ppm.
3. The betta bowl is 1/2 gal. the OP thought, so lets be generous and call it a 1 gal.
 
So if 100% of the betta bowl water went into the 10 gal as a water change, the betta water is 10% of what is in the 10 gal. That diluted the betta bowl water. Work backwards. 6 ppm divided by .10 = 60 ppm of ammonia in the betta bowl needrd to make the 10 gal. read 6 ppm. Of course if the OP was correct about it being 1/2 gal., then it had to have 120 ppm of ammonia in it. Nothing dies "slowly" in either level.
 
das- your bowl does need a filter.  But, for sure, it is not the source of that 6ppm in your new tank.
 
Those links I posted are all to places I have shipped at over the years although I tend to use kens and drsfostersmith mostly these days. I forgot this one where I spent a ton of money between 2002 and 2008 http/www.bigalsonline.com/
 
If you use Safe Start follow their directions to the letter-. you can go to their site for more info on Safe Start. You can get Dr. Tim's online and this is what I use when I need to have bottle bacteria.

 

[dasfeeshcurry]

We have not been using the betta water in the new tank.  I was just asking to see if that would help start the cycle.
 
As for the betta's tank, we've had him for about 7 months, and he's alive and swimming just fine without a filter or larger tank. This isn't my husband's first betta, and this is how's he's always run their tanks, so I'm leaving that to him. The fish seems to be happy, making bubble nests, eats healthily, and we check his water temp several times a day.
 
Just tested my water again. Ammonia is still showing at 6.0. I also ran a test with a freshly opened bottle of distilled water, and got a reading of .25.
I got a reading of .5ppm of nitrites.
 
And I may just be seeing things and going crazy, but the water looks clearer to me. I'll have to ask hubby when he gets home if he sees a difference.

 

[kevingrods]

Hey,  hope everythign is going better since yoru first post.   The key to when something like this happens is to remain calm and not to get upset or stress out.  I recently had something of simuliar nature happen.   The tank looked great, came back 2 hours later.  I couldnt even see anything.  I hit a form of depression and was stressing.  I called florida api, all over asking about the product, what cause this I had like 5 voicemails the next day from all the calls i made.  I came on to the chat, spoke with somebody and 2 days later, i am looking at a 100 percent clear tank.  It's like glass clear, I never though this was possible.  The good thing about that particular experience is i have learned out to become more patient and sometimes just it look worse than they actually are.
 
Hope you get that clear water back.  And when it comes.  it's going to feel great!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

As for the betta's tank, we've had him for about 7 months, and he's alive and swimming just fine without a filter or larger tank. This isn't my husband's first betta, and this is how's he's always run their tanks, so I'm leaving that to him. The fish seems to be happy, making bubble nests, eats healthily, and we check his water temp several times a day.

 
Betta's need a minimum tank size of 3 gallons, 5 gallons is preferable. 
I recommend that you upgrade the Betta to a tank of 3+ gallons.
 
How often do you change the water in the Betta's tank? In a tank that size with no filter 100% of the water needs to be changed once daily (at least).
 
Bubble nests aren't a sign that a Betta is happy, it only means that the Betta has reached sexual maturity.
 
As the saying goes, surviving is not thriving.
 
What is the temp and ammonia reading in the Betta's tank?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Distilled water should have:
 
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0 nitrate
0 GH
0 KH
0 conductivity/TDS
neutral pH

 

[becketlady]

My advise is to use 10 gal for lots of room to roam around. Must have a heater, a filter to filter out waste or ammonia will kill your betta slowly with gills infecting etc.
 
Also with nothing in your tank set up, I cant see how you ended up with high ammonia. I would suggest you take a sample of water to a pet shop and get a reading. Or buy a full kit for around $36.00 which i did. 
 
Male Bettas makes bubble nest meaning he is mature and ready for a mate. He is making a nest to show his new mate if any and if she approve.......she will lay eggs. If she isn't happy with the nest, she will destroy it and he will have to make another to please her. 
Read on the Betta and do some research. Again, homeworks.....homeworks. 

  also check out the youtube.com on bettas. Its a great education.