Am I ready?

[Paul_MTS]

Well I didn't test my water when I started up as I felt it being a waste of a test and them not being cheap I thought I wouldn't bother...

How am I meant to add ammonia then without buying fish or ammonia as it seems you added fish at the stage that I'm at now (day 7) to help with the cycling.....

I'ved done plenty of research like I always do and I'ved been very patient but this is the 3rd time of preparing the tank.

When should I do the first water change of how much?

So cheese specialist as my tanks planted are my readings abour right?

my booklet from the test kits say that 0.3 or below is fine, and as you said my water supply can determin the water parameters so I might never get a reading lower which my fish shop would see also so there would be no shock to there system.

 

[skimpy]

Paul v biker, have you actually read and understood my links

Are you confusing Nitrite NO2 and Nitrate NO3 - notice the I and A difference.

Nitrite NO2 is toxic and needs to be 0 reading - So does Ammonia

Nitrate NO3 is not so toxic and needs to be if possible below 20

Nitrate NO3 is what the plants use and can be found in tap water.

I have never found Nitrite NO2 (the more toxic one) in tap water (not saying is doesn't exist in tap water - unsure of this - just that i haven't got it).

Please read the links

 

[Paul_MTS]

yep I did read the links and I already understand the nitrogen cycle from sceince at school (wow it taught be something useful ) and refreshing myself with some fish books I'ved bought.

Nope I'm not confusing them I realise the diffrent spelling

So from my readings it's only the Nitrites I need to get sorted. Like I said I'll test again tomorrow, I don't think I can get there until the after nboon so Ill try and test around the same time...(lunchtime)

I'll show the results to my LFS dude and he won't let me buy fish for that tank if he thinks it isn't right yet.

 

[skimpy]

OK so you have read and got it - great. sorry just wanted to be sure.

Don't want to sound negative but just remember 'some' lfs will sell you fish even if the parameters of water are not right. A really good store won't sell fish at all unless they actually test your water.

If my readings tomorrow were 0.3 - personally I wouldn't even bother to try the lfs or consider purchasing fish - It is your choice however, we are all entitled to our own opinions - I know your may really want fish now, but patience in this hobby (or lack of it) can be life or death to fish

 

[Cheese Specialist]

To cycle a tank you have to add amonia somehow, wether through fish producing wate or amonia from a bottle. Have you done that? Are you sure you understand the cycle, sorry to ask but it doesn't come across that you do.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Nope my fish shop dude would advise me not to and I would take that advise!!

I'm getting crabs for my other tank anyways so I will be content with that but i would like to get this tank on the way to being stocked.

right so if my nitrites are 0 I should get some fish to add ammonia to complete the cycle....

I do undertand the cycle, fish produce ammonia thorugh crap it gets converted to nitrites? etc etc

 

[skimpy]

Great - Wish you the best of luck.

 

[SarahBravo]

Hi, I'm no expert, in fact I'm very much a newbie, but I waited 4 to 5 weeks before adding any fish to my tank. I got the tank all set up with gravel, filter, air line, lights, heater etc and had it running. then i planted it medium heavily, hoping that the plants from the LFS would have good bacteria on them. Then, since in the UK it seems impossible to find actual ammonia to use, I added a couple of pinches of fish food every day. After about the 3rd week I started testing the water, and the first tests showed lots of nitrites and nitrates and some ammonia, so i left it another week. When I got 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite and 10ppm nitrate, I took the afternoon off, did a 75% water change (rinsing my filter media very lightly in tank water before putting them back) and sped down to the fish shop to get fish! Am into my 3rd week of fish now and no casualties! In fact, they're eating well, growing and behaving very nicely. i did have one outbreak of ich, but that responded very well and didn't travel to the other fish, so i reckon i'm doing okay. I know plants use ammonia, but i think that to be able to handle all the ammonia in a tank you would have to be VERY heavily planted with mature, growing plants. Have you been adding any ammonia/fish food etc at all to your tank? I was itching to get fish from the moment i got the tank, but i knew the best thing for me would be to wait. My ammonia and nitrite are still 0ppm, and the nitrate has fluctuated between 10 and 20ppm, so I think my good bacteria must be up and running okay.

Sarah

 

[Paul_MTS]

Nope I didn't add any food, I'll see how it goes tomorrow, if it's OK to add some fishy dudes I' will if not i'll add some food and give it another week and then see how it is.

 

[Paul_MTS]

well tested just before 1pm and heres the results-

Nitrates - 5mg/l
nitrites- 0.1mg/l
ammonia-0.0gm/l

and the one i'm adding crabs to(10 gallon) has 5-10mg/l of nitrates and no nitrites or ammonia.

 

[skimpy]

So hopefully your nitrites are one the way down.

But still not at zero.

Hopefully the last bit will come down quickly for you so you can get your

Good Luck with the crabs

 

[Paul_MTS]

Yer, will keep testing..

Hoepfully the crabs have come in this time, last week with the order they hadn't been included

Going to need to buy food aswell, only got crushed flakes that I use baby rudd in the ponds. Oh and some brine shrimp cubes.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Just bought my crabs and the LFS guy said my readings were fine so I got some neon tetras to establise it abit, then once i start stocking properly I'll move them in with the crabs.

 

[njnauticalnut]

Good luck with the fish. Neons can be a bit sensitive but hopefully all will be okay. Continue to test daily and if you see any rise in amonia or nitrite just do daily water changes to keep it as low as possible.