Right I'm been cycling my tank for 3 week but on my freshwater kit it reads over 2ppm on ammonia and 0 on nitrite and on salt water kit it reads under 2ppm ammonia and between 0.25 0.50 nitrite so I'm just wondering if the the fresh water kit not right and my tank is actually cycling and thoughts please
Api test kits
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Saltwater tests should not be used for a freshwater tank. I know there are some tests that will be way off, but I cannot remember which. But only freshwater tests should be used here.
I assume you are adding ammonia to cycle. It can take anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks normally for a tank to cycle. There are a number of variables that affect this, hence the range in time.
I assume you are adding ammonia to cycle. It can take anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks normally for a tank to cycle. There are a number of variables that affect this, hence the range in time.
It can take several weeks as I said. Those members with experience can help you with this. I've never cycled an aquarium because I always have floating plants (that's another story).
have the temperature on 28C to speed the cycling process up.
have lots of aeration for the bacteria.
if the cycle stalls, drain the tank and refill it with dechlorinated water, then add more ammonia.
keep ammonia levels at 3ppm or less. if it goes too high the cycle will stop.
then wait 4-6 weeks for it to cycle.
have lots of aeration for the bacteria.
if the cycle stalls, drain the tank and refill it with dechlorinated water, then add more ammonia.
keep ammonia levels at 3ppm or less. if it goes too high the cycle will stop.
then wait 4-6 weeks for it to cycle.
Don't keep adding ammonia every time it drops though. That will make so much nitrite the cycle will stall. 1 ppm ammonia is converted to 2.7 ppm nitrite. Stall point is around 15 ppm nitrite so it does not take very much ammonia to reach the stall point.
Ammonia should only be added to the tank when certain specific targets have been reached. If you haven't found it already, this method was written so that if followed closely, nitrite can never get high enough to reach stall point https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/
Ammonia should only be added to the tank when certain specific targets have been reached. If you haven't found it already, this method was written so that if followed closely, nitrite can never get high enough to reach stall point https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/
Right my one and only arrived today I emptied my tank yesterday because nothing was happening I've put water in declorniated it but before I add the one and only then ammonia my p h level is 8.8 is that bad or do I need to get it down help please
Test your tap water for everything; for pH, test a freshly run sample of water then let some stand over night and test it again. That will give us a base line to compare your tank water to.
Click on 'Check Your Water' then enter your postcode here https://www.yorkshirewater.com/water-quality/check-your-water-hardness/ The last item in the table is the average pH for your address. It also gives the hardness, click on convert your water hardness and make a note of the figures for mg/l calcium carbonate and german degrees. These are the two units used in fish keeping. Mg/l calcium carbonate is the same as ppm, and German degrees are the same as dH.
Click on 'Check Your Water' then enter your postcode here https://www.yorkshirewater.com/water-quality/check-your-water-hardness/ The last item in the table is the average pH for your address. It also gives the hardness, click on convert your water hardness and make a note of the figures for mg/l calcium carbonate and german degrees. These are the two units used in fish keeping. Mg/l calcium carbonate is the same as ppm, and German degrees are the same as dH.
Yes you can. If the pH is high, that is good because the cycle goes faster at high pH. You have the cycling period to work out why the pH is so high. Test your tap water's pH, both a freshly run sample and a glass of water that's stood overnight. Use both the pH and the high pH testers just in case one or other is below 7.4. It is not unknown for freshly run water to have a different pH from water that has stood overnight, so you need to know both tap water pH levels (fresh and stood)
57.6 mg/l calcium converts to 8 dH and 144 ppm. Fish profiles will give the hardness range needed for a fish species in one of those units. When you research fish, look for those species where your hardness falls in their hardness range.
57.6 mg/l calcium converts to 8 dH and 144 ppm. Fish profiles will give the hardness range needed for a fish species in one of those units. When you research fish, look for those species where your hardness falls in their hardness range.
Right I sort that out but will it fall the p h level or do I after do.sumat make it go down
For cycling it needs to be 20 29 to 30 deg C; that's 84 to 86 deg F. The bacteria multiply faster at these temperatures. When the cycle has finished, you turn the heater back down to get the temp needed by the fish you choose.
Air bubbles will help circulate the water faster that's all. If your filter outflow is angled so the water flows towards the surface you don't actually need to use bubbles.
Edited to correct temperature
Air bubbles will help circulate the water faster that's all. If your filter outflow is angled so the water flows towards the surface you don't actually need to use bubbles.
Edited to correct temperature
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