Brand New Tank!

[OldMan47]

The biggest thing the gravel will do for you is to introduce some of the right bacteria into the new tank. That way you should have something to build on. If you can get the gravel sample into the flow path, it will help more than just laying on the bottom of the tank.

 

[1staquarium]

Great, thanks for that, I'll do that tonight!

I bought a testing kit today, it was expensive but contains pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate testing kits. I have tested my new tropical tank for ammonia and pH, and the ammonia was at 0 and the pH was 7-7.5 on the chart.

I also tested my small coldwater tank which I currently have my WCMMs in; the pH was 7.5-8 and the ammonia was 0.

I am thinking since the ammonia is at 0 in both and the pH is at quite a critical level in the WCMM tank (if I have understood correctly!) maybe I should put the WCMMs into my new tank, acclimatising them to the temperature? I thought this would be better for them, and also start cycling the tank?

Are there any problems with this?

 

[OldMan47]

It puts you into a fish-in cycle which can be a load of work to maintain properly. The old tank has cycled by getting the bacterial colony to live on the gravel. If you just move the fish to the other tank, they will be in an uncycled tank with some significant time ahead of them where your water changes will be the thing removing ammonia instead of the bacteria working for you.

 

[1staquarium]

That's fine, I don't mind the work. If I am doing water changes to try and remove the ammonia, how does the tank cycle? Doesn't it need ammonia to start off the nitrogen cycle? Or will this still happen but by doing regular water changes I will be decreasing the amount of ammonia in the tank and therefore the chance of the fish being harmed? I assume that if this is the case, there will still be some ammonia to start cycling the tank and produce the beneficial bacteria? Sorry, I am still learning about all the science behind it and trying to understand how it all works!!
I moved a big net full of gravel from the old tank and put it in the net at the bottom of the filter in the new tank, and I am still adding the Interpet 'Filter Safe' every two days and have some plants and decorations from the old tank also, so I am hoping this will all help introduce the 'good' bacteria intot the tank. I added the 5 WCMMs last night, adjusting them slowly to the warmer temperature and they look happier swimming together in a shoal rather than wandering off on their own as they used to! Their colours also look a bit brighter and the males are displaying every so often.
I plan to keep testing the ammonia in the tank (how often should I do this?) and doing water changes. Do I also need to test for nitrite and nitrate?

 

[coldcazzie]

Or will this still happen but by doing regular water changes I will be decreasing the amount of ammonia in the tank and therefore the chance of the fish being harmed?

Yep - exactly right. The bacteria will grow regardless, but by changing the water you will reduce fish harm. There is a thread somewhere explaining the reasons for doing water chagnes during a fish-in cycle - might be in the beginners section.

I plan to keep testing the ammonia in the tank (how often should I do this?) and doing water changes. Do I also need to test for nitrite and nitrate?

Every day. Test at a particular time each day before you do your water change. The idea is to keep ammonia and nitrite both as close to 0 as possible, and certainly below 0.25ppm. If the test shows above 0.25ppm then do a large water change. If the next day the level is at or below 0.25ppm then you know you've changed the right amount of water - if it is above 0.25ppm then you need to a bigger water change that day.
The water changes need to be done daily, otherwise the levels will get too high. Nitrates are not too much of an issue at this point but ammonia and nitrite need to be tested daily, maybe even twice a day to make sure they are not rising too fast. Any time the levels get over 0.25ppm then a water change is needed, whether that be once, twice or 3 times a day!

 

[1staquarium]

Brilliant, thank you for that!!

I will let you know how I get on, I'm sure I will have more questions very soon lol

 

[OldMan47]

Frequent water changes to control ammonia will not slow the bacteria growth at all. As long as you are still getting a small build of ammonia, there is enough present to keep growing the bacterial colony. After all, the bacteria still have not grown far enough yet to use all of the available ammonia or there wouldn't be any left.
You should test for ammonia and nitrites daily because once the ammonia is being processed by the bacteria, the nitrites will become the thing that you need to control with water changes until those bacteria also get built up.

 

[1staquarium]

Thank you this is all most helpful! I am still reading 0 for ammonia even after having my 5 white cloud mountain minnows in the tank for a few days now, maybe because they are so small and seem to produce hardly any waste? Do you think it would be possible to add a couple of guppies at this stage, doing daily checks for ammonia and nitrites, and frequent water changes? I will be leaving the gravel from the old tank in until the tank has fully cycled and I added some more live plants today (I now have four) after taking a tour of the local pet shops! I also bought a very nice decoration, the tank is starting to look really nice now!

 

[OldMan47]

Have you checked for nitrites yet? If not you have no idea where your cycle is. It is never safe to add fish when you don't understand what is going on with the water chemistry. That is just inviting trouble.

 

[1staquarium]

Yes I just checked it and the nitrite level is also still at 0. I have been checking it every few days.

 

[1staquarium]

Even whilst my ammonia and nitrite levels are at zero, should I still do water changes, and if so, how much?

Would now be a good time to add a couple of guppies?

 

[OldMan47]

If both chemicals are staying at zero, there is no need for frequent water changes. After a few days of no water changes you will probably be able to tell where things are in the tank. You will get a build of ammonia, nitrites or nitrates and which one you get will give us a clue of where things really stand.

 

[1staquarium]

Ok I shall let you know as soon as I get a reading of something then, thanks.

 

[1staquarium]

Ok, a few days ago I got small amounts of nitrite for definite, and possibly very small amounts of ammonia (the test tube looked a little cloudy but didn't really change colour much) so I have done a couple of water changes the past few days and tested everything again today after the water changes; the tests for ammonia and nitrite were clear, there is possibly a very small amount of nitrate in the water (again, the water may have had a slight tint if at all). The pH level is still 7.0-7.5. I have fed the fish frozen brine shrimp three times now and they seem to love it!

A few days ago I added a small group of guppies - a male and three females (all the females were already pregnant from the LFS, one looks really fat and I think I can see the tiny black dots of the frys' eyes but no babies as yet! I have got a breeding trap ready though.)

Is it normal for guppies to sit on the bottom of the tank when they are "sleeping" - a few times I have seen them doing this when I have put the light on in the middle of the night when it's completely dark? Otherwise they are very active.


Also, the WCMMs are doing a lot of displaying (including the females!) but no mating. This morning 2 of the males were displaying alongside each other and doing laps of the tank which was very funny to watch, like they were cruising for chicks together!!! p

 

[OldMan47]

Yes, guppies do sleep and often will hang out together in some spot in the tank where the water flow is slow.