Cloudy Water, Can Anyone Offer Any Advice?
- Thread starter Akasha72
- Start date
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
just when I get my confidence back something else comes along!! I was just gearing myself up to do that large water change when I saw tiny movement in the gravel - one of my guppies has decided to give birth at some point this afternoon. If I stick the syphon in there I risk sucking up new born babies .... argh I don't know what to do 
Just go slowly and keep your finger over the loose end ready to stop the syphon if any go too near the tube. Syphoning up doesn't normally hurt the fry though; I've sucked up loads in my time 
Pour the old water through a net or sieve before you throw it out, just in case!
Pour the old water through a net or sieve before you throw it out, just in case!
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
OMG ... I Seriously hope I Never have to do that ever ever again. I drained the tank down to the last 4 inches of water. Draining was easy, it was the lugging of the buckets and the refilling that was a nightmare. I Seriously HURT now 
And if I take my test sample down to P@H in the morning and my ammonia isn't zero I think I may well wind the clock back 36 years and have a proper strop right there in the shop
oh, and I sucked up one baby, carefully kept it to one side to add back to the tank once I'd done so it could go hide and then when I went to get it it had gone ...
And if I take my test sample down to P@H in the morning and my ammonia isn't zero I think I may well wind the clock back 36 years and have a proper strop right there in the shop
oh, and I sucked up one baby, carefully kept it to one side to add back to the tank once I'd done so it could go hide and then when I went to get it it had gone ...
You might have to do it again...and again... but that is cycling. It needs doing until there is enough filter bacteria are able to break down the ammonia and convert it to nitrite, and then different bacteria to convert nitrite into nitrate.
If you had a test kit (I know you're getting one) and were doing a fishless cycle you would add an artificial source of ammonia (ordinary household stuff) and then test for each thing daily, ideally same time each day, before changing water. You'd see how the ammonia levels peaked, then started to drop while nitrite levels climbed higher, then these started to drop and the less harmful nitrate levels climbed. Once you were getting a steady result of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and a constant level of nitrite around 10-20 (it does vary), that's the cycle finished.
Because you have fish, you can't afford to just watch the ammonia peak, then the nitrite, and finally the nitrate. You have to manually do what the filter is for now unable to do, ie remove the ammonia. Unfortunately it just takes as long as it takes - frustrating, but necessary.
You will get plenty more babies, don't worry about saving them!
If you had a test kit (I know you're getting one) and were doing a fishless cycle you would add an artificial source of ammonia (ordinary household stuff) and then test for each thing daily, ideally same time each day, before changing water. You'd see how the ammonia levels peaked, then started to drop while nitrite levels climbed higher, then these started to drop and the less harmful nitrate levels climbed. Once you were getting a steady result of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and a constant level of nitrite around 10-20 (it does vary), that's the cycle finished.
Because you have fish, you can't afford to just watch the ammonia peak, then the nitrite, and finally the nitrate. You have to manually do what the filter is for now unable to do, ie remove the ammonia. Unfortunately it just takes as long as it takes - frustrating, but necessary.
You will get plenty more babies, don't worry about saving them!
Ask your LFS if they'll give you a bit of mature media from their filter; they might not, but some shops will and it would give your bacterial colony a good head start 
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
well the good news is there's a real pong developing from the tank when I open the lid ... guessing that's the bacteria. The old tank stank when I dismantled it and that had been cycled before the fish arrived. I just wish I'd known to put the new filter sponges in the old tank and then to leave them alone! I'm adding the atificial bacteria bought from the shop so I guess I'm doing all I can to get the cycle going. I could take a trip to the other side of town tomorrow to the aquatic centre and see if they can help me out with some media ... then again they may tell me to go away ... they can be a bit snotty (in other words I'm scared to ask lol)
As for the babies the poor fish has only given birth today and already the males are giving it the 'hello, pretty lady' routine! I saw a baby flick across the bottom of the tank about 10 mins ago so there are still some in there. I'm not too bothered about the guppy babies, I want platy babies
Anyway I'm now officially shattered so the pc is going off. I'll keep posting on the ammonia level. The test kit has been ordered today so I'm hoping it will be with me by Tuesday
As for the babies the poor fish has only given birth today and already the males are giving it the 'hello, pretty lady' routine! I saw a baby flick across the bottom of the tank about 10 mins ago so there are still some in there. I'm not too bothered about the guppy babies, I want platy babies
Anyway I'm now officially shattered so the pc is going off. I'll keep posting on the ammonia level. The test kit has been ordered today so I'm hoping it will be with me by Tuesday
Healthy tanks should not smell when you open the lid; normally tanks (and filters) just have a very slight damp, composty sort of smell.
Anything else is probably a sign that you're over feeding and that you've got rotting food in there somewhere.
Best of luck with your LFS; do be brave and ask, as it will really help your cycle, unlike the bottled bacteria which are nothing more than a waste of money
Anything else is probably a sign that you're over feeding and that you've got rotting food in there somewhere.
Best of luck with your LFS; do be brave and ask, as it will really help your cycle, unlike the bottled bacteria which are nothing more than a waste of money
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
The musty composty sort of smell is the one I'm talking about .. so that's good then?
About to scoop out some water and get it checked again.
Regarding feeding. I've taken up the advice on here and taken to giving them a small pinch and watch them eat every bit and I'm doing that morning and evening (by small pinch I mean a very small pinch. I'm 4ft 11in so you can probably guess the size of my hands!)
I so hope that ammonia is down today ... not sure I could cope with yet another water change
About to scoop out some water and get it checked again.
Regarding feeding. I've taken up the advice on here and taken to giving them a small pinch and watch them eat every bit and I'm doing that morning and evening (by small pinch I mean a very small pinch. I'm 4ft 11in so you can probably guess the size of my hands!)
I so hope that ammonia is down today ... not sure I could cope with yet another water change
I'm sure it will be down. But if it is that means nitrite is up which is just as bad.
Like I said above : you have an ammonia peak, then a nitrite peak, and finally nitrate peaks and stabilises. Once your ammonia and nitrite levels have peaked and gone back to 0, you're pretty much done. It won't be done yet. Make sure he tests both and make a note of them.
Like I said above : you have an ammonia peak, then a nitrite peak, and finally nitrate peaks and stabilises. Once your ammonia and nitrite levels have peaked and gone back to 0, you're pretty much done. It won't be done yet. Make sure he tests both and make a note of them.
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
okay ... I have the results and I'm hoping someone will tell me if they're good or bad and if they think the tank is starting to cycle.
Results are: PH 6.8. Ammonia 0. Nitrite 0. Nitrate 0
My Dad said that was good but I've no idea! I've just been having a quick scan on here so see if there's a guide to good/bad test results - not found anything yet though
Results are: PH 6.8. Ammonia 0. Nitrite 0. Nitrate 0
My Dad said that was good but I've no idea! I've just been having a quick scan on here so see if there's a guide to good/bad test results - not found anything yet though
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
Thanks Soybean, I'm not expecting miracles and I'm expecting to find a different result with the next test next week. It would be nice to think that the tank is starting to cycle but I'm satisfied that the ammonia and Nitrite is zero for now. I'm hoping that my testing kit will be here by Tuesday or Wednesday so I can keep an eye on the levels from home instead of walking down to P@H everyday!
Question for you though (and I feel stupid asking) but is it a good idea to do a water change tomorrow of say 10-20% to keep the ammonia down or should I leave it til my kit comes and see what the results say?
I don't want to stall the process if I can help it and until the kit comes I've no idea if the ammonia will come back up without walking down to P@H
Question for you though (and I feel stupid asking) but is it a good idea to do a water change tomorrow of say 10-20% to keep the ammonia down or should I leave it til my kit comes and see what the results say?
I don't want to stall the process if I can help it and until the kit comes I've no idea if the ammonia will come back up without walking down to P@H
Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
ps ... I'm sorry that this isn't really going in. My illness has caused problems with memory and storing any kind of information. I'm sorry you're having to repeat yourself.
Think I got it now though .. keep ammonia at zero, wait for nitrite to rise then fall and nitrate to come up to 10-20 and then it's cycled
that right?
Think I got it now though .. keep ammonia at zero, wait for nitrite to rise then fall and nitrate to come up to 10-20 and then it's cycled
that right?
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