Complete Newbie

[RCA]

I agree always better to be safe then sorry. Also, I would agree, especially for a toilet that if you put that 10-20 drops of regent in that 1g+ toilet bowl, it's really going to get diluted. Maybe someone should make a thread here for that kind of stuff. "Deactivating" it would baking soda is something interesting, however I would recommend someone calls API and sees what they have to say.

I've emailed API with a couple of questions yesterday including the safety of the reagents in the water system. Will post any replies I get

 
Have you heard anything yet?  If not, suggest you send it to the UK side of the company that I PM'd you at the time
 
 

When the ammonia munchers have kicked in you should begin to see an increase in nitrItes. Were these results after the water change?

 
Yup, waiting to see these rise now.
 
 
 

Tried the cleaner today and managed to get it to work after watching the video, thanks.
[deleted text]

 
Excellent, hopefully you saw the benefit with the "muck" coming out of the gravel, not that there will be too much yet with only 3 fish.

 

[Mamashack]

Have you heard anything yet? If not, suggest you send it to the UK side of the company that I PM'd you at the time

 Haven't checked my emails this morning yet but nothing up to yesterday. If nothing today I'll email UK address you sent me over the weekend. I guess they won't be replying to much over Easter.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

The levels were before the WC. Only taking out 10l. I always thought when the ammonia levels dropped to 0 the nitrite levels would climb right away.

 

[Mamashack]

It's when they drop to 0 spontaneously that there should be an increase. Maybe drop the planned water change and check the water results every 12 hours. As long as ammonia is 0 leave it until nitrIte starts to rise then do a water change.


Might be worth revisiting the fish-in cycle article in the beginner's resource centre.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

Thanks and will do it right now.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

Just a question on my fluvial u2. Where is it best located? At the moment I have it on the back left wall next to my heater. The water flow is being pushed towards the front of the tank.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

Again water test were all 0 today again. No water change at all.

 

[Mamashack]

I don't think it matters which way it faces - I do have mine next to the heater so it can help to distribute the heat so there's not a hot zone around the heater. Have mine facing side to side rather than front to back but that was personal preference rather than anything else. Maybe someone else can enlighten us if it should be different.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

Visited MA today and they said it would be good to add more fish, up to 6. So we bought 2 molly's 1 silver and 1 dalmation. Also 5 neon tetras. I did ask them about the tetras needing a mature tank, and they said they are fairly hardy and should be good.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

Well, just watched 1 of platys attack 1 of the tetras. We lost the tetra

 

[Mamashack]

Sorry to have to say this, but I think you've been badly advised by MA and it would have been wiser to complete the fish-in cycle before adding any extra fish. You'll have to be extra vigilant with the water tests and may even need to do several water changes a day to compensate for the sudden increase in bio-load.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

That's sad to hear that, especially when they were recommended. Well guess that advice I will listen to will be solely from here. I will keep up the water changes and change twice a day if need be.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

Forgot to say also. The guy at MA also stated not all tanks will get a nitrite/nitrate reading when cycling. I thought this was extremely strange after reading this forum. I did say to him, I thought that you had to see a climb in nitrite and nitrate with ammonia and nitrite going back to 0. He said it doesn't always happen.

 

[Arcticfox1977]

OK, so I did a water test 7hrs after getting the new fish, all levels were 0. Did another water test 12hrs after the last one and
Ammonia somewhere between 0-0.25. Tricky to determine the colour.
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.
Will do a water change since I'm unsure of the ammonia level.

 

[Mamashack]

Think you might be as well a starting new thread or linking with others on a similar vein as this one is still in the Welcome forum and possibly why no-one else has joined in the discussion. If you want to open it up to more people try the above suggestion. You'll probably get a wider viewpoint than just mine and RCA's. Always a good thing to get more than one opinion because at the end of the day that's all it is for the most part.