Finally Back Into Freshwater!

[Ch4rlie]

Can I ask what FW test kit you are using for these results?
Brand and if its a paper strip dip kit or a liquid test kit.

Just that some of the readings do not make a lot of sense to me.

 

[nikkifro8994]

API liquid kit

 

[TwoTankAmin]

1. Zebra danios are ammonia hardy but not at your levels. Do enough water changes to hold the ammonia no higher than 2 ppm.
2. Do not drop the temp to 70, keep it about 78. The cycle goes faster the warmer it is up to about 86 or so. The ammonia will hurt the fish a heck of a lot more than short term warm might. Besides zebras are fine at that temp.
3. Zebras are not nitrite hardy.
4. Nitrite can be handled by the addition of salt.
 
Read the recently posted articles on rescuing a fish in cycle. They are stickies here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/forum/291-cycle-your-tank/

 

[nikkifro8994]

My cycled media just arrived. I'll add it to the tankard rest water again tonight. This mornings tests were:
pH - 7
Ammonia - 2 ppm
Nitrite - 1 ppm
Nitrate - 10 ppm

 

[nikkifro8994]

I added some media from another persons tank on Monday evening. I tested 4, 12, and 18 hours after. Results are below. I'll test again tonight around the 24 hour mark and tomorrow at the 36 hour mark and post those results tomorrow.

Before adding seed
pH - 7
Ammonia - 2 ppm
Nitrite - 1 ppm
Nitrate - 8 ppm

4 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 2 ppm
Nitrite - 2 ppm
Nitrate - 10 ppm

12 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 1 ppm
Nitrite - 4 ppm
Nitrate - 15 ppm

18 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 1 ppm
Nitrite - 5 ppm
Nitrate - 15 ppm

I'll post results from 24 and 36 hours tomorrow. My nitrates are rising so I'll probably do a 50% WC after the 36 hour test of my nitrates are high.

 

[nikkifro8994]

Test results!

27 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - .5 ppm
Nitrite - 2 ppm
Nitrate - 20 ppm

36 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 2 ppm
Nitrate - 20 ppm

42 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 1 ppm
Nitrate - 20 ppm

I'll test again tonight after the 48 hour mark. And tomorrow at the 60 and 72 hour marks. My nitrates aren't terribly high yet. I'm going to wait for nitrite to drop off and then do a water change. Hopefully that'll happen tomorrow.

The LFS should have my Pygmy Cory cats next Wednesday afternoon. The tank will be fully cycled by then and safe for the corys.

 

[nikkifro8994]

More tests

51 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - .25 ppm
Nitrate - 20 ppm

60 hours after seeding
pH - 7
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 20 ppm

I'm going to test again and do a 50% WV tonight.

 

[nikkifro8994]

Alright, I think my cycle is complete. I've been getting 0 ammonia and nitrite every twelve or so hours for three days. Nitrate is slowly rising. I'll do a 50% WC again to get the nitrate under 10. It was at 30 this morning. The pygmy corys will be in on Wednesday. The tank was cycling in my bedroom, but once the corys arrive I will move it to the living room and acclimate them in there.

I'll also put a sign on top of the tank that says not to feed them. I don't need another Alzheimer's mishap with my aunt trying to help. She tried to feed my saltwater fish while I was out of town. Her daughter came over every day to feed them. I got a call halfway through my trip saying that my aunt had fed them all of the food I had set aside, enough for my three week trip, and then opened a freezer pack that you put in a lunchbox and fed them the fell stuff inside. I told her daughter where I stashed the rest of the food and she quickly removed the toxic gel and put a sign on my door that said to leave the fish alone. Thankfully there was only one fatality and he was he bully fish anyways. I was going to trade him in at the LFS when I got home.

 

[bluesword23516]

Exciting! Get some photos of the cories when they are settled. 
 
Sorry to hear about the over feeding. I call my family and tell them exactly how to do it.

 

[nikkifro8994]

My cousin knows how to feed them. She's done it for me before. But with an Alzheimer's patient, they forget that they aren't supposed to feed the fish. Or that they already did and then they use up all the food.

 

[nikkifro8994]

The LFS is killing me! Since tomorrow is Independence Day, he had to do the order a day early. But he didn't know that. So I have to wait another week for my corys. He promised they'd be in on the 9th. If they aren't, I'll see if a store in the city can get some for me. It's a 45 minute drive though.