Gunkies?

[Kairi]

i found where all the gunkies in my tank live- the corners. ew. that's all i have to say about that. before we changed the water tonight, i tested the paramenters- the ammonia was ridiculous (i forsee a lot of water changes ahead tonight) and the nitrAtes were 5ppm (or is it .5? i can't remember what it said. the second color) ... what's that mean? is that bad? and also- will i ever get rid of all the gunkies?

 

[Waterloo Kid]

The gunk that builds up in a tank is a natural part of having a tank. It's the main reason why you vacuum the gravel. I'm guessing that you know about cycling simply because you are doing tests. If not then check out the FAQ threads at the top of this forum. 5ppm of nitrates is nothing to worry about. Any ammonia is.
Good luck and keep learning!

WK

 

[Kairi]

I know the ammonia levels HAVE to be below .25ppm - but I haven't gotten to my nitrIte spike yet.... and the nitrAtes, I am clueless about. And yea, I'm cycling it (with fishies) ... but they had ich, so I think my cycle restarted itself once their treatment was over.