Help Needed With Fishless Cycle (Started It Without Test Kit!)

[eaglesaquarium]

Hi - well I have tested my tap water and the Nitrate reading is the same as it is in the tank! It is bright orange - so I would guess about 40ppm - is this OK? Is there anything I should do?

Nope.  Nothing to do.  Just remember that you have 40ppm nitrate in your water (which is a bit high, I think 50ppm is the legal limit).  I'd suggest getting some live plants to help with the nitrates.  They will use nitrates (and in many cases ammonia) which will help to keep the levels lower.

Hi - the stats before doing the change were both 0 for Ammonia and Nitrite. Is it unusual that my tap water has such high Nitrate reading? Thanks for your help!
 
Also - should it be OK to add fish tomorrow?

 
It should be fine.  

 

[Mikeco]

Thanks Eagle. I will continue, I am just venting.

 

[daveyjay1]

Good morning!
 
Well - I dosed with Ammonia last night and have just tested the water this morning and have got 0 for ammonia and nitrite! So - I will be getting some fish today

- I am so excited. My Nitrate level is still high - so I was going to do a partial water change this morning. As my tap water has high levels of Nitrate - would it be best to use bottled water? (It is only a 10g tank so wont cost too much!)
 
I do have live plants in my tank.
 
Thanks for your help.
 
Dave

 

[daveyjay1]

Well - I have done a 30% water change using bottled water (I tested the PH, Ammonia and Nitrite before adding it) - and now my tank water looks good! Ammonia 0 - Nitrite 0 - PH about 7.6 ans Nitrate between 5.00 and 10.00 So I am off to get some fish! Thanks for all the help. Dave

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Great stuff dave!  Congrats and enjoy.
 
 
Acclimation guide

 

[Gvilleguy]

Good luck with everything! Post some pictures when you are able.

 

[daveyjay1]

Morning all! Well I ended up getting 6 Cardinal Tetras and some Scarlet Badis. I chose the Cardinals because out of all the smaller fish - they looked the most healthy. I will be doing regular water changes and keep checking Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels.
 
It is so good to have some fish in the tank - the Cardinals look very happy - the Badis are very shy at the moment and spend most of their time hiding.
 
The LFS said I could have more fish in my tank - but I ignored this advice after everything I have read on here. They also said the Badis would be fine on flaked food - but I have now read that this is not the case so I will get some frozen blood worm for them today.
 
I will post some pictures of my tank soon.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the help and support. I really appreciate it.
 
Dave

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well, the one good thing the LFS is good for is telling you about food.  Its helpful to know what they have been feeding the fish, so that you can be certain of what they will eat.  Some fish are timid about eating at first in a new tank... some species more than others.

 

[daveyjay1]

I have just tested my water after a day of the fish being in the tank - Ammonia is 0.25 and Nitrite is 0. Do I need to worry about the Ammonia or will that sort itself out? (I did test the water just after feeding - if that makes any difference)

 

[eaglesaquarium]

What's your pH?  If its under 7.0, I'd leave the ammonia to right itself (but keep testing).  If over 7.0, I'd do a 50% change.

 

[daveyjay1]

Hi - well I did do the 50% water change and I have been checking the parameters each day and they are looking good. The cardinal tetras are looking very healthy and happy - however, 2 of the Scarlet Badis have died, I found them just dead in a plant, and the other two I hardly ever see - I have to really search for them each day to check they are still in there and alive - they are normally hiding in the plants / driftwood. Not sure if I have done anythng wrong or maybe they were just ill when I got  them from the LFS?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Scarlet badis are a bit more reclusive than many other fish, so I don't think its anything more than that.

 

[daveyjay1]

Came home to find another scarlet badis dead!

 

[Gvilleguy]

Sorry you are having trouble with the Badis.  Just curious how you acclimated the fish when adding them to the tank?

 

[daveyjay1]

Hi. When I got them home I turned the tank light off and floated the bag in the water for about 30 mins. I then opened the bag and every 10 mins, added a bit of tank water until bag was full. I then used my net to move them to the tank. I left the lights off for the next hour. Hope I did this right?