How Soon After Water Change

[Wordy]

As per the title really, going to buy a API Master Test Kit tommorow and would like to know how long after a water change do you wait to perform the water test?

Thanks.

 

[rdd1952]

It depends on what you are looking to learn. If you have ammonia and/or nitrite in an uncycled tank and want to see how much the WC lowered them, wait about 10 to 15 minutes. Proper filtration will usually process the water about 5 times an hour so after about 12 minutes, the water should be well circulated and mixed. Probably don't need to wait quite that long but no use wasting the solution too soon.

If you don't have water quality issues, there really isn't much need in testing after a water change unless you have ammonia or nitrite in your tap water.

 

[Wordy]

I'm cycling a new tank, the last time it was tested was Saturday (at Pets at Home) and was at the Nitrite spike stage of the cycle.

 

[rdd1952]

I would suggest you get your own test kit so you can do it at home. By the time you take it to the shop, you could have serious problems. You should be doing daily (2 or 3 times daily if needed) water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite below .25 ppm until it finishes cycling.

What size is the tank and what fish do you have?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah i usually wait about half an hr, basically you just want the new and old waters to be mixed together to give a true reading.

 

[MHunt]

Personally I test the water pre water change and then judge what size water change or number of changes to do based on those results. I guess you can do them after to confirm the drop, Just wait 15 to 30 minutes to make sure the water has mixed correctly. But probably not that long if the filters running.

 

[Wordy]

I would suggest you get your own test kit so you can do it at home. By the time you take it to the shop, you could have serious problems. You should be doing daily (2 or 3 times daily if needed) water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite below .25 ppm until it finishes cycling.

What size is the tank and what fish do you have?

I'm getting an API Master Test Kit tomorrow, so I'll be doing the checks at home myself.

the tank is 110L and at present I've got no fish in it, I want to make sure it is absolutley safe before I move my 4 cardinals out of the Baby BiOrb I have and put them in my new tank.

 

[MHunt]

Just because a water test say's it's safe doesn't mean it's going to stay that way. Have you cycled the filter in your empty 40g? fishless, or cloned with another one? If you stick your Cardinals in an uncycled tank they'e going to suffer ammonia and nitrite spikes that may kill them.

I'm sorr if I'm preaching to the converted, but you haven't mentioned cycling the tank yet and it's really important that you do.

 

[Wordy]

I'm sorry if I'm preaching to the converted, but you haven't mentioned cycling the tank yet and it's really important that you do.

It's ok, my tank has been cycling since New Years Eve, I've had the water tested twice at Pets @ Home. The 1st time the water had high amonia content, the 2nd time it weas high in Nitrite. I didn't mention I've been fishless cycling my tank as I've said it just about every other thread I've made and don't want to sound like a broken record

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Wordy,

What are you using to cycle the tank? Pure ammonia?

If so, you shouldn't be needing to bother with water changes.

BTT

 

[Wordy]

I've been adding the filter maturer that came with the tank.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

d'oh

the filter maturer stuff is worthless i'm afraid, unlikely that the tank has even really started cycling i'm afraid. you need to use pure ammonia, read the link in my sig 'fishless cycling' which will explain it all to you.

 

[Wordy]

d'oh

the filter maturer stuff is worthless i'm afraid, unlikely that the tank has even really started cycling i'm afraid. you need to use pure ammonia, read the link in my sig 'fishless cycling' which will explain it all to you.

Oh ok, I was using what came with the tank and the instructions with it. The two products were Tapsafe and Filterstart and I've been adding both as directed. After each water change I've been adding the tapsafe and every day I've been adding the Filterstart. to the correct doasge for the size of the tank.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah unfortunately these products are basically snake oil's. it's a great idea to bottle up the bacteria that we need to grow in our filters and just add it to the tank, however bacteria are a living organism, they can't live forever in a bottle on a dusty shelf in a fish shop waiting to be sold with no food source!

By the time you get these products home whatever was in there in the first place has died off. results are mixed at best!

If you read the fishless cycling thread it'll explain to you how to do a proper fishless cycle.

 

[backtotropical]

the filter maturer stuff is worthless i'm afraid

I'm not so sure MW. Some manufacturers have started to produce filter maturation fluid which contains ammonia. Of course they will recommend to use their bacteria in a bottle with it, but the filter maturation fluid itself may actually be ok.

Waterlife Biomature is an example. There was also another one mentioned in PFK recently, but i can't remember the manufacturers name. NT Labs or something similar??

Which maturation fluid are you using, Wordy?

edit: ok, i was too late, sorry.

2nd edit: ok, found it

http/www.ntlabs.co.uk/product_details.php?product_id=77

http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/biomature.htm