I Don't Get It....

[GreenA]

I don't get it.....

I'm cycling my tank since Friday (19.08.) and the first two days my ammonia did go up to 1ppm. Yeah I do my water changes but I also have 6 fish in there producing waste. Especially the two Mollies....I swear they have some sort of poop contest going on....the amount they poop

....geez....... and I only feed them every other day....

Anyways....the last three days my ammonia reading has literally been way under .25ppm if not 0....(that's with the API test kit, oh and I always do the reading before the water change and 12h later I do another check).
How is that possible? I'm only cycling for a few days, so it can't be that my filter miraculously is full of bacteria.....

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[divegirl]

Hi, what fish do you have in there aside from the Mollies? How big is the tank and how often/how big are your water changes?

Lisa x

 

[GreenA]

Hi. Thanks for the reply.

It's 90l and I also have 2 Guppie and 2 Swordtails...

I was told to do a 50% water change every day. However, yesterday and today I only did a 25% change....

 

[Harlequins]

You still in very early days with the cycle,but has your only feeding every other day and doing daily w/c's this helping the ammonia to stay low,which will be good for the fish.

Well done you

Keep this up,test daily and doing w/c's,the closer you keep it to zero the easier it will be for you.

Have you a reading for nitrite yet? although still very early days,probably wont show yet.

What type of filter do you have and what is in it?

 

[GreenA]

Hi. Thanks again for the reply....
I know I'm probably super paranoid but I just want my fish to be ok....

My nitrite is still on 0.... I use the AquaEl Fanfilter Plus 2, it came with the tank.

Is this filter any good? It says it does between 100-150l....and mine is a 90l....

 

[Rickzayne]

You should be fine with that =]

get a few live plants to help keep ammonia/nitrite levels down =]

 

[GreenA]

Is it ok to put plants in already? I don't know why or where I got this from, but I thought I had to wait for a few weeks until I can add plants....

huh....I'll put some in.

Thanks Rick.

 

[Rickzayne]

You can put plants in from the first day.

Unless you did a fish-less cycle then it makes it harder.

but plants will eat Ammonia nitrite and nitrates(not ALL of them, but some)

and fish like them as well xD

 

[GreenA]

Cool. Thanks again!

 

[SchottayB]

Filter seems OK for the tank. I would also add live plants to help with things. Throw some Amazon Sword and Java Fern in there they are low-maintenance plants that will thrive in the tank

Just keep testing the water daily and keep the water changes up you should be good

 

[GreenA]

I'll do that. Thanks again everyone.