It's Just One Thing After Another!

[-Jo-]

Its the day before my fish purchasing. Should be an exciting evening, but yet again something has to happen to throw a spanner in the works.

I did a massive water change and went out to the greenhouse to get my plants only to be greated with a tub of brown sludge one of mums garden potions had leaked off the shelf straight into my tub of plants and literally obliterated them luckily enough (i suppose) I had a smaller tub with 3 very small plants growing in them. I have added them to the tank. Not very impresive as they are only small.

I have tested my tank after an hour and my results are :

PH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Will check again in the morning as after work i was hoping to buy my first lot of fish. My question is - can i buy some plants and fish on the same day and add them together, or do i really need to cycle the tank for a day or so with plants in before adding the fish?

 

[Cazgar]

You should be showing some nitrates for your filter to be fully cycled.
I wouldn't add fish just yet, test again tomorrow & see

 

[Aqua Tom]

0 nitrates?

Test again


Tom

 

[-Jo-]

I was showing nitrates before i did my big water change. I was cycling ammonia and nitrates within a 12 hour period. If tomorrow I am showing nitrates - Will adding new plants with new fish be ok?

 

[Cazgar]

Yes, it should be if you show some nitrates.
What fish are you getting? Don't add too many at once or that may cause an ammonia spike

 

[-Jo-]

My bad! I retested my Nitrate and I have 5.0ppm! I obviously didnt shake the nitrate bottle hard enough! so yes, I do have Nitrates! phew!!

I was going to get 6 glowlight tetras and 3 kuhli loaches. And then next week I was going to add a betta. But I am in no rush as i definitly do not want a ammonia spike so the betta can wait till whenever is best!

My tank is 57 Litres / 12 gallons

 

[CezzaXV]

It shouldn't be a problem to add plants on the same day as the fish.

 

[-Jo-]

Brilliant! Really pleased about that.

I have been told that kuhli loaches and Glowlight tetras will be fine in my tank with my api results - but doing further reading it says that glowlights prefer a 6.8ph and loaches prefer a 4.0ph-7.0ph. Whebnever i do a water change my PH is always 7.6, but does tend to drop. Will these fish be ok i this tank? I live in an area with soft water so my ph can be a lttle on the unstable side. Will coral in the tank balance it out a bit?

 

[-Jo-]

Tody is meant to be the day i am getting fish after work!

I tested my water this morning and the readings are:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5.0ppm
PH: 6.6

As you can see, my PH has dropped since only last night.and by quite a bit it would seem aswell. (last night it was reading 7.6)

What can I buy from the fish place to help stable my PH levels? I have seen liquid forms of help for the tank but have always been advised against them.

 

[Xraymark]

Your ph is fine. Leave alone.

 

[-Jo-]

Im glad its fine at the moment, but occasionally it does tend to drop some moer - its just the pain of living in such a soft water area. Should be getting anything as a 'just in case'? or will the plants I buy later on have any effecton the PH?

Starting to wonder if I am actually ready for fish sanity wise now!

 

[Tizer]

I'd give my left arm to live in a soft water area

 

[Xraymark]

Just keep an eye on. It's great for alot of fish that ph and ammonia is less toxic.
Mine dropped below 6 which I think affected my filter bacteria as I started getting ammonia in tank. I placed a half cup of coral chips in my external filter. It stays at the same level as my tap water now. 6.6.

 

[CezzaXV]

I have unbelievably soft water and my pH is up and down like a yoyo. I've yet to lose a fish to pH shock.

Most fish are easily able to live in just about any pH as long as they're acclimatised properly. Other than that you've gotta just let nature take its course in your tank. Doing things to prevent the pH dropping is more likely to cause problems than an actual pH drop.