My new tank setup

[Beau87]

Hello everyone i'm new to the aquarium scene, but excited to be part of it an experience the journey.
I recently bought an aquaone 620t tank 10 days ago. I put 30kgs of washed gravel on the base, a mixture of white and brown,both fine an chunky, I have ambulia,purple temple, Elodea,Variegated rush planted, along with a a few stones and a pre soaked piece of driftwood that has some moss on it. I have a 300w petworx heater running at 24-25 degrees and a thermometer running on the opposite side of the heater.
I filled the tank up with tap water an treated the water with API quick start, API stress coat to all the required specs taking into consideration the 30kgs of gravel I have in there already so it makes it a 100litre tank.
I used seachem flourish for the plants to the right specs, I have left it for over 1 week an did a water test. The results were 7.8ph 0 Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate. I wanted to get my pH down to 7 so it's suitable for future tropical fish as I think this is a sweet spot for the majority of tropical fish i want.

The next day I went to the aquarium store an told them the results and also me wanting to lower the PH they said you should use quick start each day to speed the cycling up with a little stress coat. I continued to do this for a 3 days did another water test the results were the same so I went back an was suggested to get a Biotope pH reducer. I added this to the tank when I got home an did a water test the following day, the PH was at 7.0 right where I wanted it to be. I then noticed a thin film on top of the water it looked oily. After doing a little research I used paper towel ontop of the water to remove the substance, it worked but sure enough it was back the next day but this time there were bubbles that were sticking to the surface. The bubbles looked awfull an it was irritating me so I got a cup an skimmed it out holding the cup under the water an just letting the top layer of water fall into the cup.I went back to the aquarium store an got another water test pH was 7.4 but this time ammonia was 0.25pm and 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate.I explained to them I had bubbles on the surface they said I need to do a water change and also to lower the ammonia level. So I went back home changed 25% of the water with tap water and treated the tank with all the chemicals once again.
Wake up the next day an theres bubbles all in the corners of the tank. What are these bubbles is it because of the chemicals I have put in? Do I need to clean the filter carbon an mesh in a new tank cycle? Have also noticed I'm getting these white fluffy like objects in the water it's like fairy floss, I also noticed that I had 1 baby snail in the tank wasn't sure if I should keep it so slept on it an came back the next day only to remove it along with a dozen more in the days after.
Any advice would much be appreciated, sorry about the rambling on but I really want the tank right for the little guys when they move in.

 

[Essjay]

The first thing I noticed from your post is that you added a chemical to reduce the pH. This is not a good idea I'm afraid. I know you said it was the sweet spot for the fish you want to keep but pH is not as important as hardness. We should aim to keep fish which come from water with the same hardness as our tap water. Yes, you can alter your tap water but it is a lot easier to use tap water as it comes out of the tap. If the hardness is right for the fish, the pH can be outside the quoted range.
So the first thing to do is to look on your water provider's website for hardness. You need a number and the unit of measurement rather than some vague words.
Soft water fish kept in hard water develop calcium deposits in their organs, especially the kidneys, and their lifespan is shorter than it should be. Hard water fish kept in soft water suffer from lack of calcium; this stresses them and they get sick more easily.

Once you know the hardness, look up the species of fish you want on https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/. Check their hardness and temperature requirements and the size tank they need - length is more important than volume, especially with a tall tank. Please do not take advice on suitable fish from a fish store - they either don't know or don't care and will say anything to make a sale. And most of them are unaware of the need to match your water to that where the fish originate.


You have a good number of live plants, but can I also recommend some floating plants? There are two reasons. Firstly most of the fish we buy come from waters with overhanging vegetation so they like to have cover between the water and the lights. Secondly, they will help with cycling.
Live plants use ammonia as fertiliser. If there are enough of them, they will take up all the ammonia made by a sensibly stocked tank of fish, and floating plants are particularly good for this as they can get their other requirements more easily - they are close to the lights and they can access carbon dioxide from the air.

With the plants you have plus future floating plants, you can do a plant or silent cycle. Wait until you are sure all the plants are actively growing and not about to die. Then add the first batch of fish on your wish list. For shoaling fish, get the whole shoal at the same time. Test the water every day for ammonia and nitrite to make sure the plants are removing all the ammonia and do a water change if either show up. When the levels have ben zero for a week or two you can get the next batch of fish.



The bubbles could be from all the chemicals. Of the ones in your photo, stop using the pH/KH reducer. In fact, I would do a big water change to get it out of the tank water. As I mentioned above, ignore the pH and keep fish which suit your tap water hardness.
Flourish Comprehensive supplement is one of the best liquid fertilisers. I am not well up in plants so I'll leave it to those members who are to say of you also need root tabs or not.
Quick Start is not the most highly recommended bacterial starters but you may as well use it as you have it. With a lot of live plants, it won't really be needed.
Stress Coat - use this until the bottle is empty, then replace it with API Tap Water Conditioner. Stress coat contains aloe vera which can harm the fish's gills over time. It is possible the aloe vera may even contribute to the bubbles on the water surface. API Tap Water Condtitoner does not contain aloe vera. It is also very concentrated, so you may also need a pipette to dose it - it use 1 drop per US gallon/3.8 litres for chlorine and 3 drops for chloramine. It may look expensive but a bottle lasts ages.

 

[Retired Viking]

Hello and welcome to the forum

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

The bubbles are normal in a new tank, thing to worry about.

If you bought the tank/filter new, no need to wash the filter cartridge. (I actually recommend to wash it under cold water. This helps to get all the loose, powdery carbon out)

 

[Beau87]

Thank you so much Essjay and others for the advice, much appreciated.
I went onto the local water supply website and checked for the hardness they posted:

Hardness is a measure of the presence of calcium ions, as well as other ions such as magnesium, iron and manganese.
Hard water can cause scale to form on boilers and hot water pipes and fittings.
To minimise undesirable build-up of scale in hot water systems, total hardness (as calcium carbonate - CaCO3) in drinking water should not exceed 200 mg/L.
The typical hardness level of water delivered in South East Water's area is between 12 – 45 mg/L. This means that the water being supplied to South East Water customers is considered "soft" by international standards.

I think what i will do is go out an buy a water hardness test kit so i can accurately test it from home. I'll get the numbers an then post the results here in the forum.
The fish that i would like to have in my tank are 1xMale Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami, 1xmale betta elephant, half a dozen or more cardinal tetras, 2x bristle nosed catfish.

 

[Retired Viking]

I picked up a water hardness test meter (pen) a TDS-3 and it is spot on with what is listed as my water hardness. I use it to keep track of my tetra tanks hardness as I add RO water to soften it. Less than 10 USD.

 

[Beau87]

Thanx retired Viking i will order one online, had a look at them they look pretty funky and efficient. I just did another water test all the levels are 0 except for ammonia which is 0.25ppm the same measurement before i did the water change couple days ago. Do i need to keep the ammonia in there for the nitrite to develop in a new tank cycle? I was under the impression bacteria need ammonia to produced nitrite then bacteria eat the nitrite an produce nitrate. To determine that the new tank is cycled would it be true to say that all levels need to be 0 except for the Nitrate (the final process) which would need to show a reading of some ppm.
Thanx again guys

 

[Retired Viking]

Yes, It will take awhile for the bacteria to develop, I do what is called a silent or planted cycle so I do not have to worry about the bacteria. It is a natural way to cycle a tank using fast growing floating plants to absorb the ammonia. I have done it on all my tanks Got to run.

 

[Beau87]

So I went out an got the API GH/KH water test kit. 1st test was the water directly from the tap GH was 2 drops an measured 35.8ppm KH was 2 drops an measured 2°DKH. I tested the water from the tank GH was 5 drops at 89.5ppm and KH measured 4°DKH.
The water inside the Tank is alot harder than the water from the tap is that because of all the bacteria an chemicals that are inside the tank? When I'm doing water changes of 25% each fortnight from the tap of GH 35ppm into tank water of GH 89ppm is this going to effect the fish much considering it's just 25%

 

[Beau87]

How am i getting readings for Ammonia of 0.25ppm when i'm not adding any ammonia additives in the tank. The quick start only says nitryfying bacteria for new tanks an water changes but doesn't this need ammonia to thrive? Is it possible to get ammonia in the tank and starting the cycle by just adding tap water, and the quick start?
Can i get this thread to be moved to Beginners "Cycling"
Thanx Beau

 

[ClownLurch]

How am i getting readings for Ammonia of 0.25ppm when i'm not adding any ammonia additives in the tank. The quick start only says nitryfying bacteria for new tanks an water changes but doesn't this need ammonia to thrive? Is it possible to get ammonia in the tank and starting the cycle by just adding tap water, and the quick start?
Can i get this thread to be moved to Beginners "Cycling"
Thanx Beau

I started my first silent cycle ten days ago so I’m no expert but my tap water reads Ammonia as 0:25 direct from the tap,after 24hrs standing in a jar and after a week of silent cycling without many plants.

 

[mmarx339]

Hello everyone i'm new to the aquarium scene, but excited to be part of it an experience the journey.
I recently bought an aquaone 620t tank 10 days ago. I put 30kgs of washed gravel on the base, a mixture of white and brown,both fine an chunky, I have ambulia,purple temple, Elodea,Variegated rush planted, along with a a few stones and a pre soaked piece of driftwood that has some moss on it. I have a 300w petworx heater running at 24-25 degrees and a thermometer running on the opposite side of the heater.
I filled the tank up with tap water an treated the water with API quick start, API stress coat to all the required specs taking into consideration the 30kgs of gravel I have in there already so it makes it a 100litre tank.
I used seachem flourish for the plants to the right specs, I have left it for over 1 week an did a water test. The results were 7.8ph 0 Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate. I wanted to get my pH down to 7 so it's suitable for future tropical fish as I think this is a sweet spot for the majority of tropical fish i want.

The next day I went to the aquarium store an told them the results and also me wanting to lower the PH they said you should use quick start each day to speed the cycling up with a little stress coat. I continued to do this for a 3 days did another water test the results were the same so I went back an was suggested to get a Biotope pH reducer. I added this to the tank when I got home an did a water test the following day, the PH was at 7.0 right where I wanted it to be. I then noticed a thin film on top of the water it looked oily. After doing a little research I used paper towel ontop of the water to remove the substance, it worked but sure enough it was back the next day but this time there were bubbles that were sticking to the surface. The bubbles looked awfull an it was irritating me so I got a cup an skimmed it out holding the cup under the water an just letting the top layer of water fall into the cup.I went back to the aquarium store an got another water test pH was 7.4 but this time ammonia was 0.25pm and 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate.I explained to them I had bubbles on the surface they said I need to do a water change and also to lower the ammonia level. So I went back home changed 25% of the water with tap water and treated the tank with all the chemicals once again.
Wake up the next day an theres bubbles all in the corners of the tank. What are these bubbles is it because of the chemicals I have put in? Do I need to clean the filter carbon an mesh in a new tank cycle? Have also noticed I'm getting these white fluffy like objects in the water it's like fairy floss, I also noticed that I had 1 baby snail in the tank wasn't sure if I should keep it so slept on it an came back the next day only to remove it along with a dozen more in the days after.
Any advice would much be appreciated, sorry about the rambling on but I really want the tank right for the little guys when they move in.

You need fish in the tank putting out ammonia to cycle it or you can put in fish food every day and that will break down to ammonia or just add straight ammonia but unless you are putting it in in some type of fashion it will never cylce and the bacteria you are adding will die from having nothing to eat. Most fish you find unless they are from wild are born in and accustomed to ph of 7.5 - 8.2is sometimes 8.5 reopica or not. Best way to hit a 7 would be to slowly transition to rodi water that is neutral and you can add products to raise or lower if you wish. Otherwise i prefer to use tap water i treat it and use catappa almond leaves to make my water softer for them.

 

[mmarx339]

You need fish in the tank putting out ammonia to cycle it or you can put in fish food every day and that will break down to ammonia or just add straight ammonia but unless you are putting it in in some type of fashion it will never cylce and the bacteria you are adding will die from having nothing to eat. Most fish you find unless they are from wild are born in and accustomed to ph of 7.5 - 8.2is sometimes 8.5 reopica or not. Best way to hit a 7 would be to slowly transition to rodi water that is neutral and you can add products to raise or lower if you wish. Otherwise i prefer to use tap water i treat it and use catappa almond leaves to make my water softer for them.

Also yes if your tap already has ammonia that should be enough to kick start. I missed that part.

 

[mmarx339]

Also if you have a tight fitting lid open something up to allow evaporation this will help when you hit the nitrite spike. As nitrite is a gas and needs to escape or it will fog up the water as well.

 

[Essjay]

Nitrite is not a gas, it is an ion dissolved in water. It is the anion half of nitrous acid. It will not evaporate; the filter bacteria will convert it into nitrate once they have grown but until then it remains in the water.
Nitrate is also an ion, it is the anion half of nitric acid and nitrate doesn't gas off either.

The OP is doing a plant/silent cycle so they do not need to add a source of ammonia.

When I'm doing water changes of 25% each fortnight from the tap of GH 35ppm into tank water of GH 89ppm is this going to effect the fish much considering it's just 25%

I missed this part earlier. When you have fish, you need to do water changes of at least 50% every week.