New Tank

[TopChip7]

Thanks guys - feel like I am learning more about this than the LFS now - LOL

Ran some tests this morning:

Ammonia levels dropped to 2.4
NitrIte up to 0.8
NitrAte up to 110+

Now its difficult for me to say what day I am on as 'Safe-Start' with a few fish flakes were added at the beginning prior to finding this forum and then to top it all I never read fully the cycling process However, I assume that if the ammonia is dropping and the nitrIte is rising then stage 1 is well underway


I really wish I had found this forum first or atleast done some research prior to buying the tank. I don't think any of the fish I would really really like, would be happy living in such a small tank - although all is not lost, learning process first on easy hardy little fish - later when I get a bigger tank (after I have paid for Xmas) I guess this tank would make an ideal quarantine tank! (Or a big goldfish bowl lol)

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup great, if ammonia is dropping and nitrite is rising then you're on the way.

yeah sensible plan, a lot of people do that, find their feet with some hardy fish in a smallish tank and then move on when they feel confident with the work and maintenance that a bigger tank needs.

 

[kcharley]

Wikipedia holds the answers

Distilled Waters

Thanks Schmill, Thanks MW,

I'll question the LFS a little more to find out if the deionizing is done after RO processing. I don't want to hijack TC's thread so I will research some more and maybe start a new thread.

TC,

Sounds like things are heading in the right direction. How are the kids holding up? Hopefully they are getting into the process.

Greg

 

[TopChip7]

lol - The kids are fine staring at the goldfish in the bowl - my youngest (2yrs) likes the trips to the LFS to see what he's getting soon (bless).

Talking of which..... Other threads have suggested 18" of fish for my 35 Litre tank. Does anyone know of a database where I can enter max fish length = 2", PH = 7.5, Water = Medium/Hard and a few other parameters and it will throw out a list of compatible fish? If not, why not Give me the info and I'll build the database - lol

 

[OldMan47]

KCharley, the DI water is made without wasting any more water out of water that has already been made with an RO. The typical RO will remove between 90 and 95% of the minerals in the raw water. To do that, it wastes 5 to 10 times what it produces. The DI starts with fairly pure water coming from the RO and uses ion exchange resin to swap H+ ions for the positive ions in the RO water and OH- ions for the negative ions in the RO water. At the back end of the process, the H+ and OH- combine to form HOH which we all call water. The positive and negative ions removed become chemically attached to the ion exchange resin. After enough impurities have been removed from enough water, the ion exchange resin becomes exhausted. That means it won't remove any more impurities. At that point in a home system you replace the resin with new resin and you are ready to go again. In an industrial setting the resin can be separated and then regenerated using strong acids and strong bases. The chemicals are cheaper to use than buying new resin but the regeneration equipment is far too expensive to use it for a home or even for a fish shop.