Hi guys,
Some of you have probably heard reference to the 20gallon that I set up recently and intended to silent cycle. On getting the most recent feedback on the tank, I bought a large water sprite and on impulse, a mystery snail, figuring even if the tank isn't cycled how much ammonia can a snail generate at the end of the day.
Before I put the snail in I tested the water just to be sure, and measured 0 ammonia (no surprise since none has been added), and nearly 5ppm nitrites. Huh that's weird I thought, and proceeded to do a 75% water change with a full vacuum just in case, and plopped my snail in, thinking that the water sprite should take care of the nitrites in no time and snailypants should be happy as a clam with a whole tank to itself.
Snail was looking lethargic today, so I tested the water again and I was at 1ppm nitrites and a faint green on ammonia. WUTTTT is going on?!?!? Where is this mysterious ammonia source?! Why do the nitrites keep going up? How did I end up doing a traditional cycle when the goal was to do. Silent cycle?!
In the tank apart from the plants is hardware store sand that was washed to high heaven before putting in. It's quartz based and doesn't affect the pH, so I can't imagine it causing ammonia (also wouldn't have read 0 ammonia the other day if it was a source, I don't think).
My only theory is that since the plants took a hit in shipping that there was sufficient dead plant matter stuck in the filter that caused an ammonia source, and then the cycle stalled because the nitrites went too high....? Because I wasn't in the business of trying to cycle my filter and I knew there was the potential for muck in the filter from the plants, I rinsed out my filter in tank water when I did the original big water change, figuring it was better to get rid of plant muck and take a hit on any hypothetical bacterial colonies than leave rotting stuff in the filter. So that being said, the ammonia and nitrites shouldn't keep going up, unless there is a magical source that I'm not accounting for...?
Here is a picture from the day I planted the water sprite, it has already grown since then. I forgot to mention I also added a rock to which I fuddled an attempt of tying java fern to.
I am using prime so at least the snail should be okay,but how long do I need to expect to be doing daily water changes for? This is an unexpected situation!! Also,am I better off putting snail in a 5gal bucket with a lid and airstone and some cucumber slices and letting the tank do it's thing?
Some of you have probably heard reference to the 20gallon that I set up recently and intended to silent cycle. On getting the most recent feedback on the tank, I bought a large water sprite and on impulse, a mystery snail, figuring even if the tank isn't cycled how much ammonia can a snail generate at the end of the day.
Before I put the snail in I tested the water just to be sure, and measured 0 ammonia (no surprise since none has been added), and nearly 5ppm nitrites. Huh that's weird I thought, and proceeded to do a 75% water change with a full vacuum just in case, and plopped my snail in, thinking that the water sprite should take care of the nitrites in no time and snailypants should be happy as a clam with a whole tank to itself.
Snail was looking lethargic today, so I tested the water again and I was at 1ppm nitrites and a faint green on ammonia. WUTTTT is going on?!?!? Where is this mysterious ammonia source?! Why do the nitrites keep going up? How did I end up doing a traditional cycle when the goal was to do. Silent cycle?!
In the tank apart from the plants is hardware store sand that was washed to high heaven before putting in. It's quartz based and doesn't affect the pH, so I can't imagine it causing ammonia (also wouldn't have read 0 ammonia the other day if it was a source, I don't think).
My only theory is that since the plants took a hit in shipping that there was sufficient dead plant matter stuck in the filter that caused an ammonia source, and then the cycle stalled because the nitrites went too high....? Because I wasn't in the business of trying to cycle my filter and I knew there was the potential for muck in the filter from the plants, I rinsed out my filter in tank water when I did the original big water change, figuring it was better to get rid of plant muck and take a hit on any hypothetical bacterial colonies than leave rotting stuff in the filter. So that being said, the ammonia and nitrites shouldn't keep going up, unless there is a magical source that I'm not accounting for...?
Here is a picture from the day I planted the water sprite, it has already grown since then. I forgot to mention I also added a rock to which I fuddled an attempt of tying java fern to.
I am using prime so at least the snail should be okay,but how long do I need to expect to be doing daily water changes for? This is an unexpected situation!! Also,am I better off putting snail in a 5gal bucket with a lid and airstone and some cucumber slices and letting the tank do it's thing?
