Ph And Other Levels

[xamy_valox]

Hi,
So i am currently cycling my new 70 litre tank after upgrading from a 23 litre Fluval Edge. After seeking advice on here I added the water from my old tank and the old filter sponge to my new tank to give it a kick start and after the levels flamed down added my fish. I have been doing level readings every day and things have been ok. I have been doing eater changes as soon as my ammonia rises etc.
I have just tested again and my ammonia is at 0.25 but nitrates and nitrites are at 0. Does this indicate that the cycle is on it's way?
Also, admittedly I have never really tested the PH of my water as I have never been told to! However out of curiosity today I tested it and it is at 6.6, is this bad or good? I don't really understand PH and how it affects the fish?
Thanks, Amy xx

 

[twodoctors]

So you are doing fish-in cycle. What fish have you got in there?

If you have no plants in your tank then you will want to see nitrate rise before calling cycled. Fish-in cycle is no longer advocated here so as you said keep the ammonia level down by doing water change and keep an eye on the levels.

Different fishes have different preference to pH. Tetras in general prefer acidic water and mbunas will not thrive without alkaline water for example. You should choose your fish according to your pH rather than trying to change your pH to match your fish as this is usually a very expensive exercise. Having said that low pH can easily (and fairly cheaply) be raised by having tuffa rocks or coral sand in your tank.

Hope that helps.

Adrian

 

[OldMan47]

The low pH is going to make it a bit harder for you to cycle your tank. That does not make it impossible though. By maintaining the ammonia levels as they should be with water changes, you are doing all that could be expected to make the tank cycle without harming your fish.

 

[webbie]

Hi Amy,just done the same as you ,except I moved up to a 90ltr set up,I just moved the complete edge filter into the new set up,except for the ceramic rings which I put in the hang on filter which came with the new tank,moved all my fish at the same time,but I did add seachem stability which I can reccomend,did have a slight rise in ammonia and nitrite but settled down quickly,removed the edge filter after about 7/10 days and touch wood everything is going fine

 

[xamy_valox]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I have harlequin rasboras, cherry barbs, neons (I know they don't like new set ups but I didn't want to get rid of them as I'm attached!!) and a betta.
I have got plants in the tank, and my nitrate and nitrite levels have been around the 0.25 and 0.50 mark for nitrates. However since doing the water changes these have died down and now I just have slight ammonia.
I have been using stress zyme and stress coat as my dechlorinator.
I've only done a fish-in cycle as I had nowhere to put the fish from the other tank and didn't think it would be as bad as I do already have some mature media in the filter.
Thanks, Amy xx

 

[twodoctors]

That's a lot of fish even for a 23L!

You only option now is keep testing daily and keep doing water change until everything is zero every time you check it. A cycled media should be able to handle the ammonia to keep it zero whenever you test. Don't get anymore fish for at least a month afterwards either. You want the filter to bed in before stressing it again.

Good luck.

Adrian

 

[xamy_valox]

I was slightly over stocked in the 23 litre but it was mature before I added the cherry barbs and I never had any trouble other than setting up in the beginning.
This is why I have gotten a bigger tank as I hated being so restricted with what I could have in the edge.
Ok I'll stay as I was then, just doing water tests and changes as they are needed. Once the levels have settled should I take out the edge sponge and just have the sponges I am supposed to have? Also, is my PH ok for these fish as I have never had any trouble in the past (I had my edge for just under 2 years with no casualties other than Platys)
Thanks, Amy xx

 

[webbie]

I was slightly over stocked in the 23 litre but it was mature before I added the cherry barbs and I never had any trouble other than setting up in the beginning.
This is why I have gotten a bigger tank as I hated being so restricted with what I could have in the edge.
Ok I'll stay as I was then, just doing water tests and changes as they are needed. Once the levels have settled should I take out the edge sponge and just have the sponges I am supposed to have? Also, is my PH ok for these fish as I have never had any trouble in the past (I had my edge for just under 2 years with no casualties other than Platys)
Thanks, Amy xx

Amy I have left my edge sponges in my new set up, as long as they dont restrict the flow of the filter I see no reason to take them out

 

[xamy_valox]

Hi Webbie,
Thanks, I think I'll leave mine in for quite a while until it comes to cleaning them through once everything has cycled.
How did you find the edge and how did you have it stocked? I think it's a lovely looking tank but just impractical =\ plus I wanted to be able to put more variety in like cory's etc.
Amy xx

 

[webbie]

Hi Webbie,
Thanks, I think I'll leave mine in for quite a while until it comes to cleaning them through once everything has cycled.
How did you find the edge and how did you have it stocked? I think it's a lovely looking tank but just impractical =\ plus I wanted to be able to put more variety in like cory's etc.
Amy xx

Hi Amy ,I was given my Edge by my family for christmas after years away from fishkeeping ,,and thought it was quite neat,bit of a fiddle though any time you need to do anything in it you had to get water out first,I kept in it a pair of cockatoo cichlids [which spawned twice in it]a pair of golden pencils,six galaxy rasborras,and two amano shrimp,they have all moved to the new 90ltr hagen marina and have been joined by a pair of german blue rams o and two tiny bettas which came from my nephews brood of fry,what sort of set up is your new one and what else you going to put in?

 

[xamy_valox]

My new tank is a 70 litre Juwel Rekord. Lovely tank, I'm still messing with the way I have it aquascaped but I was like that with the edge aswell!! I'm hoping to add some cories, platinum tetras, White cloud mountain minnows and maybe some galaxy rasboras but as of yet I haven't seen any in my LFS's!! I think they are beautiful though.
I won't be adding anything else for a good month though until everything has settled. I did also want to add some calico Platys aswell but I'm unsure as they can get quite big and I'm worried about over stocking, especially if they were to breed like my guppies did in the edge! I had to get rid of them as they wouldn't stop!
Amy xx

 

[xamy_valox]

My new tank is a 70 litre Juwel Rekord. Lovely tank, I'm still messing with the way I have it aquascaped but I was like that with the edge aswell!! I'm hoping to add some cories, platinum tetras, White cloud mountain minnows and maybe some galaxy rasboras but as of yet I haven't seen any in my LFS's!! I think they are beautiful though.
I won't be adding anything else for a good month though until everything has settled. I did also want to add some calico Platys aswell but I'm unsure as they can get quite big and I'm worried about over stocking, especially if they were to breed like my guppies did in the edge! I had to get rid of them as they wouldn't stop!
Amy xx

 

[webbie]

Amy my local LFS has quite a few galaxy rasborras in on a fairly regular basis,my nephew bought a dozen last week very pretty fish,I see you live in brum dont shirley aquatics have any galaxies in? prestwood aquatics is my LFS and worth a visit

 

[xamy_valox]

Prestwood, where abouts is that?
Yeah I haven't tried Shirley or Maidenhead in Notcutts yet. I'm going to try there in about a month and see what they have to offer as I would really like leopard cories, but apparently they are quite hard to get hold of.
I have my tank at 26 degrees, is this too hot for galaxies?
Amy xx

 

[webbie]

Prestwood, where abouts is that?
Yeah I haven't tried Shirley or Maidenhead in Notcutts yet. I'm going to try there in about a month and see what they have to offer as I would really like leopard cories, but apparently they are quite hard to get hold of.
I have my tank at 26 degrees, is this too hot for galaxies?
Amy xx

Amy my tank is running at 26/27 deg and the rasborras seem happy with that,Prestwood Aquatics is just out of Stourbridge near Kinver do you know the area?going down there today I want a few more galaxies myself ,want a nice little shoal,the staff at Prestwood are very knowlegeable,dont just want to sell you anything they can,know what I mean, well worth a visit,Ive been to shirley aquatics but not the other one you mentioned,maidenhead where is that?