Set Up Tank, New Fish, Questions, Pics.

[hihi100202]

I got the API freshwater master kit today. $33, it was not cheap lol.

API freshwater master kit... got it for $10 on black friday

 

[GTATransAm]

lucky lol.

 

[fatheadminnow]

I got the API freshwater master kit today. $33, it was not cheap lol. Here are my levels as of about 20 mins ago.

Ammonia was at 1 ppm
pH was at 8.2
nitrite was 0
nitrate was at 5ppm

Suggestions? from what I read in the book, the pH is too high? What should I do?

Your pH level is just fine, I would not worry about that.

But, your ammonia is too high! You do not want your ammonia level to rise above .25 ppm or your fish will start to be negatively effected by it.

So, a 75% water change is in order.

Then check again an hour later and see where the ammonia level is at. If it is above .25 ppm, then you need to do another water change.

This is why a fish-in cycle is a lot of work and not recommended. You will be needing to be doing daily large water changes to keep ammonia, and when is starts to become present, nitrite, as close to 0 ppm as possible until enough beneficial bacteria have colonized to keep these levels at 0 ppm

If you were in a fishless cycle, you would be adding ammonia from a bottle, which would colonize enough bacteria to safely handle fish, without the hassle of large daily water changes.

Also, take a reading of nitrate from your tap water.

-FHM

 

[GAB99]

OMG the ammonia is ExTREMELEY high (sorry for the sp) you neeed to do water change after waterchange to get it DOWN to either .05 or 0.

as for ph i think wood would decrease it, make sure to get wood designed for fishtanks.

 

[bitteraspects]

even .05 if way too high.
you should have an ammonia reading of 0 at all times

 

[GAB99]

ok, sorry about the mislead there. thanks fo the correction








i have FAILED

 

[GTATransAm]

I will go and do a 75% water change right now. will be back in probably 15 minutes. Thanks guys!!!

 

[GTATransAm]

Ok, so I got the ammonia level to .25 after a 75% water change. Do you guys think that a 75% change everyday will keep the fish healthy?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Most likely not. You may have to do 2 75% water changes daily? You are in charge of that by doing at least 2 test daily, one in the morning and one in the evening. Based on the test results, do water changes accordingly. Right now I would do another 50% water change. This will lower your ammonia to .125 ppm and will hopefully hold you over to the next day.

Ideally an ammonia reading of 0 ppm is what you want, but is near impossible to maintain in a cycling tank. Once your tank is cycled, your ammonia and nitrite will remain at 0 ppm.

-FHM

 

[GTATransAm]

lol, this is not going to be fun. But they are my lil buddies and ill do it. Thanks for all of your help, I appreciate it a lot.

 

[fatheadminnow]

lol, this is not going to be fun. But they are my lil buddies and ill do it. Thanks for all of your help, I appreciate it a lot.

Your welcome!

Now next time you know to do a fishless cycle and not a fish-in cycle!

Over time you will find that you will be doing less and less water changes, and when your tank can go one week without any rise in ammonia or nitrite above 0 ppm, you can consider your tank cycled!

Should be about 4-6 weeks for this to finish.

If I were you I would try to find someone or ask you LFS to see if you can get some mature filter media (media with the bacteria colonized on it) to add to your filter. This would speed up your cycle a lot!

-FHM

 

[GTATransAm]

Ok, I will call around to different fish stores and ask, hopefully someone will let me have a filter or something. Thanks again..

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yup, let us know how things work out!

-FHM

 

[GAB99]

yeah good for you that you found this place BEFORE things went bad, thats what i did, and i screwed up big time. death toll reached 7 or ten preciuos fish, in fact the gourami in your tank... 2 i had that died. but since then my fish have prospered and there have been many a laying eggs, though they get eaten.. o well.







good luck!

 

[GTATransAm]

UPDATE


Well guys, all of my fish survived and are doing well! My tanks levels are Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite is between 0 and .25ppm, and my nitrate is 5 ppm. I think my tank is officially cycled? Thanks for all of your help guys! My fish thank you!

Updated photos taken today