Someone Help Me With My Readings Please

[scotslasszoe]

Ok have been doing a fish in cycle for over a week now and been having ammonia Problems. (slap slap) put to many fish in at once.

Either that or they all got flushed down the loo as someone was getting rid iof them

Anyways

I am doing Between 2 and 3 25% water changes every day and feeding once a day.

My readings are really changing

Readings taking 1 hour after water change


Nitrite Just over 0 but not on the 0.25 either

Ammonia 0.25. was 3.0 last week

PH 6.4. Has been sitting at 7.0 but now dropped

Nitrate sitting between 0 and 5.0 More nearer the 0 mark though

are these reading what would be expected for my tank, and how i started the cycle.

I really am so obsessed and constantly checking them and doing water changes.

Would really appreciate to hear your thoughts

Many thanks

Zoe xxx

 

[Jonno]

it semes like you have developed nearly enough bacteria to keep the ammonia under control, you just have to wait for the nitrite to peak now. keep up with the water changes.

did you not consider a fishless cycle?

edit: i assume the tank in your profile is not the tank you are cycling?!

 

[scotslasszoe]

Yea tank in profile. Yea i was gonna until i heard that the fish were gonna be flushed down the toilet. so done a fish cycle. the pic in profile is just a pic of fish not all the tank?

Why is there something wrong lol?

Zoe x

 

[Jonno]

well generally you cycle a tank with just a few (< 5) hardy fish, which will likely die or be serverely disabled by the cycling process for the rest of its lifetime.

You have what seems to be full stock

Can you return most of the fish (all but the black mollies) or get someone else with a fully cycled tank to look after them for you?

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Zoe,

It's always nice to see someone else from Edinburgh on here.

What size is your tank? Your fish list in your signature is quite substantial, is that what you are cycling with?

Is it not possible to find a home for them (ie LFS) and do a fishless cycle? The fish would thank you for it.

Backtotropical

edit: what LFS do you use?

 

[scotslasszoe]

Yea will see if my friend can take them. I use Pets at home. But in about 8 weeks time the are opening a new aquarium shop along the road from me which will be the biggest in scotland. (so handy)

Zoe

 

[rdd1952]

If you can keep the 2 or 3 a day water changes up you should be ok. Your readings are where you want them in a cycling tank. The main goal is to keep ammonia and nitrite under .25ppm if possible. It sounds as if you are managing that rather well. The 6.4 pH is also a good thing in a cycling tank as ammonia is less toxic at lower pH levels. As long as you can keep the levels where they are, I wouldn't worry about returning the fish although, as mentioned, that is a lot of fish for a cycling tank. What size is the tank? The only thing I would suggest is cutting feedings to every other day until the tank cycles. That will cut down on the waste and lower the ammonia.

 

[scotslasszoe]

Thanks for advice

Yea i thought it was a 4ft but hubby says its 3 & half ft. im not good with measurements lol.

Yea will do 6 water changes a day if i have too. lol

Zoe