Super Fast Ammonia Cycle?

[twistedlink]

Okay i added too much ammonia in my last attempt, so 3-4 days ago i re-did everything, got a nice 5-6ppm, and everything was lovely, i just got home to find my ammonia levels got to 0.25ppm-0.50ppm, and my nitrites are off the chart.

Ive got it back up to 4ppm now so all is good, what im slightly concerned about is my nitrates are beginning to go up from my tap water.

Can this be from plants or anything else ive put in the tank?

Its not a massive increase (5ppm at most) but still, my cycle appears to be going super fast now.

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Twistedlink,

I'm glad to hear your cycle is getting off the ground this time.

I wouldn't worry too much about your nitrate at the moment. Nitrate test kits are notoriously unreliable and will give an indication at best. If it's only a change of around 5ppm, i wouldn't worry at all.

You'll know when your nitrite processing bacteria start to work as your nitrate will go through the roof. Just keep an eye on things.

I assume you know to keep an eye on your pH too? If it goes below 6 it could stall your cycle, so keep an eye on that too.

Good luck with your cycle. Any problems, just ask.

Cheers

BTT

 

[twistedlink]

well doing another nitrate test as my last one was yesterday liquid, i just did a test strip one (using them as rough test indicators, nitrate was off the chart on test strips)

Liquid chart so far (2 minutes into waiting period) is showing 7.5ppm at best, probably get to 10-12.5 in the end which i what i was expecting.

There you have it, them test strips really are majorly innacurate lol.

My pH is around 7.8-8, but thats because i just stocked it full of ammonia again lol, in general my pH is 7.25-7.4 tap water, so i assume once the fish in there and its not massive 4ppm drops all the time, but gradual 0.25ppm added every hour or so by the fish the pH will remain along the 7.4 region, which is great as i planned my fish stock on that general pH

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well doing another nitrate test as my last one was yesterday liquid, i just did a test strip one (using them as rough test indicators, nitrate was off the chart on test strips)

Liquid chart so far (2 minutes into waiting period) is showing 7.5ppm at best, probably get to 10-12.5 in the end which i what i was expecting.

There you have it, them test strips really are majorly innacurate lol.

My pH is around 7.8-8, but thats because i just stocked it full of ammonia again lol, in general my pH is 7.25-7.4 tap water, so i assume once the fish in there and its not massive 4ppm drops all the time, but gradual 0.25ppm added every hour or so by the fish the pH will remain along the 7.4 region, which is great as i planned my fish stock on that general pH

yup, this is why i say they're no good even as a rough indicator!!

glad your cycle's going well now though, any decisions on your stock list yet?

 

[twistedlink]

haha i use liquid afterwards, so far the only accurate thing on them strips is pH, but thats a very basic thing, most test strips are accurate for pH, as its simply the measure of dissociated H+ Ions.

I think them test strips screw up because when nitrite goes off the chart, nitrate test indicators get screwed up so they both go off the chart.

Stock list hehe.

well im going to get myself many Otocinclus (I only saw these at my LFS a few days ago and instantly found them on my top fish list haha.

Many guppies of course.
Black widow tetras.
Silver tipped tetras (theyre black and silver, not yellow and silver...weird hybrid?)
Maybe Kribensis couple, im hoping my tank is big enough for no fights, when i buy them im going to explain my situation to the LFS, so if all goes bad, i can take them back (wont bother with refund, so i doubt theyl mind me giving them back for free)

Or i could simply put them in the 2nd tank ive got now (started cycling that one now too)

Endlers

Few other tetras maybe.


The 2nd tank is not quite as big as my original, 180L, not 240L, but its 16" tall, so my plan is to get some angels and cichlids for that tank

 

[OldMan47]

Link: That should be endlers or guppies not endlers and guppies. Guppies and endlers will cross breed with unpredictable outcomes. They are both nice fish to keep but each should only be kept with its own kind. A warning is in order because many so called endlers that are available are really crosses. True endlers have much more vivid colors than the somewhat pastel looking crosses. Endlers also do not have the large tails that you see in guppies or crosses. There are also some very carefully developed hybrids between guppies and endlers that would best be kept as the only guppy or endler in a tank because otherwise you will lose the hybid traits that people went to so much trouble to develop.
Sorry if this sems like a lecture but I am a real endler fan and am not happy with what I have seen happening with them in the hobby and the poor substitutes I have seen for sale. My avatar is an endler that is traceable back to his wild ancestors but few you will find for sale can truly claim that.

 

[twistedlink]

Im only going to keep male guppies and endlers, and females in another tank and specifically breed to make sure no hybridisation occurs.

If fish get depressed being same sex, il rethink this, but im sure 5-7 male guppies will be just as happy as if females were there.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Link: That should be endlers or guppies not endlers and guppies. Guppies and endlers will cross breed with unpredictable outcomes. They are both nice fish to keep but each should only be kept with its own kind. A warning is in order because many so called endlers that are available are really crosses. True endlers have much more vivid colors than the somewhat pastel looking crosses. Endlers also do not have the large tails that you see in guppies or crosses. There are also some very carefully developed hybrids between guppies and endlers that would best be kept as the only guppy or endler in a tank because otherwise you will lose the hybid traits that people went to so much trouble to develop.
Sorry if this sems like a lecture but I am a real endler fan and am not happy with what I have seen happening with them in the hobby and the poor substitutes I have seen for sale. My avatar is an endler that is traceable back to his wild ancestors but few you will find for sale can truly claim that.

while i agree in principal i don't think you've presented that quite correctly. if you have room for the fry and no objections to hybrids there is no reason why you can't interbreed them. physically it doesn't create any problems. i've followed twistedlinks posts from when he first came on the forum, we've previously discussed hybrids and he has expressed an interest.

the only significant problem you'll have is that you will struggle to sell on any fry you create, so you need to have room to keep them all or friends hwo want lots of them.

Im only going to keep male guppies and endlers, and females in another tank and specifically breed to make sure no hybridisation occurs.

If fish get depressed being same sex, il rethink this, but im sure 5-7 male guppies will be just as happy as if females were there.

no guppies and endlers should be fine in an all male group, best to increase the numbers slightly though as there will be some agression and a larger group handles this better