Water Conditions

[acula]

Ive got a few tests here ive done reguarly since recently getting my new tank....

My nitrate and nitrite levels are at zero (tested with API 5 - 1 strips)

But ive also got an ammonia tester (liquid NH3) and thats high as hell.

anything i can do?

Ive been changing my water as regular as hell, pretty much 25% everyday

Ive been cycling this tank for about 12 days now and added Neon Tetras 2 days ago after the shop approved my water.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Hi Acula,

sadly what you're experiencing is completely to be expected from cycling with fish. it takes several weeks of daily water changes. I've know it to take 2 months before

this topic should explain more about fish in cycling http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...eady-have-fish/

just got to stick with it until ammonia and nitrite are steady at 0.

i'd try and get some liquid tests for nitrite, nitrate and pH as well if you can. the test strips are really very inaccurate

 

[acula]

how come the ammonia levels that were at 0 only a few days ago have suddenly spiked, i only have 6 (well 5 now, one died) Neon Tetras?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

thats just what cycling with fish does

ammonia builds up to a spike then after a while will drop down to 0, the nitrite will build up to a spike then that will drop down to 0 as well. you just have to sit it out and keep doing your water changes.

 

[acula]

do you think the fish we make it? i dare not take another set of fish bk to the shop they'll laugh their heads off

 

[Miss Wiggle]

neon's aren't the strongest fish tbh so you may loose some more.

this is why we always advise people to cycle fishlessly, it's much safer to the fish and less stress for the owners!

couple of things you can try to expediate the process.

1 - get some mature media from someone else's tank, put this in your filter and it will kick start the cycle. if you can get enough media igt may even cycle instantly.

2 - look for some bactinettes, unfortunatley they are not widley available as they must be refrigerated and are relativley expensive. however if you can get some them this will kick start the cycle.

don't be tempted by the other products which claim to do this, the vast majority of them don't work, because bactinettes is kept refrigerated and has a shelf life you stand a much better chance of it containing some live bacteria.

 

[acula]

If you remember a while back when i first got this tank i had mollies in it but they obviously wernt happy so i took them back to the shop and did my cycle without fist for over a week with water changes everyday.

A week later i took a water sample to the shop and they gave it the all clear, i did trade in the mollies for lil tetras as i intend on getting a Siamese fighting fish eventually.

It seems im back to square one tho right now, loosing heart in it. such a lot of £££ getting it all set up too

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i'm afraid a fishless cycle takes a little more than a week, just doing the weekly water changes won't have done a lot for the tank with no fish in it.

this article explains how to do a proper fishless cycle

http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/

it seems you've had some bad advice from the fish shop, which is sadly all too often the case.

it doesn't take a lot of time or expense to do things right, it's sadly when you're given bad advice and things go wrong that you struggle and have to spend a lot of money correcting things.

if you can then take the fish back to the shop, don't listen to any of their advice (after all, look where it has got you so far) and then follow the thread above and do a proper fishless cycle. All you need is some houshold ammonia which is a few quid. You could do with a better test kit really but that's a general fishkeeping essential anyway tbh.

if you can't take the fish back to the shop then you've really just got to stick with it.

don't give up though, cycling with fish is very disheartening, no one wants to see their new pets pass on. But once you've past the first awkward phase you'll find it a rewarding hobby.

 

[waterdrop]

If you remember a while back when i first got this tank i had mollies in it but they obviously wernt happy so i took them back to the shop and did my cycle without fist for over a week with water changes everyday.

A week later i took a water sample to the shop and they gave it the all clear, i did trade in the mollies for lil tetras as i intend on getting a Siamese fighting fish eventually.

It seems im back to square one tho right now, loosing heart in it. such a lot of £££ getting it all set up too

This is indeed unfortunate! I do remember you in the threads and I don't think we would have implied it could only take a week and definately I don't think we would have advised water changes every day.

My own experience is that water changes during fishless cycling tend to cause an interruption to steady progress. They are necessary for particular reasons, particulary when pH crashes down to 6.0 but you should only do them when pushed by something like that. While carefully using dechlor and recharging your ammonia will usually result in a nice bounce back by the bacteria, who will now be enjoying the improved conditions, I still think their main growth comes during those steady-state stretches of no water changes.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[acula]

No no im not blaming you guys for any of my probs, in fact i think my main problem was listening to advice from too many sources. I've got 3 aquatic shops in my town and up til now ive been dealing with one, im gonna switch to one of the others from now on.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

No no im not blaming you guys for any of my probs, in fact i think my main problem was listening to advice from too many sources. I've got 3 aquatic shops in my town and up til now ive been dealing with one, im gonna switch to one of the others from now on.

tbh i wouldn't listen to the fish shops at all. generally they offer outdated advice or advice based on selling you their products that they don't need.

they all have a profit to make and a business to run, we are here offering advice in our own time for free, no ulterior motive. i would stick to advice from the forum and ignore the fish shops tbh.

remember fish shops only pay minimum wage or slightly above, the people working there are not biologists with a detailed knowledge of water chemistry and multiple fish species. they're mostly staffed by teenagers who don't know much or care with the odd enthusiast thrown in occasionally. on this forum there's a published and respected fishkeeping author, several maagzine contributors, a vet, a couple of vetinary nurses, several professional breeders not to mention the 20,000 off enthusiasts who have the intelligence and capability to earn significantly more than minumum wage and while they would love to, can't afford to work in fish shops.

you'll get much better advice here than from any fish shop.

 

[acula]

good CV!

ive decided im not gonna take these fish out but leave em in and hope they make it through the rough patch.

this might be a stupid suggestion but i'll ask this anyway,

do you think it might be a good idea to put a 5 or 6 more tetras in now? Even tho the waters not completely up to scratch im thinking it might ease they're stress, i head they prefer larger numbers.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

no, don't endanger anymore fish. leave it as is with the fish you have and keep your fingers crossed and the water change bucket handy!!!

let us know how things progress.

 

[acula]

ok will do, thanks for ya help!!!!

 

[acula]

oh btw

when i took my sample to the shop it was completely clean of ammonia, can 6 neon tetras really produce that much ammonia in three days to the level my test shown?