What To Do Next?

[Darr3ll]

Ok so im looking for some advice as to what to do next...I have a tank thats 4ft x 1ft x 1.5ft (not certain what the volume of that is) and I have added a filter from an established tank and have no fish in it...all the water is pretty much tap water that i treated with tapsafe...i have some plants, rock and wood etc...I just took a reading and here are my results...i have to say i did struggle with the readings a little as the chart and the test tube were tricky to match up and some seemed borderline but i have bad eyes lol

PH 7-8.5
Ammonia 0.1
Nitrate 50
Nitrite 0.1 / 0.25 (this one i couldnt be absolutely sure!!)

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Darr3ll]

Also would anyone recommend me using Prime or Amquel to get this tank going??

 

[the biffster]

prime is a dechlorinator i am putting
a link up theres a lot on there you need to read
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/141946-cycling-resource-center/

 

[Darr3ll]

prime is a dechlorinator i am putting
a link up theres a lot on there you need to read
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/141946-cycling-resource-center/

Cheers mate...I've read sooo much about the cycling process my brain is frazzled lol to be honest i cant afford to keep buying test kits or a really expensive one to keep checking these levels..i used to have 3 really healthy full tanks and dont remember ever "cycling" or having as much thought go into getting a tank ready ( i bet u hear that a lot!). I was just wondering what my next step would be (if anyone thought they could help) with those readings..?

 

[KittyKat]

I have a tank thats 4ft x 1ft x 1.5ft (not certain what the volume of that is)

165 litres, which is 43.5 US gallons, which is 36 imperial gallons.

and I have added a filter from an established tank and have no fish in it

Are you saying that you have a cycled filter on it? Without ammonia, a cycled filter will die.

[readings]
Any help is greatly appreciated!

I suggest you start adding household ammonia to get a reading of just under 5ppm. You will be ready for fish when after adding ammonia, you read 5ppm immediately and 12 hours later ammonia and nitrite will both be 0ppm. Because your filter appears to still be partially cycled, this could take as little as a week, but it is possible for it to take a few weeks.

Also would anyone recommend me using Prime or Amquel to get this tank going??

No, not really.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/141946-cycling-resource-center/

+1 for reading material.

 

[Darr3ll]

I have a tank thats 4ft x 1ft x 1.5ft (not certain what the volume of that is)

165 litres, which is 43.5 US gallons, which is 36 imperial gallons.

and I have added a filter from an established tank and have no fish in it

Are you saying that you have a cycled filter on it? Without ammonia, a cycled filter will die.

[readings]
Any help is greatly appreciated!

I suggest you start adding household ammonia to get a reading of just under 5ppm. You will be ready for fish when after adding ammonia, you read 5ppm immediately and 12 hours later ammonia and nitrite will both be 0ppm. Because your filter appears to still be partially cycled, this could take as little as a week, but it is possible for it to take a few weeks.

Also would anyone recommend me using Prime or Amquel to get this tank going??

No, not really.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/141946-cycling-resource-center/

+1 for reading material.

yea the filter was cycled from an established tank...and i am popping out right this instant to look for ammonia!! I only have 5 more tests and no money for the next couple of weeks so i hope i can manage to make this at least be worth my while and not have to restart due to lack of funds

 

[the biffster]

I have a tank thats 4ft x 1ft x 1.5ft (not certain what the volume of that is)

165 litres, which is 43.5 US gallons, which is 36 imperial gallons.

and I have added a filter from an established tank and have no fish in it

Are you saying that you have a cycled filter on it? Without ammonia, a cycled filter will die.

[readings]
Any help is greatly appreciated!

I suggest you start adding household ammonia to get a reading of just under 5ppm. You will be ready for fish when after adding ammonia, you read 5ppm immediately and 12 hours later ammonia and nitrite will both be 0ppm. Because your filter appears to still be partially cycled, this could take as little as a week, but it is possible for it to take a few weeks.

Also would anyone recommend me using Prime or Amquel to get this tank going??

No, not really.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/141946-cycling-resource-center/

+1 for reading material.

yea the filter was cycled from an established tank...and i am popping out right this instant to look for ammonia!! I only have 5 more tests and no money for the next couple of weeks so i hope i can manage to make this at least be worth my while and not have to restart due to lack of funds

what tests are you using not strips
they are vastly inaccurate it might
not have an ammonia reading at all
an API master test kits are cheap
enough on ebay these days

 

[Carlovel1]

API offer a decent test kit but its pretty expensive even on ebay

 

[Darr3ll]

i used an Interpet test tube kit and my trip for ammonia was not very fruitful, almost every shop had people looking at me as though i just made up the word ammonia...only one i could find was barrettine..is this any good? im sure i read somewhere this is not appropriate.???

 

[KittyKat]

If you are in UK, try Boots for household ammonia.. basically the ingredients list can only have ammonia and water on it.

If you are completely stuffed for ammonia, you can use frozen shrimp (the sort one would normally eat), but you'll be working with a lot of guesswork then.

 

[Darr3ll]

If you are in UK, try Boots for household ammonia.. basically the ingredients list can only have ammonia and water on it.

If you are completely stuffed for ammonia, you can use frozen shrimp (the sort one would normally eat), but you'll be working with a lot of guesswork then.

Boots didnt have it..they didnt even know what it was (granted they werent very bright!) ...i tried my local chemist (where i saw barrettine), superdrug, boots and several little hardware/garden/knick knack shops...and barrettine was the only one i saw...i dont want to faff about with dead shrimp to be honest.

 

[Darr3ll]

Also I look at the Interpet chart and its telling me all my levels are within acceptable levels for fish..im not saying that its right or wrong im just saying..its all very confusing with conflicting information...i half wish i didnt look online and did it the way i used to ...just add some "stuff" to the water and add fish..its only the fact i read that the fish are uncomforable in ammonia i am now intent on not putting any fish through this possible pain...hence i am sitting here looking at an empty tank feeling very impatient and confused lol

 

[the biffster]

If you are in UK, try Boots for household ammonia.. basically the ingredients list can only have ammonia and water on it.

If you are completely stuffed for ammonia, you can use frozen shrimp (the sort one would normally eat), but you'll be working with a lot of guesswork then.

Boots didnt have it..they didnt even know what it was (granted they werent very bright!) ...i tried my local chemist (where i saw barrettine), superdrug, boots and several little hardware/garden/knick knack shops...and barrettine was the only one i saw...i dont want to faff about with dead shrimp to be honest.

you are in the uk
they sell it just been on the
boots site and found this

http/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Household-ammonia-500ml_923908/

i think you can order it on line as
well and get it dropped at the store
you use and pick it up and pay for it there

 

[Darr3ll]

Also ...not really relevant but kinda relevant, I was on the phone to a friend while looking for the ammonia and i told him what i was doing and why etc...he then told me a story of how he just house-sat for a friend a few months back and while there he decided to "do her a favour" and clean her tank..he said he took EVERYTHING out and put the fish in the sink and then proceeded to wash EVERYTHING including the filter and stones etc in the bath with tap water. He said he then cleaned the tank with fairy liquid and washed it out then put it all back in with warm tap water and in his words "why are you fussing? just chuck em in the tank they will be ok, my friends ones are doing just great!!" LOL

makes you wonder!

If you are in UK, try Boots for household ammonia.. basically the ingredients list can only have ammonia and water on it.

If you are completely stuffed for ammonia, you can use frozen shrimp (the sort one would normally eat), but you'll be working with a lot of guesswork then.

Boots didnt have it..they didnt even know what it was (granted they werent very bright!) ...i tried my local chemist (where i saw barrettine), superdrug, boots and several little hardware/garden/knick knack shops...and barrettine was the only one i saw...i dont want to faff about with dead shrimp to be honest.

you are in the uk
they sell it just been on the
boots site and found this

http/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Household-ammonia-500ml_923908/

i think you can order it on line as
well and get it dropped at the store
you use and pick it up and pay for it there

Cheers buddy, taking a look now!

 

[the biffster]

Also ...not really relevant but kinda relevant, I was on the phone to a friend while looking for the ammonia and i told him what i was doing and why etc...he then told me a story of how he just house-sat for a friend a few months back and while there he decided to "do her a favour" and clean her tank..he said he took EVERYTHING out and put the fish in the sink and then proceeded to wash EVERYTHING including the filter and stones etc in the bath with tap water. He said he then cleaned the tank with fairy liquid and washed it out then put it all back in with warm tap water and in his words "why are you fussing? just chuck em in the tank they will be ok, my friends ones are doing just great!!" LOL

makes you wonder!

If you are in UK, try Boots for household ammonia.. basically the ingredients list can only have ammonia and water on it.

If you are completely stuffed for ammonia, you can use frozen shrimp (the sort one would normally eat), but you'll be working with a lot of guesswork then.

Boots didnt have it..they didnt even know what it was (granted they werent very bright!) ...i tried my local chemist (where i saw barrettine), superdrug, boots and several little hardware/garden/knick knack shops...and barrettine was the only one i saw...i dont want to faff about with dead shrimp to be honest.

you are in the uk
they sell it just been on the
boots site and found this

http/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Household-ammonia-500ml_923908/

i think you can order it on line as
well and get it dropped at the store
you use and pick it up and pay for it there

Cheers buddy, taking a look now!

are they tropcal or just gold fish