Holiday nightmare!

[magoofc]

Hi Eco. So I am well into my fish-less cycle. I have a few questions if i may.
The ammonia levels are dropping pretty rapidly every day and I am keeping it topped up. My nitrite levels are off the chart but my nitrate levels aren't quite off yet. I have done about a 40-50% water change today and then i tested the ph level which is higher than 7.6. Not quite sure what to do about this? also with the Nitrate level should I just continue to be patient? I did the PWC as I had seen that this can sometimes help and as my Nitrite levels were so high.
Thanks for your thoughts as always.

 

[eco23]

Hi Eco. So I am well into my fish-less cycle. I have a few questions if i may.
The ammonia levels are dropping pretty rapidly every day and I am keeping it topped up. My nitrite levels are off the chart but my nitrate levels aren't quite off yet. I have done about a 40-50% water change today and then i tested the ph level which is higher than 7.6. Not quite sure what to do about this? also with the Nitrate level should I just continue to be patient? I did the PWC as I had seen that this can sometimes help and as my Nitrite levels were so high.
Thanks for your thoughts as always.

It looks perfect. The pH is no worry, you did a pwc which was a good idea...everything seems textbook . Just keep doing what you're doing and you won't be too far away.

 

[magoofc]

Hi Eco, I am finding that my ammo is dropping so fast and when i wake up in morning (as I am checking levels everyday now) the ammo is nearly gone. I continue to top up to 4ppm but am finding nitrite levels still off charts and nitrate levels nearly off the charts. Have done 2 pwc up to now and am adding a little ground up fish food every so often.
Any suggestions? May do another pwc tomorrow 50% ish, or should i wait until the nitrate levels off the chart?
Thanks for your help as always

 

[eco23]

Sounds like things are going good

If you're gonna do another pwc, you might as well do a big enough one to knock the nitrItes down to .5-1. It'll probably take a massive one (80-90%), or a couple large back to back pwc's.

Don't be surprised if the no2 ends up shooting right back up after you knock it down...but it will help restore things in the water that the bacteria need to colonize. If you'd like, after getting the nitrItes down, you can just add ~1ppm of ammonia for 3 days in a row. That can help give your no2 > no3 bacteria a chance to catch up without being overwhelmed for a few days.

Either way, things look right on track

 

[magoofc]

Hi Eco,
S everything has gone great. Did exactly as you said and literally woke up 2 days ago to find nil ammo and nil nitritre. Have continued testing to be sure and got everything ready for fish to go in today. Wanted to know if you had any suggestions of what I should start with. I love betta fish but my last one kept attacking my neon tetras so not sure what to do. Also like clown and angel fish but are they very difficult to keep? thanks as always.

 

[FishieMomma]

Sounds like it's time for fish! Yay!

 

[librarygirl]

Clown fish are saltwater, so they wouldn't work in your tank (unless there's a freshwater clown that I'm not aware of). I also think Angels would attack the neons.

 

[magoofc]

No you are right. Have got 3 assorted platys and am gonna add some mollies towards the end of next week. Really love the betta fishes but am finding that it is difficult to have them in a bio orb 30Ltr set up if i want other fish too. The last one I had kept chasing and eventually killing all my tetras. Not sure how they would be with platy's and mollies but will start with these and see how i go.

 

[eco23]

Hi Eco,
S everything has gone great. Did exactly as you said and literally woke up 2 days ago to find nil ammo and nil nitritre. Have continued testing to be sure and got everything ready for fish to go in today. Wanted to know if you had any suggestions of what I should start with. I love betta fish but my last one kept attacking my neon tetras so not sure what to do. Also like clown and angel fish but are they very difficult to keep? thanks as always.

Awesome! Happy to hear it's fishy time

Stocking is definitely not my specialty. Personally I like small, peaceful schooling fish like Danios, Tetras, Corys, Cherry Barbs, etc... Id look around and see what you like the look of, and try to mix and match so you fill each level of the tank. I like to have fish that hang around the surface, a school or two of fish at mid-level, and Corys who spend their time at the bottom. A centerpiece fish is also a great idea, and there's all sorts of fish to choose from like Bolivian or German Blue Rams, Dwarf Gouramis...or hopefully a peaceful Betta if they're compatible. I also like having a clean up crew. Personally I like Otos and Amano Shrimp as my algae eaters, and having a bunch of RCS always adds a different feel to the tank and keeps things tiny. I think choosing another fish rather than a Betta would give you more freedom in stocking choices.

Since you cycled at 4ppm, you can stock the tank with a large portion of fish at first. There's some info in the guide on it

 

[magoofc]

Hi Eco.
So after a successful fishless cycle I have now got some lovely fish. 3 assorted platy's, 3 golden barbs, 1 otto, 1 apple snail and 2 honey gourami's. Ammo and nitrite is 0. Nitrate is a little high. Have plants in the tank and have just done a 10% water change. My main concern is that my ph seems a little high. It's around 8.2/8.3! Is this ok or should I be looking to get this down? It seems to be consistently around the 8.2 level. Fish have only been in for about a week. So should I just give it some time?
Just in case, I have a 30litre bio orb.
Thanks for your help as always.

 

[eco23]

Congrats on the fish! Pics are a requirement of joining the site, lol.

Your pH is fine. Trying to alter pH is a slippery slope and can often times cause much more harm than good. As long as you give them a nice slow acclimation when they are introduced to the tank (I prefer drip acclimating)...everyone will be perfectly comfortable. I'd probably avoid some of the more notoriously sensitive fish...but virtually all others can adapt and live happily in your range.