My first water test.

[FallenAngel]

I have had aquariums for ages but never actually tested the water myself. If I had problems I would just take the water to my LFS to be tested. I am setting up a new 30 gallon (it has been cycling for about a week) and went ahead and tested it with my new test kit. The readings seem high and I was wondering what I can do to pull them down?

pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 1.0 ppm
Nitrite: 2.0 - 5.0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm


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[nkim1994]

how have you been cycling it? Fish or fishlessly? If fishless it really depends on the method in which your doing it....

If with fish, you could add plants, WC to dilute nitrite, Nitrite the bacteria that turns them into nitrates usuallu take time to colonize and start working...

 

[FallenAngel]

Fishless for now though I was going to add some hardy tetras soon. I have some plants in there, but I should probably order more. I did a water change about 2 days ago, should I do another this soon?


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[nkim1994]

Fishless for now though I was going to add some hardy tetras soon. I have some plants in there, but I should probably order more. I did a water change about 2 days ago, should I do another this soon?


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Ermmm. im in the middle of fishless cycling too rn...

how are you introducing the ammonia into the tank? I would just hold out with the tank fishlessly instead of adding fish now.

I would not do water changes... I would leave it, bc rn it is is not harming anything and allows plants to eat...

but first if I can comment I need to know how you are fishless cycling it?

 

[FallenAngel]

I just put everything the plants and water in there and started the filter up to start cycling it like I always have. I usually do that, then add hardy fish after a week of two and progressively add more. It's what I've always done in the past and my success rate with fish is pretty high. I was actually going to add some hardy bottom feeders today until I did the water test and got worried


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[nkim1994]

I just put everything the plants and water in there and started the filter up to start cycling it like I always have. I usually do that, then add hardy fish after a week of two and progressively add more. It's what I've always done in the past and my success rate with fish is pretty high. I was actually going to add some hardy bottom feeders today until I did the water test and got worried


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Ah well... when you cycle with fish you run the risk of permanently damaging the fish when things spike...

If you are set on cycling with fish... try TSS safe start, which is for fissh in cycling.

Prime might be okay not 100% sure, but it gives you a safety net where t lowers your ammonia and i think nitrite by 1 ppm for 24 hours...

All that I can say from my knowledge of fish in, would be test your water daily, t check how high things are, If anything is at a dangerous level, I would suggest doing a WC to dilute the toxins into safer parameters...

hope I am a bit helpful....

though then again... how did you get that much ammonia off starting things up......

 

[FallenAngel]

I have no idea, some of the live plants i bought began to die after I let the tank get way to hot one day by accident, I'm wondering if some of that decaying material is causing it. I removed the for sure dead plants earlier so maybe I just need to wait till it levels out and test again.


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[nkim1994]

I have no idea, some of the live plants i bought began to die after I let the tank get way to hot one day by accident, I'm wondering if some of that decaying material is causing it. I removed the for sure dead plants earlier so maybe I just need to wait till it levels out and test again.


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Hmmm well rn a water change can't hurt...

try gravel vacuuming out the decaying stuff... or moving substrate arround to make the debris go into the water column so the filter can eat it...

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

I would also say hold off on adding fish for the moment, your ammonia and nitrite levels are really dangerous for fish. If you just keep doing pwc's and leave like one dead leaf in your tank to produce ammonia, your bb should develop fairly soon.

When I first learned about cycling I had a betta and a pleco in my 25 gal and they lived through the cycle but died like a year later. Definitely not living up to their full potential! Hope this helps

 

[nkim1994]

I find cycling to be a very frustrating trial and error considering how impatient I am... but find as much advice you can, determine what you believe is the right way for you to go, bc everyones opinion will differ a bit...

If what you find isnt doing what you want you can always change it a bit.. to find different results..

 

[PNWaquarist]

If you want your cycle to go faster, ask a friend with an established tank if he/she can tear off a piece of filter media for you. Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria also works.

 

[FallenAngel]

Alright, as a side note one of my pieces of driftwood started growing this stuff on it even though I boiled the wood before putting it in my tank. It was only this piece that had it, could that have messed with things? I pulled it out earlier as well and the stuff really smelled.


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[FallenAngel]

Here's a picture


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[DeirdreHoyle]

That's normal, happened to my driftwood too. It will go away after a week or so. It won't affect your cycle

 

[FallenAngel]

Okay good, thanks


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