What the heck???
- Thread starter Homedog98
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eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
Scraps said:
Hey, it's not a bad idea and normally you could very well be right about food being in the gravel causing problems. Just IMO, I'd wait a bit until the #'s stabilize a little. Decaying food in the gravel can definitely cause ammonia problems and poor water quality.
ejaramillo01
Aquarium Advice Addict
Understand the hurry due to the time (being late), but before we guess try to measure the water quality....
OP
OP
Homedog98
Aquarium Advice Addict
Scraps said:
It's ok, I don't have a gravel vacuum yet anyway. And I would have tested, but I thought of it kind of like this: I knew I was cycling with fish and how sad I'd be if I'd lost them, I know i have hi nitrites and nitrates, and I knew how to get them down, and unless something else had happened, I used my somewhat experienced fish common sense and decided a large PWC was necessary, since I know my fish and they were not acting right.
ejaramillo01
Aquarium Advice Addict
Homedog98 said:
That is also true! Agree with you that knowing your fish, it's important to act on time!
OP
OP
Homedog98
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok, tonight, did yet another test.
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: 5
Nitrate: somewhere between 40 and 80
Ph: 6.6
I'm a bit curious about the ammonia... My guess was everything was still recovering a bit from the giant water change yesterday, but I went ahead and did another 50% (this time with a friends help) and adding a normal dose of prime. And I know PH doesn't really affect which fish you can put in a tank, but do they tend to adjust better to soft water like mine, or hard water? I'm not planning to add any Ph adjusters, cuz I know those are unpredictable.
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: 5
Nitrate: somewhere between 40 and 80
Ph: 6.6
I'm a bit curious about the ammonia... My guess was everything was still recovering a bit from the giant water change yesterday, but I went ahead and did another 50% (this time with a friends help) and adding a normal dose of prime. And I know PH doesn't really affect which fish you can put in a tank, but do they tend to adjust better to soft water like mine, or hard water? I'm not planning to add any Ph adjusters, cuz I know those are unpredictable.
OP
OP
Homedog98
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just realized one last thing I forgot... And I bet it's why I had that ammonia. Since my temp was almost at 82, which I decided was too high for my liking, I turned my heater off for about 6 hours. When I came back to check after school, I had a temp of 68. Wouldn't that slow down the bacteria? Should I raise the temp some more?
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
Homedog98 said:
I kept mine around 84 during my fishless cycle, but I'd figure out what is the highest your fish can tolerate and keep it there. I don't think that period of time would have killed much if any bacteria. Higher temps definitely help your cycle, but you dont wanna cook your fish!
OP
OP
Homedog98
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ya, I wasn't thinking killed so much as just slowed down. But now my temp is back to normal again, so I'll just leave it there.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
Homedog98 said:
The first day I got my Python I completely forgot to adjust the temperature to match. Luckily I didn't have fish in there. It didn't slow my cycle though, I finished it in exactly 20 days.
OP
OP
Homedog98
Aquarium Advice Addict
Oh, that stinks. How do you even use a python anyway?
Amicus
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I know that you are getting a lot of advice to do water changes. If you do pwc at 50% you are constantly removing beneficial bacteria needed for cycling. I would not do greater than 20% and definitely not everyday. You have to let the bacteria divide and conquer for the cycle to complete. Your numbers will come down. Keep testing, someone earlier said some fish are heartier than other and this is true. As starter fish I used 3 danios and three red miner tetras these were added towards the end of the cycle and will help your tank mature all the faster. Even if you do lose your fish the tank will have cycled. I know it kind of sucks but to do water changes everyday and at such large volumes set you back every time you do one. Hope this helped.
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Amicus
Aquarium Advice FINatic
The bacteria needed for cycling are throughout the entire tank, as are the elements they are feeding on. Of course, if you are comfortable with a pwc then do it. It will just take your tank longer to cycle.
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Amicus
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Amicus said:
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I disagree. The beneficial bacteria lives on the surfaces of the tank (the tank walls, substrate, filter media, etc.); Negligible amounts are found in the water column, certainly not enough to make a difference while cycling. Sure you're removing ammonia (that's the point). They don't need an ammonia reading to survive when there are already fish in the tank, the fish produce enough. I am not the only one who will tell you this. Ask the community mentors.
Amicus
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I stand corrected, wasn't trying trying to argue.
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Amicus
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Amicus said:
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Amicus
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Wasn't trying to quote myself, was a mistake.
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