Lynn W.
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Okay, so I am a newbie with fish in the tank who is trying to cycle. I have 8 fish (mostly mollies and platies) in a 20 gallon tank. The tank has been running--filter, heater, live plants (but not cycling)--for a week now. I put the first fish in on Thursday, but didn't learn about cycling until Friday. Since then, I have done a 33% water change, bought an API water test kit, added more plants and 2 Bio balls. I have treated the water with Stability and Prime. So far, all the fish are doing well. I realize I am looking at weeks of water changes and treating the tank. I have some questions about water testing:
Do I test all 4 things (pH, Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates) each time?
Do I test before AND after each water change?
The ammonia level was 1.0 this last time, but the Nitites were still high (5.0) and the Nitrates were 160. (The pH was 7.6.) As the ammonia and nitrites go down, do I still use the Prime or should I have something to treat only the elements that are too high? (Something like Ammo-lock or Nitra-zorb.)
Do I add the things like Prime (or Nitra-zorb, if I need to buy that) to the tap water before it goes into the tank during the water change or can it be added to the tank after the tap water is added?
The clerk at Pet Smart told me that I don't need to use a dechlorinator / slime coat treatment if I am using Prime. True?
I'll be doing another partial water replacement this morning and I'll probably test before and after.
Oh, and how do I clean the little test tubes with the test kit? I know not to use soap. Do I use something like vinegar and water and rinse them in hot water?
Thanks (in advance) for all the expert help!
Do I test all 4 things (pH, Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates) each time?
Do I test before AND after each water change?
The ammonia level was 1.0 this last time, but the Nitites were still high (5.0) and the Nitrates were 160. (The pH was 7.6.) As the ammonia and nitrites go down, do I still use the Prime or should I have something to treat only the elements that are too high? (Something like Ammo-lock or Nitra-zorb.)
Do I add the things like Prime (or Nitra-zorb, if I need to buy that) to the tap water before it goes into the tank during the water change or can it be added to the tank after the tap water is added?
The clerk at Pet Smart told me that I don't need to use a dechlorinator / slime coat treatment if I am using Prime. True?
I'll be doing another partial water replacement this morning and I'll probably test before and after.
Oh, and how do I clean the little test tubes with the test kit? I know not to use soap. Do I use something like vinegar and water and rinse them in hot water?
Thanks (in advance) for all the expert help!