sierra1228
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello everyone,
Very exceited to get my first tank. I first did some research on the forums here and by asking some friends who currently have tanks to get some advice before starting. I purchased a used 30gal tank and then replaced everything even though it came with almost everything that I would need to startup, but since I didn't trust it I thought it was better to start that way. I am aiming to have a Cichlid tank, or at least a mostly Cichlid tank. I tried to do a fishless cycle of the tank for about four weeks. I could not find any pure ammonia to use, so unfortunately I resorted to using some products that the local Aquarium suggested. I do have a test kit and tested reguarly for PH, Ammonia, No2, and No3. For the four weeks I never saw anything. I even had added about 20 bio balls from a friends wet/dry filter to see if I could speed things up. About two weeks ago I added five fish to the tank. Everything has been going fairly well, fish are still alive and seem to be happy. However, yesterday returning from a business trip I tested and see that I have a moderately high ammonia level, and moderately high Nitrite level, and my Nitrate level is about 40ppm. I did about a 10% water change last night to see if that would help, but I am worried that I am interferring with the cycling process too much. Should I let it ride for awhile and see if the ammonia converts to Nitrates, or should I intervene? The fish I have are as follows.
Thanks,
Doug
Very exceited to get my first tank. I first did some research on the forums here and by asking some friends who currently have tanks to get some advice before starting. I purchased a used 30gal tank and then replaced everything even though it came with almost everything that I would need to startup, but since I didn't trust it I thought it was better to start that way. I am aiming to have a Cichlid tank, or at least a mostly Cichlid tank. I tried to do a fishless cycle of the tank for about four weeks. I could not find any pure ammonia to use, so unfortunately I resorted to using some products that the local Aquarium suggested. I do have a test kit and tested reguarly for PH, Ammonia, No2, and No3. For the four weeks I never saw anything. I even had added about 20 bio balls from a friends wet/dry filter to see if I could speed things up. About two weeks ago I added five fish to the tank. Everything has been going fairly well, fish are still alive and seem to be happy. However, yesterday returning from a business trip I tested and see that I have a moderately high ammonia level, and moderately high Nitrite level, and my Nitrate level is about 40ppm. I did about a 10% water change last night to see if that would help, but I am worried that I am interferring with the cycling process too much. Should I let it ride for awhile and see if the ammonia converts to Nitrates, or should I intervene? The fish I have are as follows.
- 1 Auratus
- 1 Electric Yellow
- 1 Electric Blue Johanni
- 1 Hongi
- Supposedly there is a clown Pleco in there (but I can never see him)
- 1 Catfish. They told me he was a hybrid I think it is a Coryoras Paleatus
- There is one other, but can't remember the name. Mostly blue body with yellow fins. Very similiar to the Hongi, but doesn't change colors with his moods like the Hongi does.
Thanks,
Doug
