Starting new tank, if i forget any steps tell me :)

[Dooboedoo12]

Added white background and the tank completely cleared.

Ammonia still hasn't come down from 4ppm, my nitrites and nitrates are still 0. The tank still hasn't begun it's cycle.

I am keeping some baitfish in it now so my plants don't loose their ammonia. I would think that's why the ammonia won't come down but the nitriteS should still go up?

 

[josh7]

I have the feeling this is a stupid question bc puffers are friendly but if I added them in my tank with my oscar would he die from the stress or would the oscar leave him be?

Don't add puffers with an Oscar. Any types besides dwarf puffers are brackish anyway and they are mean devils. If you get a dwarf with an Oscar though it will just eat the little guy.

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Def good to know! I def won't be doing that than

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Amonia rises to high with the baitfish in there. I won't be adding more to the tank again. Did a 50% water change.

The log has been soaking for a week now and the water it's a tea color so I'm going to give it a bit longer

Ordered 2 lime stone rocks online. Should be here in 2 weeks

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Plants are growing very fast and look great so far just added a new one

 

[Dooboedoo12]

My amonia still has not come down from 4ppm. My nitrites and nitrates are still 0. My ph and high range ph are higher than what the chart says.

Could the high ph be the reason my cycle still isn't starting?

Help

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Help anyone ? Do I just need to keep waiting?

 

[Khuligirl93]

The limestone rocks have a lot of calcium carbonate in them and will probably raise your pH

Do you know anyone with an established tank? You could ask them if you can have a piece if their filter media, or squeeze it into your filter.

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Sadly I don't know anyone I have driftwood I'm going to be adding but I don't know if that's going to be enough for how high the ph is

 

[Khuligirl93]

You might try using another kind of rock instead of limestone if the pH concerns you. But usually a stable pH is more important than a neutral pH, and fish will adjust to whatever your tap naturally is. I'm sorry I'm not sure how to answer your cycled question except have patience. Some people have success with the bacteria in a bottle, but I think more times than not it doesn't do anything.

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Yeah I tried using it when I started it up. It seems to have done nothing I read online that ph isn't that important that the fish will adjust. I just don't want to have gone through all this for these fish and they just die

 

[Khuligirl93]

They shouldn't die as long as you're patient and don't add them until your cycle is finished.

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Yep. I need to buy one of those dripper things so that I'm not just dumping them in

 

[Khuligirl93]

You can drip acclimate just using an airline tube like a siphon and tying some knots in it to slow down the flow to a drip.

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Nice! That will def save me some money

 

[Dooboedoo12]

My banana Plant is growing so fast!

Over night that stem doubled in size

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Rocks arrived today and are in the tank now

 

[Dooboedoo12]

As of today for the first time my tank has nitrites! Woot I'm on my way mom!

 

[Dooboedoo12]

Officially today the nitrates were off the charts. 180ppm+ so I did my first 69% water change. The amonia is being reduced to 1ppm in easily Less than 12 hours