To start over or not???

[Love_MyFish]

So should I clean the rocks and start over? or what should I do? I seeded the tank from a LFS and thought I was on the right track...... But now my reading are weird (AM) 4 (NIT) 0 (NITRATES) 0

 

[BigJim]

Those readings look like you just started your cycle. Seeding the tank isn't an instant fix. You're just introducing the beneficial bacteria instead of waiting for them to show up from the air. If you have fish in the tank, do a few 50% PWCs to get the ammonia below 0.25ppm. If you're fishless cycling, leave the tank alone for a while.

 

[Love_MyFish]

Help!

Those readings look like you just started your cycle. Seeding the tank isn't an instant fix. You're just introducing the beneficial bacteria instead of waiting for them to show up from the air. If you have fish in the tank, do a few 50% PWCs to get the ammonia below 0.25ppm. If you're fishless cycling, leave the tank alone for a while.

Ok I am doing a cycle with fish. I did another 50% water change and my (ammonia) 4.0ppm< why isnt it not going down by half?

 

[BigJim]

What are you using to test your water? If its the API kit, it's pretty difficult to distinguish between 4ppm and 8ppm.

 

[Love_MyFish]

Test kit

What are you using to test your water? If its the API kit, it's pretty difficult to distinguish between 4ppm and 8ppm.

I am using an API Kit.

 

[elysekuf]

If you have fish in the tank, do a few 50% PWCs to get the ammonia below 0.25ppm. If you're fishless cycling, leave the tank alone for a while.

Just keep doing this -- you might have to do a lot of 50% water changes before your ammonia gets down below .25ppm, but it will be worth it! Once the levels are down, monitor them and make sure they stay down via PWC as necessary.

However, if you want, you can always ask if your LFS will take the fish back and you can do a fishless cycle -- it can feel like it takes forever, but it's less stressful than having to worry about fish surviving through the process.

Take a look at either or both of these threads:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html

Good luck!

 

[BigJim]

What I meant is it's easy to misread the ammonia test at higher levels. What you see as 4ppm might really be 8+ppm.

Try a few massive water changes (80-90%) and see if that doesn't get your ammonia levels down.

 

[Andrey]

What I meant is it's easy to misread the ammonia test at higher levels. What you see as 4ppm might really be 8+ppm.

Try a few massive water changes (80-90%) and see if that doesn't get your ammonia levels down.

It is dangerous for bacteria, daily 50% change is more than enough.

 

[BigJim]

I don't advocate such large PWCs on a healthy tank, but this isn't a healthy tank. Lowering the ammonia to acceptable levels is most important right now and with the use of dechlorinator, I don't really see any harm done to the small biological filter that exists in the tank now.

 

[Love_MyFish]

I don't advocate such large PWCs on a healthy tank, but this isn't a healthy tank. Lowering the ammonia to acceptable levels is most important right now and with the use of dechlorinator, I don't really see any harm done to the small biological filter that exists in the tank now.

How long after wc before I check the levels?

 

[BigJim]

Wait 30-60 minutes. Give the tank enough time to thoroughly mix in the dechlorinator. Otherwise you might get some false readings.

 

[Andrey]

I don't advocate such large PWCs on a healthy tank, but this isn't a healthy tank. Lowering the ammonia to acceptable levels is most important right now and with the use of dechlorinator, I don't really see any harm done to the small biological filter that exists in the tank now.

Bacteria is the guarantee of successful aquarium setup, isn't it? When you do such a large water change you may kill bacteria again and again.

 

[elysekuf]

Bacteria is the guarantee of successful aquarium setup, isn't it? When you do such a large water change you may kill bacteria again and again.

Nope. Very few bacteria live in the water column. The vast, vast majority live and colonize the filter, with some colonizing the substrate, plants, decorations, etc.

 

[Andrey]

Nope. Very few bacteria live in the water column. The vast, vast majority live and colonize the filter, with some colonizing the substrate, plants, decorations, etc.

I may be mistaken but I suppose that the massive water change is not good. Aquarium is a small delicate ecosystem so as variant I would recommend to do water change twice a day. It is more laborious process but it worth it.

 

[elysekuf]

Under normal circumstances, as I believe BigJim stated, such massive changes are not necessarily recommended, however, frequent water changes are. However, in this case, the ammonia level is so high that the danger of ammonia poisoning outweighs the dangers of massive water changes.

(Я вижу, что вы живёте в Москве! Я изучаю русский язык в университете. Очень приятно, и простите меня за мои ошибки -- уже поздно, и я устала. Но, мне надо было практиковаться потому что у меня была возможность! )

 

[Andrey]

Under normal circumstances, as I believe BigJim stated, such massive changes are not necessarily recommended, however, frequent water changes are. However, in this case, the ammonia level is so high that the danger of ammonia poisoning outweighs the dangers of massive water changes.

(Я вижу, что вы живёте в Москве! Я изучаю русский язык в университете. Очень приятно, и простите меня за мои ошибки -- уже поздно, и я устала. Но, мне надо было практиковаться потому что у меня была возможность! )

The ammonia level is really high. Rapidly growing plants is one of ways to make it lower.

Я буду очень рад пообщаться как на русском, так и на английском! )

 

[BigJim]

If you're adding your dechlorinator to the tank before you add the water, I really don't see any reason why your bacteria populations would be damaged by a large PWC. People that raise discus often do 80% PWCs every day to keep the water quality pristine. If doing so killed their biological filters, I don't think they'd do those PWCs.

In this case, I'd rather take the chance on losing some bacteria over killing the fish with ammonia.