What am I doing?

[eco23]

I have PLENTY of the flake fish food. I can do that. Thanks

Try to pick up a mesh media bag or an unwashed stocking to put it in...otherwise it can get quite messy.

*Edit- you got that in right before me. A stocking is fine....but detergent in it is not.

 

[fanaticbooks]

this was a new one, never used

 

[fanaticbooks]

I just want to say THANK YOU! All the advice I have been given is really making me feel as if I am doing things right rather than winging it.

I do appreciate that you are keeping tabs on this topic while I work all the suggestions.

I am so glad I found this site and all of you.

nancy

 

[eco23]

I just want to say THANK YOU! All the advice I have been given is really making me feel as if I am doing things right rather than winging it.

I do appreciate that you are keeping tabs on this topic while I work all the suggestions.

I am so glad I found this site and all of you.

nancy

You're doing all the work and making the effort...we're just here to help out if you need it

 

[fanaticbooks]

my thermometer arrived this afternoon. Stuck it in water...80 degrees. I think that is pretty good for cycling considering there is no heater yet.

edit: I meant the tank water not just any old water. lol

 

[fanaticbooks]

pH is up to 7.6
ammonia has come back up to 2.0

That is just tonight, so will do a test after it has worked for 24 hours.

Thanks again everyone for the help.

 

[fanaticbooks]

No change, so trying something. What do you think?

ph = 7.6
ammonia = 4.
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 20

no change in the nitrites or nitrates since I started testing last week or so. I finally got the heater yesterday and put in. Temp is about 80 at this point.

I checked my two E-Cartridge filters. Water was backing up overflowing back into tank which is not good since it can spill out if not careful (I've had that done before).

SO, what I have done is....

1. Removed one of the E cartridges that has carbon in it.

2. Instead put in a plastic cartridge designed to hold carbon.

Instead of carbon, however, I put in a lot of the filter material from other filters I cut up since no longer have the pump for them.

Cut into pieces to fit the compartments on both sides of the plastic container.

3. THEN I took the E-cartridge I had pulled and cut that filter out, dumping the carbon, and put that between the two sides of the plastic container.

4. Closed it up and inserted into the pump so again there are two filters.

Only one has the carbon and it is first hit by the water being pumped then flows to the one I just created, then onto the water wheel and into the tank.

What do you think? Will it possibly help? Hurt? Should I reverse the filters so the E cartridge with carbon is second in line instead of first?

I wanted to keep the one E-cartridge since there wasn't room to put that filter also in my plastic cartridge. As everyone says, don't dump the filters, so decided not to dump it.

Anyway, rather than draining the water again and since the ph and ammonia seem to be fine I thought maybe this would increase the chances of nitrItes starting up.

Opinions?
fanaticbooks

 

[eco23]

It sounds like a good plan to me. Now it's just a matter of waiting it out again, and hoping to see a blue test tube soon.

 

[fanaticbooks]

Not sure if I am doing this right

Woke up this morning with a horrible smell in my living room. It was coming from the fish tank....caustic and really bad smelling. So bad, I actually got up at 6 am and completely emptied out the tank of water and refilled it.

I added Seachem Prime, a little ammonia to the water.

Water after 4-5 hours has

ph = 8.2 (did a high ph test, since the low showed 7.6 and wanted to make sure of the ph)
ammonia = a 4 ppm or maybe a little higher but NOT the real high.

Now my question is...

Should I get stuff to lower the pH? That is strictly tap water since I emptied out the water that had the powdered buffer in it. I did not add more buffer.

Should I worry about the filtering system being contaminated from whatever caused that caustic stuff? Should I change my filters completely and start from scratch?

I know it was caused from the stocking that had been filled with fish food. When I pulled that out, it had all kinds of white stuff on it and smelled HORRIBLY HORRIBLE! which is an understatement.

I don't know if I need to do anything or nothing now except check water samples.

fanaticbooks

 

[librarygirl]

Yeah fish food will do that. lol. If you took it out and did a pwc, it should clear up. I wouldn't mess with the PH anymore; 8.2 is fine. Just keep an eye on the PH and see what it smells like tomorrow.

 

[fanaticbooks]

I got NITRITES! Hot Dog!

Finally!

The test tube turned Purple! Not major purple, probably about .5 but PURPLE!

ammonia = 4.
ph = 6.8 (just tap water) Why it went down from 8.2 I haven't a clue.

Nitrate = 10 to 20, the same as before

I actually think my bacteria are starting to show!

I couldn't be doing this if it weren't for all of you.



fanaticbooks

 

[fanaticbooks]

I think I am getting the hang of this

Nitrites up a lot
Nitrates going up
ammonia down a tad bit, a little lighter green but still around 4
ph about 6.8

Kind of like checking a slow-cooking stew.

Thanks to that (almost) Guide, I actually know what to expect and when and with what to "season" my stew.

Look forward to when it is all cooked and ready to serve. The FISH will love it.

 

[kelly77143]

Finally!

The test tube turned Purple! Not major purple, probably about .5 but PURPLE!

ammonia = 4.
ph = 6.8 (just tap water) Why it went down from 8.2 I haven't a clue.

Nitrate = 10 to 20, the same as before

I actually think my bacteria are starting to show!

I couldn't be doing this if it weren't for all of you.



fanaticbooks

Yay!.....................