My 55 planted build!!

[simplicitysarah]

Im so excited to finally get started!!! With lots of research and everyone's help from AA, my journey begins!!!!!!!

My last tank was 30gal, years ago.. so i need to re learn to aquascape!
I am doing a fishless cycle.
I am doing low light plants and still deciding on fish. def want 1-2 schools, cory's and a feature fish!
I appreciate any and all advice

 

[simplicitysarah]

i am using ammonia from ace.. i put in, what i thought was 4ppm yesterday. Today tested water(api master kit) and it says 0 for ammonia. I re dosed and will re check tomorrow

 

[simplicitysarah]

what am i doing wrong?? this is the second time i have put ammonia in my tank, checked it couple hours later and the api kit shows 0 ammonia? i used the website calc for how many mL's i should put in..
i am in day 2 of putting ammonia in.. so nitrites and nitrates are both 0

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Following! I found this...may help with your ammonia problem. How to Do a Fishless Cycle: 9 steps - wikiHow
I also had trouble getting the ammonia up in my latest planted tank, my 60 gallon, and I just threw in a little comet goldfish to get the ammonia started ans once I was reading ammonia at about 4-6 ppm I took it out and it went through with the cycle. I also added some seeded filter media from my other cycled tanks to help it cycle.

 

[simplicitysarah]

Thanks Dan!
Can i dose ferts while I'm cycling? That won't throw it off will it?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Thanks Dan!
Can i dose ferts while I'm cycling? That won't throw it off will it?

Well it might if you are dosing NO3 or something like that...what types of ferts?

 

[simplicitysarah]

Flourish and Excel.. It's low light plants.. Only have 3 in

 

[simplicitysarah]

So now my ammonia is too high! I did a 20%Wc...and retested still high.. I then did a 50% WC, after hr or so, it's now 4ppm-8ppm...do another WC or wait and test again?

 

[dwayne.aycock]

Your biological cycle is starting....be sure to add an air stone to help out your BB. Eventually your ammonia will start to drop and your nitrite will start to increase. As nitrite is a bi product of ammonia reduction, I would worry more about the nitrite and make my water changes accordingly. Try not to use chemicals to get your cycling parameters into balance...the best solution for pollution is dilution AKA...increase your water changes. Use aged water that you filter through charcoal. Let it set for 48 hours and you should be fine. If the water is too cold, get another tank heater and air pump / stone for your reservoir. Hope this helps......Dwayne

 

[simplicitysarah]

Thanks! Have heater and air stone cranked! Got nervous when it was that high, thought I messed up

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Good info from Dwayne. Also remember, if your ammonia is at .50 or something, doing a 50% WC will take half of that away, making it stand at .25.

 

[dwayne.aycock]

Patience paired with enthusiasm is a good thing. Do you have fish already?

 

[simplicitysarah]

Doing fish less cycle. Doing low light plants and have couple in there

 

[dwayne.aycock]

You have a lot less to worry about since you are doing a fishless cycle. With your worries eased, you should be able to sleep at night. If you are planning to do a Discus tank, a 55 gallon is the smallest I would go. Your bigger questions should be about filtration and water source purity as Discus are quite sensitive to water quality. There is no way around R/O water imho. I use an 80/20 mixture that I store in a 64 gallon drum outside. Inside the drum I have an airstone, a heater, a 36 Watt UV sterilizer and a 350 gph powerhead. I can make 150 gallons per day which I use in a 75 and a 135 gallon tank. I may add PICs later, but this is what I use. BTW, my system is simple and does not break the bank.

 

[simplicitysarah]

1-25
pH 7.6
ammonia .5
nitrite 2ppm
nitrate 80ppm
are these readings looking normal for first week of cycle?
guess I'll redose ammonia, had it too high yesterday

 

[simplicitysarah]

You have a lot less to worry about since you are doing a fishless cycle. With your worries eased, you should be able to sleep at night. If you are planning to do a Discus tank, a 55 gallon is the smallest I would go. Your bigger questions should be about filtration and water source purity as Discus are quite sensitive to water quality. There is no way around R/O water imho. I use an 80/20 mixture that I store in a 64 gallon drum outside. Inside the drum I have an airstone, a heater, a 36 Watt UV sterilizer and a 350 gph powerhead. I can make 150 gallons per day which I use in a 75 and a 135 gallon tank. I may add PICs later, but this is what I use. BTW, my system is simple and does not break the bank.

i think discus are so beautiful, but for this is going to be a community tank! im still trying to understand R/O and i don't know if i fully get it yet!

 

[dwayne.aycock]

At this time, I recommend that you read up a lot on Discus fish and their care. They are for the advanced aquarist with a vast understanding of most aquarium art and science. It is not impossible, but it does require a high level of skill and resources. They require high water quality that can be obtained using reverse osmosis or R/O water. You should be able to find a lot on youtube or google about reverse osmosis. Not to discourage you, but Discus are not for the beginner. If you still wish to proceed, I suggest you build a large circle of knowledgable friends that rear Discus, as well as join a number of Discus websites. You will have successes and setbacks along the way. You will lose fish for reasons you can't understand, but learn from your mistakes and vow never to repeat them. Be headstrong in your determination to succeed, and though you will experience disappointment at times NEVER let it get the best of you. Finally " my Padowan Learner" develop an insatiable appetite for learning and feed it every day! I have been in the Army for the past 21 years...this is something we live by.....Dwayne

 

[simplicitysarah]

help! im killing my plants i started using flourish..been busy with cycle that haven't bought dry ferts yet.. haven't dosed excel yet b/c it says need to start after water change... what am i doing wrong ?

 

[simplicitysarah]

Forgot to write, lights are 2 t8 full spectrum, run for 6-8hrs

 

[dwayne.aycock]

You are not killing your plants, they are telling you that they are not eating. The plants you have are root feeders, not water column feeders. Leaf feeders will benefit from flourish, but root feeders will not. You need root tabs. Place two under each plant and you will start to see results If you are using dry ferts with swords, mix them up in a cup with some excel and get a meat injector at your local grocery store (not a turkey baster) pull the ferts up in the syringe and inject at an angle under your root feeders. Try to avoid damage to the roots. They will show improvement in a few days. The leaves that show damage will have to be removed...new leaves will grow in their place......Dwayne