10G FW Planted Aquarium Build Thread #2

[McLumpy]

Aha...you teaser...I wish I could have a pond too, but my landlord will not permit that. LOL. I don't really know if they do eat algae, I know the common pond snails will eat the dying plants and the extra uneaten foods of the fishes, but I don't know if they will eat algae. I think the nerite snails are the ones that eats algae, as far as I know. Still want them?

Me? A teaser? No. Never!

I'll still take them, but only if you ship UPS Ground. Seriously though, I could just put them directly in my pond and get a few Nerites from my LFS.

What in the world is going on w/ your cycle?!

 

[daileene]

Me? A teaser? No. Never!

I'll still take them, but only if you ship UPS Ground. Seriously though, I could just put them directly in my pond and get a few Nerites from my LFS.

What in the world is going on w/ your cycle?!

Okay dockie...UPS then.

I know, right! I didn't know if I messed it up by adding pure ammonia as food for the good bacteria? I thought I have to add some so the bacteria will not starve...man, am confused now..very...

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Okay dockie...UPS then.

I know, right! I didn't know if I messed it up by adding pure ammonia as food for the good bacteria? I thought I have to add some so the bacteria will not starve...man, am confused now..very...

If that was a question, you got it right and 4ppm seems to be the agreed upon standard. if it wasn't, just ignore my post lol.

 

[daileene]

oh okay....whewww....so 4ppm is not bad, it went down to 2ppm today already, but the nitrite went back up from 0.25ppm yesterday to 2ppm, so I didn't know if I messed it up...****sigh********

 

[McLumpy]

oh okay....whewww....so 4ppm is not bad, it went down to 2ppm today already, but the nitrite went back up from 0.25ppm yesterday to 2ppm, so I didn't know if I messed it up...****sigh********

I knew I should have shipped you 5 gallons of my tank water, some gravel and a few ornaments.

I wish I could help, but um...

I kind of just "winged it" w/ my cycle and didn't even take readings until 1.5 months later when I found out I only had Nitrates showing up. Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone. Some people actually think I know what I'm doing. lol

 

[daileene]

LOL LOL LOL you are sooooo cute.....

well, maybe i will take that advice to lessen my stress, right?

 

[daileene]

the only problem with me is, i cannot wait for it to cycle...i am becoming impatient coz I want fishes now....NOW...NOW....LOL LOL LOL....just kidding....NOT....hehehehe.....

anyway, patience patience....is a virtue....

 

[McLumpy]

LOL LOL LOL you are sooooo cute.....

well, maybe i will take that advice to lessen my stress, right?

Oh, I don't know about that. lol I will tell you one thing... I never added straight ammonia, (I didn't even know about doing that until I joined AA). I just used fish food. Yeah, no joke. 1.5 months later it was cycled. Of course it could have been cycled before then, but I didn't check the water for 1.5 months. I just figured it would do it's thing. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "a watched pot never boils".

 

[daileene]

oh yeah, a millionth times..LOL..

well, i just decided to do the pure ammonia thing because I've heard in here that it is better than flake food. I did the flake food in my 5G and until now it is still not cycled. It's weird, i had the ammonia keeps on stalling at 4ppm even without feeding flakes for almost a month. Did a water change, it will go down and then it goes back up at 4ppm, without food...so I was like, okay, in my 10G, i will try the pure ammonia, just to see which one works better...i guess none so far, in my case anyway...LOL

i am a hopeless case

 

[McLumpy]

You'll get there! I have faith!

 

[daileene]

thank you...

 

[McLumpy]

Where's the update, woman?! You're slipping!

 

[daileene]

okay so I have been slipping (teeeheee)....so here are my level updates:

4/5/11 4 weeks fishless cycling 8:20AM:
Ammo=1ppm, NO2=0ppm
5:00PM: Ammo=0.50ppm, NO2=0ppm (added 1/2 tsp pure ammonia)

4/6/11 4 weeks 1 day (7:40PM): Ammo=1ppm, NO2=0ppm
4/7/11 4 weeks 2 days (1:37PM): Ammo=0.50ppm, NO2=0ppm (added 1/2 tsp pure Ammo)
4/8/11 4 weeks 3 days (4:53PM): Ammo=0.50-1ppm, NO2=0ppm (added 1 tsp pure Ammo)
4/10/11 4 weeks 5 day (7:32PM): Ammo=0.50-1ppm, NO2=0ppm
4/12/11 5 weeks (added 1/2 tsp before checking levels around 5PM):
Levels checked around 6:07PM: Ammo=2-4ppm, NO2=0.50ppm (whhhoooaahhh)

Hope it will lower down tomorrow....**sigh**

 

[daileene]

Okay, I know it's been over a month since I updated. It has done its cycling finally and I was able to add residents last month. I originally had:

1 x male veiltail betta (he died after a week)
5 x harlequin rasboras (still alive and happy)
2 x cardinal tetras (originally 7 and 5 died right after the betta died)

Added 1 x male dwarf rainbow gourami last 2 weeks ago in replace to the betta.

All of these fish came from petco so I didn't know if the betta and the cardinals were sick but the others are pretty much okay until now.

Water parameters are all okay...so I am happy with that.

Please click on my album link below to see how the kids look like:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/33270-albums1750.html

Enjoy!!!

P.S. I am thinking of adding 4 pygmy cory cats in here for bottom dwellers. I already have 1 nerite snail in here but I think the corys will help eat the excess foods. Are they okay with my current residents? Please let me know and also tell me if I will overstock. Thanks all in advance.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Sorry to hear about the losses . I had a tough start with Cards because they were wild caught. My farm raised are much hardier.

Pics please ? lol

oops, missed the link .

 

[daileene]

That was what I heard about them being a toughy to raise coz of them being in the wild. I will still try though. I love the look of them more than the normal neons.

I hope you like the pictures.

I have to take more pics coz I just trimmed the rotalas and so it looked like it is not a jungle anymore in the left side and in the back. I know they will grow more, they always do.

 

[McLumpy]

Sorry again for your loss, (especially the Betta).

Wait... you uploaded pics?! YAY!!!

BRB

 

[daileene]

yes ma'am, i certainly did.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Great pics!

I agree about the Cards, they're unique and a good shoaling fish.

 

[daileene]

Thanks Mr. Limpet.