20 g planted build (newbie)

[Old Scales]

When you see trites it means your in the first phase and fixing to see the second phase of the fishless cycle and moving along well. Congrats. Do a 50% WC and redose ammo to 4 ppm and let it do its thing some more. The BB that turns the ammo into trites is growing now. As they do the BB that turns the trites into trates will start growing also. Your cycle is progressing normally. WTG. OS.

 

[captaincritical]

It's looking great!

 

[Patty1980]

That's what I ended up doing last night. Minus adding an ammonia source. So, as I understand it, let the tank be for another 5-7 days? Or should I test today to see how fast my trites have converted if any? I had a raw shrimp in for 24 hours on day one, but that's the only time. Will my plants be ok if I dose pure ammonia this time? Stupid question. Will it stink as bad as the shrimp? The tank is in our bedroom :/ Here we are today after I added the anacharis. Thanks for the support!

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[Patty1980]

Ok added raw shrimp and upped my water temp. We shall see if that is enough ammonia.

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[Patty1980]

My ammonia didn't go anywhere. Still .25 this morning so bye bye smelly shrimp! Before my wc this morning my trites were off the charts and trates about 20. I just did a 75% wc and added a bit of flake food. I sure hope I'm making the right choices.

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[Patty1980]

Ok. New test shows ammonia still between .25-.5 trites not quite 0 but certainly not .25 (crazy drop after one big wc IMO!) Trates are 5-10

My camera sucks but those trites are pretty blue to me. If this holds and the trates keep showing up I'm cycled right?

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[Patty1980]

Final stocking choices : 4 dwarf gourami 4 male if I can swing it, 5 red phantom tetras, 7 neon, 4 skunk Corys. I thought I would add the neons first, then the reds, then gourami, and last corys. I figure by the time I add the Cory they will have a lot to scavenge for Hope this all works out like I think it will.

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[Patty1980]

Welp. Note to self. Next time get neons too big to fit I'm my ADF mouth. Little pig ate one during the night. Had just fed him bloodworms before bed. The bulging belly tells me not enough poor neon.

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[Patty1980]

Had to rework my stocking plan due to the frogs. I'm thinking they are too nippy for gourami. So, currently have 6 neons, 2 ADF. Wanting to eventually work up to adding 6 red phantom tetra, 4 skunk Cory, 6 clown killifish.

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[Patty1980]

And today. I know I'm talking to myself here, but whaddya gonna do? No more murders, fingers crossed. Ho hum on my stock ideas. I'm sure about the clown Killis, or some type of Killis and wanting 3 pairs. The Wet Spot has pretty good prices for them. Way cheaper than Liveaquaria. I need to Google solo bottom feeders. The corys seem to all need multiples to be comfortable but I don't want to over stock, but I want the phantoms in there too. Toooo many choices.

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[Patty1980]

Bump for any other stock ideas

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[Patty1980]

Final stocking complete. Ended up with 1 clown pleco (man they can poop!) 1 assassin snail, 1 red flame dwarf gourami, 5 zebra danios,12 neons, and my 2 male ADF. Still looking for some frogbit. We love watching them!! Can't wait to start my 55g peacock tank build!

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[Patty1980]

One neon death today. No one looked out of sorts earlier (I look in on them several times a day). By the time I found it the eyes and belly were hollowed out. I scooped it out and checked parameters (0-0-20-40). Nitrates were a tad higher than usual as I'm usually between 10 and 20. So, I did my normal 50% wc and added stress zyme. No other recent changes or reason to lose one. I've had them since mid April. Sigh...

 

[Patty1980]

^^^other stock is same minus the pleco. He went back within a month of getting it.

 

[Fresh2o]

Considering its a neon, it may be difficult to find a root cause for a single random death. Glad you found your post after an 8 month gap. If I don't update mine, it takes a while to dig mine up (well, there is always the Search function).
Any updated pics for the new year?


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[Patty1980]

Can't believe I found it either. I figured that'd be the verdict. I will probably throw an extra wc in today for good measure.

I got to thinking. I took one of my ADF and placed in a make shift qt last week for what I'm hoping is just bad constipation. I took out the extra filter pad I keep in my Aqueon 30 to use on my qt filter. Could removing that have caused the nitrate bump? I've done this before without an issue. Plus, I'm not convinced its truly the culprit. Just stinks when I know their potential life expectancy.

I will get some pics up. I'm not thrilled with the tank atm. Thanks Fresh

 

[Patty1980]

Today. Just kinda "meh" you know? Switched old dw out to my Oscars tank for this piece that floats at least for now. The gourami like the extra cover though, since I can't keep floating plants from being eaten.

 

[Fresh2o]

DW looks nice and "swampy" floating in there.
Who in there is eating the plants?


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[Patty1980]

The gourami are the ones I'm catching. I need to rehome one of them (both male). I've tried, anacharis, frogbit, water lettuce, water sprite. All disappeared eventually. I've got corys, danios, ADF, and the neons, but I've never seen them mess much with the plants aside from my from my corys up rooting the java ferns.

 

[Patty1980]

I kinda hope it always floats...