Booyah - Nitrates Baby

[librarygirl]

Looks good! I'd keep testing a for a couple of more days just to make sure the nitrites stay at 0; it's possible they are low b/c of the water change and haven't had a chance to catch up, so you just want to make sure they really stay at 0 on their own.

I'm not a stocking expert by any means but I think the school of tetra and 2 Rams would be OK (Rams need a minimum of 30 gals but you might be OK with a pair in there, although maybe someone with more experience will answer).

As far as the rummynose, again no experience with them. But most fish should adapt to your water as long as you acclimate them properly. A long slow acclimation is best.

 

[chrisinmontreal]

Thanks - yep will ensure i have consistent full conversion of ammonia > nitrate for another few days before doing anything on the fish front.

I better read up on acclimation!!! man there is a lot to learn but i'm enjoying it, i just think there must be so many people out there though just diving in without even realizing that there is more to fishkeeping than tank, water and fish!

 

[librarygirl]

I haven't done it yet, but drip acclimation is a good method. They sell drip acclimation kits (although you can do it yourself with a piece of airline although the few times I've tried it to practice I couldn't get the airline to create a siphon). If you go to youtube and search drip acclimation you'll get a good number of videos that show you how.

 

[chrisinmontreal]

WAHAAAY

Day 18 and.........

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20

That's full conversion of 4ppm ammonia in 24 hours

Dosing to 4 one more time then its time for fish

 

[ejaramillo01]

WAHAAAY

Day 18 and.........

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20

That's full conversion of 4ppm ammonia in 24 hours

Dosing to 4 one more time then its time for fish

Dose to 4 ppm One more time to be sure, but looks like you are cycled !,

Congratulations

 

[chrisinmontreal]

It's all over!!!

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40

3 days of full conversion, time for a final big PWC, set my temps and tomorrow will be welcoming fisheeees

Final question - i noticed that my PH decreased consistently during the cycle. Straight from the tap the PH is about 7.8, KH is a 2 or 3. I found that the PH would drop to about 7.2 after 24 hours in the tank. A couple of times after 3 or 4 days I caught PH dropping down into the mid 6's, consistent with KH dropping to a 1 or even 0.

My GH and KH I believe mean I have soft water, which is good for me. PH at 7.2 is also fine and suits my stocking plans. What i don't want though is the apparent instability of PH I saw while cycling. Will this be a non-issue now i have finished cycling and am stocking my tank i.e. its being driven by the cycling process, or do I want to be supplementing with some crushed coral in my filter to keep the KH up?

 

[eco23]

Cycling definitely wreaks havoc on the pH because during all the conversion the nitrifying bacteria are pumping out acidic waste, while at the same time consuming the buffers which hold pH steady. This still continues to happen once the tank is stocked...but on a lesser scale normally.

I have ridiculously low alkalinity water, and I run a very small bag of crushed coral in my tanks. If I didn't, my pH would crash (has happened before). The trick is to find the ideal amount where it buffers the water without dramatically effecting the pH. In my 46 gallon I have about 4-5 good pinches in a mesh bag in the filter, in my 10 gallon I have a pinch or two, and in my 5 gallon Chi I literally only have a few pieces. It definitely works miracles for me to keep my pH stable.

Btw, congrats on your cycle . Make sure you post some pics of your new fish

 

[librarygirl]

Yahoo!! Congrats!

 

[chrisinmontreal]

Not the best pics, but here's my new

6 silver tip tetra
6 rummy nose tetra
6 japonica shrimp


Rummynose looking good and have nice red noses already

Shrimp eating algae non-stop

Will add a couple of bolivian rams in a month or so

Thanks again for the guidance and help in making my first tank a success!!

 

[librarygirl]

Awesome, congratulations! Enjoy your new fish!

 

[eco23]

An absolutely flawless fishless cycle. Congrats and enjoy your fish . The tank and the fish look beautiful. I'm sure they appreciate what you did for them.