Snype2live
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well about 2 weeks ago, I started cycling my new 10 gallon tank my friend threw out. Its just a standard 10 Gallon, with standard incondescent hood(with 2 13 ge cfls 6500k bulbs in it). The filter is a Aquaclear 50 flow is maxed out on it. Heater is Tetra 10-30 100 watt heater. Well 2 weeks ago I dosed with 4ppm of ammonia. 2 weeks later my ammonia is about .5ppm and nitrites is around 8ppm and nitrates around 10ppm and rising. Well my substrate is pool filter sand, same that I have used several times before in 2 Oscar tanks and 1 ciclid tank. Well I noticed some of my sand turning brown and brown stuff growing on glass today. well I had my wife clean it and sift through the sand. She said a bunch of bubbles came up. well I had her smell them and no sulfer ( rotten egg smell). Is this normal when doing fishless cycle? Is this ok ? Theres no rotten smell so could it have just been trapped air? Doesn't no smell mean no anarobic (or whatever bad bacteria that doesnt need oxygen is called). For stocking I'm thinking of doing like 50 Ghost or Grass shrimp, and a school of about 5 Micro fish (open for suggestions), and some live plants with Flourish excel and comprehensive as fertilizers. Also the pet store told me that I shouldnt put live plants in with Ammonia levels so high right now is this true?