Hi all, I have been trying to set up a quarantine tank, but I am confused by the readings after 5 days: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates. This should good, but it has happened so quickly and I saw the high ammonia, but never saw the high nitrates, is it possible that the nitrites spiked and disappeared while I wasn't looking? Here is what I did:
-filled 3 gallon with water treated with conditioner
- old gravel that had been cleaned with hot water and then dried ( from my tank).
- placed 1 ornament and 3-4 plants from my current tank
- new power filter with new media insert
- sponge filter which I placed some gravel from my current tank into the bottom where you are supposed to place charcoal ( but I don't need charcoal as it will be a quarantine tank).
- heater turned up high to promote bacterial growth, no light ( got to 85 degrees).
- then on first day took a dead snail and placed in stocking and placed it into tank floating for 3 days.
- I then checked and the ammonia spiked, so I removed the snail and started only placing a small piece of food at night.
- 2 days later, I tested again, and 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates.
Have I done something wrong? Or really right? Don't want to kill any fish by accidentally placing them in a nun cycled tank. I have continued to place a small piece of fish food in the tank, just in case.
Please let me know what you think....
Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
-filled 3 gallon with water treated with conditioner
- old gravel that had been cleaned with hot water and then dried ( from my tank).
- placed 1 ornament and 3-4 plants from my current tank
- new power filter with new media insert
- sponge filter which I placed some gravel from my current tank into the bottom where you are supposed to place charcoal ( but I don't need charcoal as it will be a quarantine tank).
- heater turned up high to promote bacterial growth, no light ( got to 85 degrees).
- then on first day took a dead snail and placed in stocking and placed it into tank floating for 3 days.
- I then checked and the ammonia spiked, so I removed the snail and started only placing a small piece of food at night.
- 2 days later, I tested again, and 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates.
Have I done something wrong? Or really right? Don't want to kill any fish by accidentally placing them in a nun cycled tank. I have continued to place a small piece of fish food in the tank, just in case.
Please let me know what you think....
Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice