JohnM
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hi Everyone...newbie here.
First off, great site! I'm sure it will be a great resource as my family grows into this hobby.
I have a new 10g tank, set up a couple of weeks before Christmas. I ran the tank for about a week without any swimmers, then added 3 platys. I have been monitoring the tank temperature (72 degrees), pH (7.8), ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels diligently. The recommended concentration of aquarium salt for the livebearers has been added. After making a few newbie errors (overfeeding , no heater to begin with), things seem to be stable, except for the ammonia levels rising about 0.25-0.50 ppm per day. Nitrite levels nowhere to be seen yet. I am changing about 2.5g of water every couple of days to keep the NH3 down, vacuuming the gravel periodically and occasionally doing a larger exchange (5g).
Other treatments used for the tank are Tetra AquaSafe for the de-chloride/chloramine, and AP Stress Zyme to boost the good bacteria count.
I just need some reassurance that I am not missing something and that my patience will eventually pay off! Oh ya, no live plants for now (one step at a time) and I have been able to keep the kids at bay for more fish (teaching them about compatible species and the Nitrogen cycle first).
First off, great site! I'm sure it will be a great resource as my family grows into this hobby.
I have a new 10g tank, set up a couple of weeks before Christmas. I ran the tank for about a week without any swimmers, then added 3 platys. I have been monitoring the tank temperature (72 degrees), pH (7.8), ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels diligently. The recommended concentration of aquarium salt for the livebearers has been added. After making a few newbie errors (overfeeding , no heater to begin with), things seem to be stable, except for the ammonia levels rising about 0.25-0.50 ppm per day. Nitrite levels nowhere to be seen yet. I am changing about 2.5g of water every couple of days to keep the NH3 down, vacuuming the gravel periodically and occasionally doing a larger exchange (5g).
Other treatments used for the tank are Tetra AquaSafe for the de-chloride/chloramine, and AP Stress Zyme to boost the good bacteria count.
I just need some reassurance that I am not missing something and that my patience will eventually pay off! Oh ya, no live plants for now (one step at a time) and I have been able to keep the kids at bay for more fish (teaching them about compatible species and the Nitrogen cycle first).