Hi everyone,
I am new to the aquarium hobby (as a more serious hobbies). I had many tanks growing up but knew nothing about how to properly maintain them, the nitrogen cycle etc.
Now I'm in it for real and have already learned quite a bit it just the first two weeks. For starters I have learned a lot about the nitrogen cycle and am currently in the process of cycling with fish in (yes I know this is more challenging)
I have a large 50 gallon community tank with about 16 small fish (3 blackskirt and 3 BA tetras, 3 danios, 3 dwarf gouramis (all female), 3 black mollies (all female), one pleco and three mystery snails. My ammonia levels are down to zero and my nitrites are still a bit high and I've been doing 25-50% water changes daily to every other day. I've been using API quickstart to add bacteria and seachem prime to detox the current levels of ammonia and nitrite while the cycling process continues.
However, I'm now worried about the cycle stalling because my Kh and ph are slowly dropping. I'm hoping to get some insights as to where I am in the nitrogen cycle and what to expect next and any steps I should take to keep my fish happy and healthy. My most recent water parameters after a 50% pwc today are below. I've ordered the API master kit as I know it's more accurate than the strips so the numbers below are approximate for that reason.
Ammonia- 0
Nitrites- greater than 1 but less than 5
Nitrates- are considerably high but can't remember exactlly they were, def at the top end of the "safe" range.
My KH is 0
And pH is 6.4 (lowest the strip goes so hopefully not too much lower than that)
My GH is on the higher end as we have fairly hard water just not KH high apparently.
Thanks everyone!
I am new to the aquarium hobby (as a more serious hobbies). I had many tanks growing up but knew nothing about how to properly maintain them, the nitrogen cycle etc.
Now I'm in it for real and have already learned quite a bit it just the first two weeks. For starters I have learned a lot about the nitrogen cycle and am currently in the process of cycling with fish in (yes I know this is more challenging)
I have a large 50 gallon community tank with about 16 small fish (3 blackskirt and 3 BA tetras, 3 danios, 3 dwarf gouramis (all female), 3 black mollies (all female), one pleco and three mystery snails. My ammonia levels are down to zero and my nitrites are still a bit high and I've been doing 25-50% water changes daily to every other day. I've been using API quickstart to add bacteria and seachem prime to detox the current levels of ammonia and nitrite while the cycling process continues.
However, I'm now worried about the cycle stalling because my Kh and ph are slowly dropping. I'm hoping to get some insights as to where I am in the nitrogen cycle and what to expect next and any steps I should take to keep my fish happy and healthy. My most recent water parameters after a 50% pwc today are below. I've ordered the API master kit as I know it's more accurate than the strips so the numbers below are approximate for that reason.
Ammonia- 0
Nitrites- greater than 1 but less than 5
Nitrates- are considerably high but can't remember exactlly they were, def at the top end of the "safe" range.
My KH is 0
And pH is 6.4 (lowest the strip goes so hopefully not too much lower than that)
My GH is on the higher end as we have fairly hard water just not KH high apparently.
Thanks everyone!