Help Needed, is my water safe?

[CSouth96]

Okay so I have been cycling this tank for awhile now, and my last experience had me a bit on edge because I lost all my fish and had to start from scratch so I want to make sure I have this 100% correct. Currently my tanks parameters with no fish in it are:
0 ammonia
0 Nitrites
Very high Nitrates
PH level of about 6.7
It's a 55 gallon tank
With an Emporer HOB 400, and a Penguin HOB 350 for filtration,
I also have a large amount of brown algae floating around and some on the bottom of the tank. I have read and heard from various sources that this is due to high nutrients in the water, which would make sense because of the pure janitorial strength ammonia I'm using. I also realize that the Nitrates are high and I plan on doing a large water change to ensure that they drop, but how much do you guys think is enough? Also is my PH to low to house some fancy goldies? Any other tips? I want to make sure I get this right on the first try to avoid another disaster. Thanks so much!

 

[Autumnsky]

Does this pH come from your tap at appx. that level? It will be fine for Goldies. Better to not mess around with pH except for extraordinary circumstances.

Don't forget your temp which needs to be around 64-75F.

Also make sure to have excellent aeration.

What is your substrate?

 

[CSouth96]

Does this pH come from your tap at appx. that level? It will be fine for Goldies. Better to not mess around with pH except for extraordinary circumstances.

Don't forget your temp which needs to be around 64-75F.

Also make sure to have excellent aeration.

What is your substrate?

I'm going bare bottom, and the temp in the tank usually fluctuates between 70 F and 73F, but in the winter dips to about 66F, do you have any advice on how much water I should drain out for the water change?

 

[Autumnsky]

Just watch on temp and feeding if they would get cooloer than that their digestions slows.

I would get a heater and set around 65F (optional) just so they wouldn't get too cold for the above reason. Not sure which temp when they can eat I would have to review the info.

As for the pwc I would do 50% and then test or if you'd rather 75% then test. Should be low Nitrates. Then dose your ammonia and see how fast it disappears. If you have time to do a check at 12 hours and do one for sure at 24 and see if all is good.

 

[CSouth96]

Well good news and bad news. I've gone to my long time reliable fish store and they've come in with a new product that I've wanting to get shipped to my house but it is much to expensive to get shipped due to refrigeration. PURE, LIVE, Nitrifying bacteria. This stuff has been ridiculously hard to find in my neck of the woods, this stuff is 100% natural Nitrifying bacteria in a dormant, chilled state. Basically it makes cycling a breeze. You get a single fish, that produces a lot of waste, (I.e. the goldies I'm putting in my tank) and put a dosage of your bacteria and bam. The bacteria colonize and begin eating the waste as soon as they hit the water. You put it in 1 fish to keep them fed for about a week. They work so quickly its hardly any or no stress on the fish and its super quick. This stuff is so expensive to ship but I can get bottles of it now for the same price as sea chem! I went to my shop to get a new gravel vac to do the water change and the owner himself was like" Hey dude I got something special for yah!" Couldn't be happier right now and thanks for your help man. Helps to know the rest of my water parameters are A OK.

 

[CSouth96]

The bad news is I think all my current bacteria that I had in there are gone, I believe I went to long without giving them a ammonia feeding, because the ammonia level is dropping but painfully slow, slower then it should.

 

[Autumnsky]

Flake fish food will give you ammonia - didn't know if you were out or just didn;t get to it.

Keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[FishFlow]

Don't give up all hope. While you might of starved off some bacteria, this cycle will be much quicker.