swishy123
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hi!
So I have just set up a 20 G long tank which I plan on keeping community fish in later. It is 3 weeks old and I test everyday. I have had nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia present for a solid week and a half (even after WC). I was recommended to do a 90% WC by my LFS so I did and my levels were 0 nitrite, 0.25 nitrate, and 0.25 ammonia after. 4 days have passed and my levels are reading 4 ppm ammonia, 5-10 ppm nitrate, and 0.5 ppm nitrite. I have also done 20-30% WC every couple days but don’t want to alter the bacteria too much. I use the API testing kit and also have low KH (3 drops) that I up have used seachem alkaline buffer with (recommended by my local fish store when my kh was at 1 drop). I am worried about high levels and am wondering if I should do a complete drain and start over. I don’t want to add fish until my chemistry is complete but also do not want to overwhelm my plants (although lots of new growth). I have a sponge filter and HOB with replaced given filter media with bio rings and added a filter intake sponge. I have a marine land heater, mopani wood (I like the tannins), and dragon stone. I also have low-medium light plants (about 8) and have had significant growth within the past 2 weeks. I use root tabs and easy green from Aquarium Co-op as well. I use fritz water conditioner, api QuickStart, and occasionally searches stability. I have other api stuff like ammo lock, stress-zyme, and stress coat that I occasionally put in. I have had many other tanks in the past and just upgraded from a 5 gallon where I had a betta for 2.5 years (RIP Percy). I am also upgrading my light to the fluval plant 3.0 from my Aqueon optibright since I want more plants. I have no CO2 in the tank or under gravel filter. My substrate is a mixture of sand and smooth gravel from Petco and my decorations/plants from my LFS. I have gotten conflicting advice from my 3 LFS about my levels and figured I’d ask the forum. Should I drain the tank completely and start fresh or keep it going after the 4 week mark? I have only ever done fish in cycles so this is new territory for me. Any suggestions would be helpful! Here’s a pic of my tank for reference.
P.S- I also have slight white algae on my wood but nothing that hasn’t gone away when I touch it.
So I have just set up a 20 G long tank which I plan on keeping community fish in later. It is 3 weeks old and I test everyday. I have had nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia present for a solid week and a half (even after WC). I was recommended to do a 90% WC by my LFS so I did and my levels were 0 nitrite, 0.25 nitrate, and 0.25 ammonia after. 4 days have passed and my levels are reading 4 ppm ammonia, 5-10 ppm nitrate, and 0.5 ppm nitrite. I have also done 20-30% WC every couple days but don’t want to alter the bacteria too much. I use the API testing kit and also have low KH (3 drops) that I up have used seachem alkaline buffer with (recommended by my local fish store when my kh was at 1 drop). I am worried about high levels and am wondering if I should do a complete drain and start over. I don’t want to add fish until my chemistry is complete but also do not want to overwhelm my plants (although lots of new growth). I have a sponge filter and HOB with replaced given filter media with bio rings and added a filter intake sponge. I have a marine land heater, mopani wood (I like the tannins), and dragon stone. I also have low-medium light plants (about 8) and have had significant growth within the past 2 weeks. I use root tabs and easy green from Aquarium Co-op as well. I use fritz water conditioner, api QuickStart, and occasionally searches stability. I have other api stuff like ammo lock, stress-zyme, and stress coat that I occasionally put in. I have had many other tanks in the past and just upgraded from a 5 gallon where I had a betta for 2.5 years (RIP Percy). I am also upgrading my light to the fluval plant 3.0 from my Aqueon optibright since I want more plants. I have no CO2 in the tank or under gravel filter. My substrate is a mixture of sand and smooth gravel from Petco and my decorations/plants from my LFS. I have gotten conflicting advice from my 3 LFS about my levels and figured I’d ask the forum. Should I drain the tank completely and start fresh or keep it going after the 4 week mark? I have only ever done fish in cycles so this is new territory for me. Any suggestions would be helpful! Here’s a pic of my tank for reference.
P.S- I also have slight white algae on my wood but nothing that hasn’t gone away when I touch it.