Passionweed
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Greeting's Fish Lovers,
This is my first time postings. I am new to this hobby and think I may have 'jumped the gun' so to speak on my new 5.6 gallon Fluval tank. I purchased the tank for my desk and within a few days I introduced 4 fantail guppy's. All is well...
So now I start actually researching (what I should have done in the first place) and I learn about cycling a tank. I did purchase the API test kit for the basic water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) < the liquid test kit, not the dip stick type. I've been expecting gloom and doom since I had these fish in an un-cycled tank. So far (it's been 3 weeks now) everyone is happy and healthy and eating well. Here's what I do not understand....there is continually 0 readings on ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. The pH is a perfect 7. I would have thought something (ammonia?) would have started rising by now as these fish eat and poop a LOT! Nada! I took water samples to Petsmart thinking maybe I was doing something wrong but they told me the water is perfect.
I use well water, my water goes through no filters and comes out of the ground at a pH of 7 without my doing anything. I have been changing 1 gallon of water every 3 days since reading about this cycling thing.
My question....is this an anomaly? Will this small tank ever cycle or should I just continue to change 1 or 2 gallons of the water every three days (which is no problem) or should I let the aquarium just run without doing partial water changes and let what happens, happen. I hate to jeopardize the fish as they are a lively bunch and seem VERY happy in their new home. Swimming and very curious about the tank and showing brilliant coloring and excellent appetites.
Any suggestions/advice to sidetrack any possible disaster as this tank matures is most welcomed. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this forum...I have a lot to learn
Dave
Virginia
This is my first time postings. I am new to this hobby and think I may have 'jumped the gun' so to speak on my new 5.6 gallon Fluval tank. I purchased the tank for my desk and within a few days I introduced 4 fantail guppy's. All is well...
So now I start actually researching (what I should have done in the first place) and I learn about cycling a tank. I did purchase the API test kit for the basic water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) < the liquid test kit, not the dip stick type. I've been expecting gloom and doom since I had these fish in an un-cycled tank. So far (it's been 3 weeks now) everyone is happy and healthy and eating well. Here's what I do not understand....there is continually 0 readings on ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. The pH is a perfect 7. I would have thought something (ammonia?) would have started rising by now as these fish eat and poop a LOT! Nada! I took water samples to Petsmart thinking maybe I was doing something wrong but they told me the water is perfect.
I use well water, my water goes through no filters and comes out of the ground at a pH of 7 without my doing anything. I have been changing 1 gallon of water every 3 days since reading about this cycling thing.
My question....is this an anomaly? Will this small tank ever cycle or should I just continue to change 1 or 2 gallons of the water every three days (which is no problem) or should I let the aquarium just run without doing partial water changes and let what happens, happen. I hate to jeopardize the fish as they are a lively bunch and seem VERY happy in their new home. Swimming and very curious about the tank and showing brilliant coloring and excellent appetites.
Any suggestions/advice to sidetrack any possible disaster as this tank matures is most welcomed. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this forum...I have a lot to learn
Dave
Virginia
