Carbon only works for the first week, if that before wearing out. From what I understand carbon does not get rid of ammonia, but often in those premade filters they place a product (name escapes me) that does absorb ammonia (little white crystals). Even though the carbon does wear out quickly it is still a great place for bacteria to grow as it has a ton of surface area. So leave in that old worn out carbon and only replace it if you need to get rid of meds and such.
Your Cycle Results
- Thread starter littlelouie
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Today's update:
Ammonia 0-.25, nitrite off the scale LOL, nitrates 40 ppm/10 ppm (?).
Question for you folks with more experience then me. If I use a "dipstick" type test for nitrites/trates, I'm getting a solid 40 ppm on trates. But I also tested with the chemical in a tube type, and I'm getting readings of about 10 ppm. Whats up with that? I can't compare nitrites; was the only liquid test I can't seem to find in ANY lfs.
Ammonia 0-.25, nitrite off the scale LOL, nitrates 40 ppm/10 ppm (?).
Question for you folks with more experience then me. If I use a "dipstick" type test for nitrites/trates, I'm getting a solid 40 ppm on trates. But I also tested with the chemical in a tube type, and I'm getting readings of about 10 ppm. Whats up with that? I can't compare nitrites; was the only liquid test I can't seem to find in ANY lfs.
littlelouie
Aquarium Advice Freak
Thanks tkos & Alli for straightening out the carbon issue 
I do w/c on the w/end so will post my b4 & after results soon.
btw... Alli I'm jealous of your cycle results, they seem 2b text book. Hope the issue with the trites/trates testing will be resolved for you soon.
Also, who makes the test kits u use? I am looking @ trying something else.
Louise
I do w/c on the w/end so will post my b4 & after results soon.
btw... Alli I'm jealous of your cycle results, they seem 2b text book. Hope the issue with the trites/trates testing will be resolved for you soon.
Also, who makes the test kits u use? I am looking @ trying something else.
Louise
Heh text book yeah, but patience has never been my virtue. I went and bought some of the fish for that tank today LOL
My ammonia is 0, my nitrites are sky high and my nitrates are between 10-40 depending on what test I use. I'm going with the vial tests, which says 10 as that makes more sense to me and I'll bet its more reliable then the dipstick one. Btw littlelouie, Aquarium Phamaceuticals makes the vial based, put the drops in test I'm using.
Along with the fish, I also bought some Bio-Spira (they had it! yay for them! they also were selling a 6 gallon Nemo tank; boo for them!). Dropped that into the tank they'll be living in; in the meantime I'm going to pop them into the QT tank for little while, as those nitrite levels in the new tank are just too high, despite water changes bringing them down to 5.0. I'll test it again tonite and in the morn; if nitrites go down quickly enough the new guys will go thru QT in their new home
My ammonia is 0, my nitrites are sky high and my nitrates are between 10-40 depending on what test I use. I'm going with the vial tests, which says 10 as that makes more sense to me and I'll bet its more reliable then the dipstick one. Btw littlelouie, Aquarium Phamaceuticals makes the vial based, put the drops in test I'm using.
Along with the fish, I also bought some Bio-Spira (they had it! yay for them! they also were selling a 6 gallon Nemo tank; boo for them!). Dropped that into the tank they'll be living in; in the meantime I'm going to pop them into the QT tank for little while, as those nitrite levels in the new tank are just too high, despite water changes bringing them down to 5.0. I'll test it again tonite and in the morn; if nitrites go down quickly enough the new guys will go thru QT in their new home
littlelouie
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hope ur new fish love their new home Alli
So I did my weekly 20% w/c on the w/end and my tank looks lovely and clean and the fish r happy.
My water test results b4 w/c
Ammonia: 0.31ppm
Nitrite: 0.01ppm
Nitrate: 17.06ppm
pH: 7.1pH
Filter needed changing as it was quite full with debris ie fish poo.
Today I tested for ammonia and got 0.21ppm. Down as per normal. While doing the water test I decided to test a "reagent blank" to see if the reagent is affecting my ammonia results. Well the reagent blank was done on distilled water and I got a reading of 0.21ppm. Therefore all my ammonia tests need to be adjusted down by 0.21ppm of there abouts.
With the adjustments I am seeing minimal to zero ammonia. Yay!!!
May invest in a standard test kit just to see where I'm at in general.
Thanks Alli, you put the idea in my mind to test the reagent 'cause you tested "Cycle".
What do you think?
Louise
So I did my weekly 20% w/c on the w/end and my tank looks lovely and clean and the fish r happy.
My water test results b4 w/c
Ammonia: 0.31ppm
Nitrite: 0.01ppm
Nitrate: 17.06ppm
pH: 7.1pH
Filter needed changing as it was quite full with debris ie fish poo.
Today I tested for ammonia and got 0.21ppm. Down as per normal. While doing the water test I decided to test a "reagent blank" to see if the reagent is affecting my ammonia results. Well the reagent blank was done on distilled water and I got a reading of 0.21ppm. Therefore all my ammonia tests need to be adjusted down by 0.21ppm of there abouts.
With the adjustments I am seeing minimal to zero ammonia. Yay!!!
May invest in a standard test kit just to see where I'm at in general.
Thanks Alli, you put the idea in my mind to test the reagent 'cause you tested "Cycle".
What do you think?
Louise
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
Allivymar-
Don't delay putting in the fish after you put in Bio-Spira; it needs the fish load to stay alive. If you wait, you will have a major bacterial die-off. Also, I am not certain from your post, but are you putting the Bio-Spira in a tank that is midway through cycle? If may take a while for it to get rolling in that circumstance, not the overnight results you get with the clean, new tank setup. Yay for you for using a QT tank!
Don't delay putting in the fish after you put in Bio-Spira; it needs the fish load to stay alive. If you wait, you will have a major bacterial die-off. Also, I am not certain from your post, but are you putting the Bio-Spira in a tank that is midway through cycle? If may take a while for it to get rolling in that circumstance, not the overnight results you get with the clean, new tank setup. Yay for you for using a QT tank!
Feh. I have to wait atm; nitrites are still pretty high. No biggie; they are still in the QT tank, and since its a 10g I have plenty of Bio-Spira left LOL I think I'll wait till the nitrites drop to a manageable level, then add the fish (and prob more Bio-Spira as its not enough to add to the 55 I'm getting this week *grin*).
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
You lucky duck....
littlelouie
Aquarium Advice Freak
I got the LFS to test my water and they confirmed my results....tank has cycled and conditions are perfect.
Thnx for all your input.
Louise
Thnx for all your input.
Louise
littlelouie
Aquarium Advice Freak
Cheers Alli
I asked my lfs re bio-spira and the girl hadn't heard of it. I guess that if those in the US are only just getting onto it, it might be a while here in Australia
And I can't imagine what it will cost :?
How's the 55gal?
btw...funny footer
I asked my lfs re bio-spira and the girl hadn't heard of it. I guess that if those in the US are only just getting onto it, it might be a while here in Australia
And I can't imagine what it will cost :? How's the 55gal?
btw...funny footer
Yay, I tested the water in my 10 gal, and there are no nitrites! I went into this knowing nothing about tank cycling, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen to cycle the tank WITH fish. I had to do it out of desperation, though. The three fish in the 10 gal survived the cycling (a dwarf gourami, 2 cory cats), and are all extremely strong and hardy. I did have one fish I had to move to an uncycled 5 gal (because he was getting attacked), and he did not survive.
It took seven weeks. Soooo annoying. :x Because of all the water changes, it cycled much slower than the 5 gal after it started fishless cycling. In the 5 gal, the nitrites got up to 3. But I couldn't let that happen in the tank w/ fish. The ammonia peak was on June 21 (I set up the tank on June 13) which was 1.3. The nitrite peak took place on June 29, after a crazy weekend where I was not home to test the water. When I finally tested the water, I found that my ammonia was at zero, but my nitrites were at 2. I immediately did a water change, and since the peak it has taken until today for the nitrites to disappear completely.
I tested PH, ammonia and nitrites every other to every third day, sometimes more if I was obsessing. 8O (That's what I look like when I am staring at the fish tank obsessing.)
It took seven weeks. Soooo annoying. :x Because of all the water changes, it cycled much slower than the 5 gal after it started fishless cycling. In the 5 gal, the nitrites got up to 3. But I couldn't let that happen in the tank w/ fish. The ammonia peak was on June 21 (I set up the tank on June 13) which was 1.3. The nitrite peak took place on June 29, after a crazy weekend where I was not home to test the water. When I finally tested the water, I found that my ammonia was at zero, but my nitrites were at 2. I immediately did a water change, and since the peak it has taken until today for the nitrites to disappear completely.
I tested PH, ammonia and nitrites every other to every third day, sometimes more if I was obsessing. 8O (That's what I look like when I am staring at the fish tank obsessing.)
Wheeee. The 55 is up, running and in great shape. There is a TOUCH of nitrites in there today; barely registers but I'll do a change anyway.
The plec is sulking, the loaches are window surfing and I don't think the angels noticed the move as they are to busy chasing each other around and begging for food LOL
The plec is sulking, the loaches are window surfing and I don't think the angels noticed the move as they are to busy chasing each other around and begging for food LOL
littlelouie
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hey Catalina that's great news, congrats 
Alli, good to hear the 55gal is coming along. Can you post some photos? I am looking at a larger tank myself
Alli, good to hear the 55gal is coming along. Can you post some photos? I am looking at a larger tank myself
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