Accidental fish in cycle. [My journey]

[JessiBeau]

Yes but considering all I had was off the charts ammonia for the last few weeks, they are a welcome surprise. I'll just continue the water changes I was doing to deal with the ammonia. Hopefully that will work.

 

[flchamp89]

Maybe I missed it. Did you test the tap?

 

[JessiBeau]

Yes, though I don't remember all what I tested for, I can say that this is the first time I've gotten either nitrites or nitrates in either aquarium, on the strips or the master test kit.

If it was in the tap I would have gotten a positive reading before now, right?

 

[JessiBeau]

But I definitely will retest the tap water. That's a good point.

Lord I hope it's the cycle and not the dang tap.

I'm just going to believe it is until I have proof that it isn't. Lol. I feel horrible for not doing my research as it is.

 

[flchamp89]

Ive always been on wells in rural environments. But Ive seen people say tap has changed. Alot of variables. Pipe type, time of year, where you live ect.. Heard of people getting different results different faucets in home. I would check it though.

 

[JessiBeau]

I know we have city water, and I know there is no ammonia reading from the tap. I do know I tested that again a week ago. But I tested it for more at the beginning of this mess, just don't remember what all I did test for.

 

[JessiBeau]

Oh thank god. Negatives across the board. Sorry the picture is pretty bad. Normally I test in the bedroom with the better light, but the sun is still not really up, and my four year old is in my bed so I can't turn on the better overhead light. So crappy bathroom lighting it is!! Lol.

Thanks for making me think to test though! That's definitely a good thing to know!

 

[flchamp89]

Yes mam....youll get it cycled

 

[JessiBeau]

I hope so. I'm determined to get through this, though I can see how some people get so discouraged that they leave the hobby.

I'm too stubborn for that though. Plus I dream of keeping pea puffers eventually. (And my husband is looking to breed GBRs later. He loves the little guys.)

On a side note, definitely will be doing PWCs again today. Probably a 25% in the 36g instead of the 50% I did yesterday, and a 50% in the 65g since I did a 25% yesterday.

Of course that will depend on the levels once me and my daughter are up for the day. I'm only up now because I just got my son on the bus for school. Ahhh. People mom + fish mom, so exhausting. Lol. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[flchamp89]

Im old school. Cycle with flakes or shrimp. Takes....forever lol. Months months. Got fish at four month mark on my ten gallon lol

 

[JessiBeau]

Probably would have done the same myself, but we got the 65g tank and all the acc, heater and pump, then conditioned the water and added far too many fish. (Though I do blame the hubby for some of that.)

We got the 36g and moved some of the fish from the 65g to lower the bioload. Which is how I'm now trying to cycle two darned tanks.

And he's out of state working, so buckets buckets buckets for me!!! Lol. It's working out though. Just feel terrible because the fish can't be too happy with all this.

 

[flchamp89]

You got this....holler ya need anything.

 

[JessiBeau]

Thanks!

 

[JessiBeau]

Well the living room tank still has very high nitrite readings, but now the nitrate readings are spiked as well.

About to go do a 50% water change on there, but I've got a couple of sickly fish in the bedroom tank so I may need to change water in there first. About to test the levels in that tank now.

 

[JessiBeau]

Bedroom 36g readings:
Ammonia- between 0 and .25 ppm
Nitrites- between 2 and 3 ppm
Nitrates- around 5 ppm

Made a mistake with the nitrate test on the 65g, so I'm waiting to read it now. Lol.

 

[flchamp89]

You shaking super good. Bust crystals up

 

[JessiBeau]

Yep. A full two to three minutes, just to be sure. And a full minute on the second nitrate bottle as well.

Nitrates in the living room 65g are a little below 5ppm. So not as spiked as I thought. But I know what I did wrong the first time so we're good now. Lol.

 

[megi-lin]

Ahhh! Yay! But keep up with those water changes or else you'll get poisoning just like Ammonia.

 

[JessiBeau]

Yep. Daily water changes still happening. I'm excited to see progress though!

On a side note.....I found two pond snails in the 36g today....not sure what to think. I know how they snuck in, but unless it gets out of control is it fine to leave them?

 

[eco23]

Did you ever look into getting a Python water changer? Literally a must have for any decent sized tank...trust me