Confused

[Marinemammalover]

I am currently fish-in cycling a 20 gallon tank with six long-finned zebra danios.... I am new to keeping fish but I understand the nitrogen cycle and what should happen.

I'm confused because I have had these fish since Sunday and the tank has been running since Saturday. I added a liquid bacteria starter called microbe lift. I am confused because my ammonia levels haven't risen at all yet... They are still at zero. However my nitrite levels were high because they were high in my tap water (around 2.0) but have fallen to around 0-0.5. Is this normal? I have been testing everyday. Please help....

 

[Oceangirl]

Hi there WELCOME!!

They might not rise right away becuase it will take a while for the ammonia to build up from a small amount of fish. May I ask what type of test kit you have? The strips are lousy and the only true reading are with a liquid test kit. Such as API Master. When was your last water change?

Check out JetaJockey's page here! This is what I am doing now.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/fishin-cycling-step-dark-side/

 

[Marinemammalover]

They might not rise right away becuase it will take a while for the ammonia to build up from a small amount of fish. May I ask what type of test kit you have? The strips are lousy and the only true reading are with a liquid test kit. Such as API Master. When was your last water change?

Check out JetaJockey's page here! This is what I am doing now.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/fishin-cycling-step-dark-side/

I have test strips for everything but the ammonia which is an API liquid kit. My last water change was today because I was trying to raise the pH from 6.4 to seven.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

If you added bacteria and its doing its job it may not happen. Do you have trates?

 

[Marinemammalover]

If you added bacteria and its doing its job it may not happen. Do you have trates?

I don't have any nitrates. Did you mean I might not have any ammonia spikes when you said it may not happen?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

If the bacteria that you added does its job it would be like adding a dirty filter to a new aquarium. So it would instant cycle or have a little cycle. So yes it may not appear

 

[Oceangirl]

..

Test stripes don't work very well, I know from experience. I had ok reading then took it into the store to get tested and got completely different readings! I would add some plants, they go a long way to helping the cycle

 

[Marinemammalover]

If the bacteria does its job it would be like adding a dirty filter to a new aquarium. So it would instant cycle or have a little cycle. So yes it may not appear

Ok thank you so much! Do you have any idea on how I could raise my pH from around 6.4 to 7? I did a 25% water change but the pH didn't change...

 

[Marinemammalover]

Test stripes don't work very well, I know from experience. I had ok reading then took it into the store to get tested and got completely different readings! I would add some plants, they go a long way to helping the cycle

Ok thanks! I'll definitely get a liquid master kit and maybe some plants.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Ok thank you so much! Do you have any idea on how I could raise my pH from around 6.4 to 7? I did a 25% water change but the pH didn't change...

I wouldn't mess with it you'll be better off. A fluctuating ph is worse than a natural one.

 

[Marinemammalover]

I wouldn't mess with it you'll be better off. A fluctuating ph is worse than a natural one.

I am planning on adding some dwarf gouramis later on will they be okay in that low of a PH... Sorry for all the questions also, what can I do to help stabilize the pH?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I don't know that type of fish that well bit I looked up a profile for it and it says 6.0-7.5 so you should be good to go. If you have to buffer the ph most of us use crushed coral. Personally I'd leave it alone it doesn't need to be perfect

 

[Marinemammalover]

I don't know that type of fish that well bit I looked up a profile for it and it says 6.0-7.5 so you should be good to go. If you have to buffer the ph most of us use crushed coral. Personally I'd leave it alone it doesn't need to be perfect

Alright I'll leave it alone for a whole and see what happens... I will eventually have to buffer/ raise the pH though because it keeps getting lower as time goes on right? How should I do that? Thank you for all your help.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

You ph should stay the same to whatever water your using.

 

[Marinemammalover]

You ph should stay the same to whatever water your using.

That's weird because the tap water I used to fill the tank pH's was 7.2. And then I did a water change with water with a pH of 7.6.... Maybe because when I first added the water I used proper pH 7.0 and then it stayed around seven until it starting gradually going down Wednesday. Maybe I messed with it too much? I'm definitely leaving it alone now....

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Just keep an eye on it and leave it alone and see what happens. It may be high coming out of the faucet and then dropping after being in the tank for a day. I have to leave mine sit out for a whole day and night because of this. If you want to check fill up a glass of water and test the ph then let it sit out all day and night and re test to see if it changes.

 

[Marinemammalover]

Just keep an eye on it and leave it alone and see what happens. It may be high coming out of the faucet and then dropping after being in the tank for a day. I have to leave mine sit out for a whole day and night because of this. If you want to check fill up a glass of water and test the ph then let it sit out all day and night and re test to see if it changes.

Ok thanks! I'll definitely try this!

 

[vanimal]

What's your current Ph? Adding driftwood is a nice natural way to the lower the Ph. My tap is 7.8 but my driftwood keeps the tank water at 7.2

 

[Marinemammalover]

What's your current Ph? Adding driftwood is a nice natural way to the lower the Ph. My tap is 7.8 but my driftwood keeps the tank water at 7.2

My current pH in my tank is 6.4 which far from what I started at about a week ago at 7.2.....

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Ya you don't want to do that lol