My first test results (Finally!)

[senorkevin]

Finally I have a kit to test the water! It is Nutrafin (it's the best I could do!), sorry it isn't API.
When I got home I tested it straight away and here are the results:
Please told tell me off!
Before water change/After water change (50%)
PH 7.5 / 8.0
NH3 0.6 / 0.6
NO3 110 / 50
NO2 3.3 / 1.6

Is this better? what should I do next? Should I remove the NH3 remover from my filter and replace it with another sponge (Aqua Clear 20)?

I did the best I could with the results as I am colour blind!

[senorkevin]

Originally Posted by senorkevin

Finally I have a kit to test the water! It is Nutrafin (it's the best I could do!), sorry it isn't API.
When I got home I tested it straight away and here are the results:
Please told tell me off!
Before water change/After water change (50%)
PH 7.5 / 8.0
NH3 0.6 / 0.6
NO3 110 / 50
NO2 3.3 / 1.6

Is this better? what should I do next? Should I remove the NH3 remover from my filter and replace it with another sponge (Aqua Clear 20)?

I did the best I could with the results as I am colour blind!

Should I add chorine remover? I used filtered tap water to refill the tank.

[flitabout]

Do another 50% water change. wait 20minutes and test again. Yes anytime you do a water change you should always use a de-chlorinator.

[senorkevin]

Even with filtered water?

[senorkevin]

Do I need to do a water change every 24 hours or when?

[senorkevin]

I must be honest, I didn't know I had to wait 20 mins before testing again.

[senorkevin]

Should I change the water in the morning or night? With light on or off? Or it doesn't matter?

[Old Scales]

You can do water changes anytime, early or late. Even with filtered water I would still always use a dechlorinator. Best to be safe than sorry. There is nothing other than opinions that says that your test kit is not just as good as the API. Judging by the fact that you have ammonia and nitrite still above zero, you must still be cycling. You need to set up your filter with the media it is supposed to have, then leave it alone while you're cycling. This is where the bacteria you want to grow is going to be. Make sure it has the foam and the fiber filtering material in it. When it gets clogged up and needs cleaning always clean it in some drained out tank water. Swish it around until all the crud is off then stick it back in the filter. If you throw it away, you are also throwing away all your bacteria that you're working so hard to grow. Hope this helps, good luck. OS.

[senorkevin]

So I should go back to sponge, charcoal and biomax in the filter? I changed the charcoal for ammonia remover because I didn't know the levels

[Old Scales]

No, charcoal is not necessary except for removing bad smells or medications after treatment. Most aquarists learn charcoal is just an unnecessary expense. I would use the foam, the ammonia remover and then the Bio Max media. Now that you have a test kit, test your water from the tap after it sits about two hours to get your baseline starting point readings. This tells you what levels your water is at start. Why are you having to use a ammonia remover? OS.

[senorkevin]

I started to use it because I couldn't test the water and I was concerned about the ammonia level. Should I take it out and use another sponge?

[Old Scales]

If the ammonia remover has been there a while and you're still reading ammonia then either it isn't working or it's been used up. Also the ammonia in your water really needs to go through the filter so that the bacteria can feed on it and change it to nitrites. Then after a while another set of bacteria will form and consume the nitrites into nitrates. When the bacteria in the filter convert the ammonia and nitrites quickly enough that your readings on those are always zero and it is your nitrates that slowly rise day-to-day, then on you know your cycle is complete. I would take the ammonia remover pad out and place in a filter pad, not another foam pad. The foam pad is first and it will filter out the coarse particles, then the fiber filter pad will filter out finer particles, then lastly the Bio Max media is where your bacteria will do a lot of their work. Also a lot of bacteria will start to live in your foam your fiber pad. You want your Bio Max media to be in the cleanest water so that crud doesn't stop up the pores in the beads that the bacteria live in. Hope this helps you understand the process a little better. Anymore questions please ask. OS.

[senorkevin]

I have had the ammonia insert for about 3 days. What is the difference between the foam and fibre insert?

[Old Scales]

What model of filter that you have? We can go from there.

[senorkevin]

Aqua clear 20

[Old Scales]

Great! I was hoping you had a good filter. I use and love Aqua-Clears also. OK, the foam rubber square goes in the bottom of the pull out tray. The fiber filter pad can be a cut to fit type or you can buy pillow stuffing material and use a wad of that. Then on top of that you put your bio max beads. Mine are in a little fish net like pouch. I'll attach a picture of the cut to fit material I buy. OS.

[senorkevin]

I hope I did something correct with getting that filter? !
I bought a pad because someone on here told me to but I think it is the same one that I have on the bottom of the filter. I think I have seen the type of pad that is in the picture.
So I neef the white pad at the bottom, the black cut to fit pad in the middle then the bioMax at the top.
I imagine the sooner the better to remove the ammonia pad?

[Old Scales]

"So I neef the white pad at the bottom, the black cut to fit pad in the middle then the bioMax at the top."

Yes That's the correct order. Is the bottom pad not a thick(like 1 to 1 1/2"thick) foam rubber piece? That's what comes with aquaclears.

[senorkevin]

Thats correct. It is a white cream colour and looks like something you wash the dishes with!
Later I will post a pic when I get home. Also I will post the ph of my tap water and filtered water.

[senorkevin]

Here is the foam insert for the bottom part of the filter