Questions

[Jedi_aquarius]

So I've had my tank for a week and a half. Having to do a fish in cycle. I used a BB additive. My ammonia has pretty much stayed at 0. Slight increase for a day or two. Nitrate and nitrite have stayed at 0. I also can't get my pH down it seems. That or the bottle of top fin pH decrease is crap. Lastly my opaline gurami has damage to her fins. The gold gurami looks fine. They both act happy and play together. The opaline has a good apitite and is not shy. Advice?

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[Jedi_aquarius]

Almost forgot pics

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[cfosgate]

Do you have just the two fish in the tank? Don't fuss too much with ph right now. As the cycle gets going the nitrification process will bring ph down quickly so high is good for now. Any fish-in cycle I have done has taken about 8 weeks and during this time you should check ammonia levels daily. When ammonia starts to rise daily or sometimes twice daily water changes are necessary and you should then begin testing for nitritres too. Once Nitrites show up begin checking nitrates as well. When ammonia and nitrites come back to zero you are cycled. It may take a week or two for enough ammonia to build up to show on your test if you have a large tank.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Tank

So I've had my tank for a week and a half. Having to do a fish in cycle. I used a BB additive. My ammonia has pretty much stayed at 0. Slight increase for a day or two. Nitrate and nitrite have stayed at 0. I also can't get my pH down it seems. That or the bottle of top fin pH decrease is crap. Lastly my opaline gurami has damage to her fins. The gold gurami looks fine. They both act happy and play together. The opaline has a good apitite and is not shy. Advice?

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Hello Jed...

Since you have fish in the tank, you need to feed just a little and test the water for traces of ammonia and nitrite. Test every day and if you have a positive test, remove a quarter of the water and replace it with treated tap water. In addition to keeping the water chemistry somewhat clean for the fish, you need to grow the little bugs that use the ammonia and nitrite for food. Removing too much water will remove the food the bacteria need and you'll still be cycling the tank this time next year.

Just test and remove the water. Add some floating plants like Hornwort. In a month or so, you'll get several daily tests with no traces of the above toxins. The tank is cycled. Then you just change out half the water every week to maintain good water conditions for the fish.

Have fun!

B

 

[Jedi_aquarius]

Awesome thanks. Do you think the bag of BB I put in is messing up the cycle?

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[Jedi_aquarius]

Also any idea on the opaline gurami fin damage?

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[Mebbid]

Awesome thanks. Do you think the bag of BB I put in is messing up the cycle?

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Whats your ph?
How large of a tank is this?

Gouramis are generally very territorial. Only keeping one per tank is rhe recommended number or else one will usually pick the others to death.

Unlike bbradbury, I focus on the health of the fish before the speed of the cycle and as such, more water changes are better. Any time your ammonia or nitrites hit above 0.25 ppm do a 50% water change. Do that and you will have a healthy tank, healthy fish, and a strong cycle. This can take from 1 to 2 months.

 

[Jedi_aquarius]

Was hoping that was not the case. PH is 7.8 to 7.9

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[Mebbid]

Was hoping that was not the case. PH is 7.8 to 7.9

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Thats a perfectly fine ph level. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[Jedi_aquarius]

Cool beans , thanks

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[BBradbury]

Tank Cycling

Awesome thanks. Do you think the bag of BB I put in is messing up the cycle?

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Hello again Jed...

You don't need to add anything to the water to speed the process. Adding steps to the nitrogen cycle just means there's something else to remember. Add the fish, feed them sparingly, add the Hornwort and follow the instructions I mentioned earlier. Don't get creative and do more than is necessary. The tank will cycle in a month.

B

 

[Jedi_aquarius]

Sound good. Keep it simple right

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[Ricky 1]

"OR" Jed, you can ask your lfs or a friend with a tank, for a squeeze of their filter and put that in your filter, it will be dark brown looking stuff so don't let it put you off, in 5 days you will be cycled, and you can enjoy your fish.......hope this helps.........

 

[trennamw]

Definitely leave the pH alone. If you keep dosing it down, and it keeps coming back up, you're putting the fish through a lot of stress. There's also a potential issue of osmotic stress when you keep adding stuff to the water.




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[Jedi_aquarius]

Good idea, I'll have to see if i can find some onewith a tank.

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[Jedi_aquarius]

I'll leave the pH alone then. I was trying to be to controlling I guess

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[trennamw]

I'll leave the pH alone then. I was trying to be to controlling I guess

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We all do that in the beginning!


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[Jedi_aquarius]

Update, tests show; 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, .5 nitrate.

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[Ricky 1]

Perfect.........

 

[Jedi_aquarius]

Update. I traded in my gold gurami because she was to aggressive and picked at the Opal gurami. I got a crown tail beta, rainbow shark and golden snail. They seem to get along good. Water has stayed stable.

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