20g Long w/ 24w T5HO

[Aspencer]

Well, my lights came so I added some plants to help with my cycling. Ammonia is still around 4 ppm, no NitrItes, with a little NitrAtes. I will just have to patient. I broke up the moss from Severum Mama and will grow more.

I have an Aquaclear 50 and 30 moving the water.

 

[Aspencer]

Ammonia 4
NitrItes finally showed up .5

 

[Coleallensmom]

Making progress! Keep up the good work

 

[Aspencer]

Ammonia 4.0
NitrItes 5.0
NitrAtes between 10 & 20

3 Java moss
6 Crypto Spiralis
1 Crypto Retro
2 Rotala Vietnam
1 Bolbitis heudelotti
7 Rotala rotundifolia

all the above are single stalks

Temp 76
Lighting 1 T5HO 24w 6700 & 1 T5HO Rose color
1 Aquaclear 50 & 1 Aquaclear 30

 

[Aspencer]

Picture update:

 

[jetajockey]

that looks great, how deep is that sand bed?

 

[Aspencer]

that looks great, how deep is that sand bed?

I was trying for 3 inches but probably in spots around 4". It is probably too much but I am going to be planting non-stem plants heavily so the babies can hide so I thought it might not hurt. I also plan to get some MTS snails to help with the sand.

If given advice to take some out, I am totally open to doing that.

Right now, the sand is great, blows around but does not cloud the water even a little bit. Also, root tabs are easy to place beneath and low.

 

[Aspencer]

Ammonia 0.00
NitrItes above 8.8
NitrAtes above 160

Redose to 2 ppm hoping to see a drop in my NitrItes

 

[Aspencer]

Well, I am trying to cycle this tank...I can process 4 ppm of Ammo in 24 hours but my NitrItes keep above the readable level for the last 4 days. I have done back to back...consecutive days....75% water changes, get NitrItes down to just readable levels, but the next day, they are super high again.

Today, I am going to let Ammo remain at 0 until Monday and see where my NitrItes are.

My 10g with the Swordtails and babies waiting for this tank are doing well. I keep myself amused by adding plants. I just gave 5 babies away to a student with a tank and the local LFS will take babies when they are 1 inch long.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Tank looks nice with some more plants in there!

 

[Aspencer]

Came in this morning...somehow my lights stayed on all weekend so I had some algae growing...

Ammonia 0.00

NitrItes see through purple so less than 5.0 but not gone like I expected since I did not redose ammonia on Friday where I had more than 0 but no much more.

Did a 80 % water change and will test in an hour.

 

[Aspencer]

ph has spiked to purple...8.8..will retest
Ammonia to 4 ppm
NitrItes purple 2.0
NitrAtes light orange brown 5.0

 

[Aspencer]

Interesting...my ph early this morning...8.8...tested 3 hours later...ph 7.8...must be the hot water with the cold water that spiked it...I tested the hot water alone...pH was 7.4...

 

[Aspencer]

My Tests from yesterday after dosing
pH...Ammo...NitrItes...NitrAtes

 

[Aspencer]

This morning

Ammo 0
NitrItes 2.0 see through purple
NitrAtes < 160 see through red

Redose with 1 ml

 

[Aspencer]

This mornings test..pH...Ammo...NitrItes...NitrAtes

I redosed to 2 ppm

 

[Aspencer]

I have been reading about Ammonia and NitrIte spikes when adding fish. Do you think adding 3 two inch swordtails would be a big load on a tank?

 

[rich311k]

When you are done the bio filter would handle that with out a problem.

 

[Aspencer]

When you are done the bio filter would handle that with out a problem.

Thanks for this answer and the previous ones...looks like I am still a week or two away the way NitrItes are going.

 

[Aspencer]

Ammonia 0
NitrItes 5.0 see through purple
NitrAtes < 160 red

Well, I think I will do a 50% pwc to get NitrItes lower then redose with 2 ml Ammonia.