Tropical Aquarist
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2015
- Messages
- 529
They can be used together, I just looked it up. However it's easier to just let the fish do the work, instead of dosing ammonia 4x a day.....
55G Aqueon Setup Advice
- Thread starter spangler2k3
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
I finally got the tank setup last night. With all of my fake plants to start.
Got the heaters setup as well as the filters and set the controller to stop heating at 82.
Dr. TIms recommended that temp for establishing the cycle
Waited this morning and it was at 81, so i did 2 drops per gallon to make the equivalent of 4ppm. and dumped both small 2oz bottles in to the tank of bacteria.
here is the link i followed and upon recommendations of others.
I'll post pictures tonight after work when i do a test to see where the ammonia will be after around 12-16 hours or so.. i put enough in there so it would read 4ppm if its anything less than that, i'll know my bacteria is working
Got the heaters setup as well as the filters and set the controller to stop heating at 82.
Dr. TIms recommended that temp for establishing the cycle
Waited this morning and it was at 81, so i did 2 drops per gallon to make the equivalent of 4ppm. and dumped both small 2oz bottles in to the tank of bacteria.
here is the link i followed and upon recommendations of others.
I'll post pictures tonight after work when i do a test to see where the ammonia will be after around 12-16 hours or so.. i put enough in there so it would read 4ppm if its anything less than that, i'll know my bacteria is working
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
i guess i should also state, that just because the ammonia and nitrite are "supposedly" gone after a few days, i'm going to continue fishless for a few weeks to make sure of everything.
im not sold on it being fish ready in 3 days, maybe a few weeks
im not sold on it being fish ready in 3 days, maybe a few weeks
Tropical Aquarist
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2015
- Messages
- 529
Sounds good to me.
If you can dose 4ppm ammonia and it's gone within 24 hours, that means it's cycled. This should take 7-10 days, if you dose more than 4ppm it will kill off the bacteria.
If you can dose 4ppm ammonia and it's gone within 24 hours, that means it's cycled. This should take 7-10 days, if you dose more than 4ppm it will kill off the bacteria.
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't think a few weeks is necessary Once 4ppm ammonia is converted to nitrate overnight then you're all set to add fish
Once 4ppm ammonia is converted to nitrate overnight then you're all set to add fish spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
Well here is a picture of it from this morning.
I didnt have my python water change system in from amazon yet so i filled it up via 5gallon buckets, (hence the water line marks and bubbles across the left side and front of the tank )
my driftwood from the river needs to be anchored down temporarily until it stays there which i can easily do, and with dumping the buckets in some of the decor had come loose so i'll fix that.
My water from the tap goes through a chlorine injected system because of low amount of sulfur in my artisan well so its normally cloudy like that right off the bat, and some of that cloudiness is a combination from the pool filter sand as well as the bacteria in a bottle. (note, i did use a de-chlorination product)
So far im happy with the setup.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
I didnt have my python water change system in from amazon yet so i filled it up via 5gallon buckets, (hence the water line marks and bubbles across the left side and front of the tank
)my driftwood from the river needs to be anchored down temporarily until it stays there which i can easily do, and with dumping the buckets in some of the decor had come loose so i'll fix that.
My water from the tap goes through a chlorine injected system because of low amount of sulfur in my artisan well so its normally cloudy like that right off the bat, and some of that cloudiness is a combination from the pool filter sand as well as the bacteria in a bottle. (note, i did use a de-chlorination product)
So far im happy with the setup.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
So you've got well water? Do you have an idea of how hard your water is?
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
checking that tonight when i get home. but im almost certain its 7.2
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
Alright, your hardness is probably fine then. Good to know!
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
My wife just tested it for me and its 7.6
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
Tropical Aquarist
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2015
- Messages
- 529
I'd check for high ph as well because it could be higher...
Also I'd be concerned if your water straight out of the tap is cloudy, that would look bad long term in an aquarium....
Also I'd be concerned if your water straight out of the tap is cloudy, that would look bad long term in an aquarium....
scuba dude
Aquarium Advice Freak
Seems a little high for my liking. I try to stay right at 7, some DIRO would help bring that down.
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ehhh it shouldn't be an issue unless the water is super hard, but the driftwood should help with that.
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm not too concerned with the cloudiness out of the tap its only temporary.
She tried it with the High PH kit and it actually registered at its lowest in my opinion
She tried it with the High PH kit and it actually registered at its lowest in my opinion
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
correct.. this is straight out of the tap.. i have a few pieces of driftwood in the tank im sure releasing tannins which should buffer it lower.
ill test the tank tonight and hope for a equal or lower ph
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
7.6 shouldn't be an issue, I wouldn't worry too much about. Freshwater fish are adaptable, a stable ph is the most important thing.
spangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
Ok so here we go.. initial test results are in. the temp in the tank is sitting at 84 degrees stable.. I added the Dr. Tims ammonia as well as the Dr. Tims one and only nitrifying bacteria at 6:30 am, and just finished testing at 10:00 PM.. so after 15.5 hours these are the results..
Dr. Tims 1 drop per gallon will give you a 2ppm reading so I did 110 drops which should have given me 4ppm at 6:30 am. Here is my 10pm reading
Also, when testing out of my tap earlier it gave me a reading of 7.6... currently its much lower hovering near 7.0 which Is making me happy
The nitrite is around 0ppm which I found interesting
and lastly the nitrate is around 0ppm or just above... so it sounds like after day 1. I have nothing, but the ammonia went somewhere...
im following the directions where it says day 2 to do NOTHING.. so tomorrow im going fishing
how fittingspangler2k3
Aquarium Advice Regular
Ok so day 3 of my 55gal tank.
here are my results.
numbers are low across the board...
PH is right where I want it, Ammonia is low but existant, NirtrIte and NitrAtes are not there... I guess I will dose another 2ppm Ammonia and retest tomorrow
Any other suggestions?
here are my results.
numbers are low across the board...
PH is right where I want it, Ammonia is low but existant, NirtrIte and NitrAtes are not there... I guess I will dose another 2ppm Ammonia and retest tomorrow
Any other suggestions?
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just keep doing what you're doing, dose some ammonia and wait.
