What Would You Do? Help?

[jmpgop]

Okay - I have posted a couple of times that my 72 gallon is ready to go after starting a fishless cycle on like Feb 1st/2nd (I tracked in Excel spreadsheet exactly what I did each day according to the almost complete guide to fishless cycle from here). Today I did my water changes to get the trates down. (I did a 90% change and then 2 partials using Kent dechlorinator).

I have .50 ammonia that comes right out of my tap. I waited 2 hours after my last PWC and tested. Trates are down to 40 (from like 160 ish) so that's good. But I can see a slight green hue on the ammonia and a slight darker turquoise on the trites with the API kit. I wouldn't say a full .25 on the ammonia or the trites. But leaning in that direction.

I planned on adding my angel fish and my gourami from my 36 gallon tonight. It's been 2 hours since my last test. Should I test again? Add my fish tonight if Okay... Or wait until the AM and test and if Okay add my fish?

And if some slight ammonia & trites are showing up - well... I'm gun shy.

(in closing I dosed to 4ppm 3 days in a row and the the trites and ammonia were gone in 24hours... Which is why I water changed today - I removed no seeded media and added a fake plant and an ornament from my other tank) Nothing but good...

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Janelle

 

[librarygirl]

Two hours is probably not enough time for the bacteria to convert it. You probably tested as it was being converted which is why you saw some nitrite as well. YOu could do a very large water change tonight and add fish if you wanted. Or you could play it safe and wait until tomorrow to test and do a pwc if nitrates are still high (you ideally want them as low as you can get them before you put fish in) and then add the fish.

 

[Stefernini]

I'd wait til tomorrow and test again, I wouldn't trust the ammo and nitrites. I would also do another big water change tonight or tomorrow to get your nitrates down some more. I'd get them at least below 20 if not more.

I only recently cycled a tank and had to wait a few more days than I thought I would because of high nitrates as well. I had to do two 90% and a 50% to get mine below 20 initially. I did another about 40% just to be safe before I put fish in.

 

[jmpgop]

My trates are the same level as my 36 gallon. 40 is as low as I can ever get them (even with that tank doing 2-3 water changes and gravel vacuums per week... sad...)

But I will take your advice and do another 50%. Should I gravel vacuum or no...?? The trates aren't in the water, right? the 90% water change virtually did nothing to the trates. I gravel vacuumed on the 2nd change and that is when they came down to 40. The 3rd water change with no gravel vacuum kept them at 40. I hate to suck out the good stuff!
Janelle

 

[Stefernini]

I think the nitrates are in the water. I haven't done any gravel vacs at all yet (too worried about bringing up plants, and not enough waste to worry about yet anyway).

That's really odd you can't get them below 40, have you tested your tap water?

 

[jmpgop]

Yeah I have tested the tap. I wonder if I can't get them below 40ppm because of the ammonia coming straight from the tap? But there are NO trates or trites in the tap water. High ph (8.4) and .50 ammonia.

I was killing myself trying to get the trates in the 36 gallon lower and for like 2 weeks I water changed almost every other day, not lower than 40. Yesterday AND today I did a vacuum and water change - and guess what...? 40ppm? I rinse my filters in tank water only, I have removed the biowheels from the penguins - and still 40ppm...

I finally decided that steady is good?

 

[jmpgop]

(oh - might I add that my trates are 40 in both of my 10 gallon tanks always also???)

 

[boadams87]

Yeah I have tested the tap. I wonder if I can't get them below 40ppm because of the ammonia coming straight from the tap? But there are NO trates or trites in the tap water. High ph (8.4) and .50 ammonia.

I was killing myself trying to get the trates in the 36 gallon lower and for like 2 weeks I water changed almost every other day, not lower than 40. Yesterday AND today I did a vacuum and water change - and guess what...? 40ppm? I rinse my filters in tank water only, I have removed the biowheels from the penguins - and still 40ppm...

I finally decided that steady is good?

Why remove the bio wheel? Bacteria grow here to!

 

[jmpgop]

IMHO - it was BAD bacteria... They collected a bunch of gunk...

I'm so happy I took those stupid biowheels out of my filters in my 36 gallon... Phew...

Plenty of good bacteria in an established tank and established filter media!

(I have two of these penguin 200s, and I removed the wheels one at a time over the period of a month).

!!!!!!

 

[jmpgop]

Oh & the biowheels are also now being used to seed my 72 gallon tank after they were rinsed with tank water. They came in useful for sure!

 

[boadams87]

IMHO - it was BAD bacteria... They collected a bunch of gunk...

I'm so happy I took those stupid biowheels out of my filters in my 36 gallon... Phew...

Plenty of good bacteria in an established tank and established filter media!

(I have two of these penguin 200s, and I removed the wheels one at a time over the period of a month).

!!!!!!

Mine are slimy but not alot of gunk on them.

 

[jmpgop]

They were disgusting.... And really noisy on top of that.

I'm about to install a Fluval G3 on that tank in addition to one of the penguins taking the other out (no room for all of it back there).

 

[boadams87]

They were disgusting.... And really noisy on top of that.

I'm about to install a Fluval G3 on that tank in addition to one of the penguins taking the other out (no room for all of it back there).

I've got a fx5 on mine along with the hob

 

[jmpgop]

I have the FX5 on my 72 gallon that is just done cycling - what size tank do you have? That's a ton of filtration! Wow...

 

[boadams87]

I have the FX5 on my 72 gallon that is just done cycling - what size tank do you have? That's a ton of filtration! Wow...

I have a 150 gal. Love my water to sparkle!!!!!

 

[jmpgop]

I bet it does!

 

[boadams87]

I bet it does!

It does but something strange is going on and I can't figure out what it is. Its like once I added the fx5 it started to mini cycle and haven't figured out why.

 

[boadams87]

I bet it does!

It really does.

 

[jmpgop]

the FX 5 is rated high for filtration - perhaps it is pulling far more than the HOB and causing that to happen??? I worry about that for adding the G3 to the 36 with 1 penguin???

 

[boadams87]

the FX 5 is rated high for filtration - perhaps it is pulling far more than the HOB and causing that to happen??? I worry about that for adding the G3 to the 36 with 1 penguin???

That's what im thinking too. Im keeping an eye and doing frequent wc.