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Well, if you cannot find a source of ammonia and shrimp is not an option, you can use fish food to create a source of ammonia. Just put some food in the tank and, as it decays, ammonia will be created. It will obviously take longer than using pure ammonia, but it will work. Alternately, you...

To add to this - though I've not had any problems requiring that I contact them, I've heard nothing but good things about BML's customer service both before and after the sale.

I also use a Python and absolutely love it. Best money I ever spent on my tank. I keep a spare glass thermometer handy so that when I'm refilling the tank I can get the water temp correct (or, pretty close) out of the faucet before pumping it to the tank.

I'd say: ammonia = .5 nitrite - 0 nitrate = 10 I'd agree with you that the pH seems about 8.4, but I always have trouble with the API pH test colors.

I have the 6300K (Dutch Planted) and am very pleased with it. I don't have all the same plants you do, but I do have the Amazon Sword, Cryptocoryne Wendtii, and Water Wisteria. To my eye, the presentation is very nice under this light. Importantly, and as compared to some previous fixtures...

You can add columns at will (I.E., duplicate the ones that are there already so you can add data for multiple tanks). However, if you do, you'll need to adjust the name assignments for each column so that the chart renders correctly. This method would require the most work, but would keep all...

You are correct. :thumb:

Personally, I choose the auto-feeder method as I'm not comfortable leaving my fish without food for that long of a period. However, I've read plenty of opinions holding that the fish will be fine for that period (or even longer). However, every aquarium is different, so you may want to...

BuildmyLED.com is not a do-it-yourself thing. They build the fixture (very well, I might add). They also have lots of information about lighting and PAR (for LED lighting, watts are a useless measure of useful lighting. Instead, you must look at PAR values to determine how much light the...

I agree with Ddodad. Since you're just starting, you're better off dealing with it now when it's still relatively easy by emptying the water and properly rinsing the sand. If you don't, the cloudiness will eventually settle, but it may kick back up every time you vacuum the sand or even just...

Oh, wow...you can't beat that deal!

Lol! Well, ya gotta keep the wife happy! :thumb:

A few Nerite Snails would do the trick without much impact on bio-load.

Yeah, got confused there for a second. :lol:

Nope, that's my point...in my case, the nitrates showed up first briefly, then disappeared. That happened right before nitrites showed up. As the nitrite phase ended, nitrates showed back up as they are supposed to.

I saw a nitrate "spike" in my fishless cycle before my ammo started going down. It stayed about 20-30 ppm and disappeared as nitrites showed up. Then, nitrates stayed at zero until the end of the nitrite phase. So, I'd say what you're seeing, while perhaps not common, isn't abnormal.

I have one, so I'm probably somewhat biased, but I'd say the 2213 is a good choice. The flow rate wouldn't concern me, so I'd suggest sticking with the 2213 versus the 2211, particularly as they're fairly comparable in cost (from what I've seen). Plus, it's always better to have more...

The Eheim 2213 probably is overkill for a 16 gallon tank, but not in terms of the flow it will create. Although 116 GPH sounds like a lot, it really doesn't create all that much current when it's coming out of a spray bar. However, I'm not sure the spray bar or suction tube will fit in your...

Patience is key. It took my most recent tank almost 60 days to fishless cycle. 29 days for ammo to be consumed, 9 more days for nitrite to show up, and then 21 more days for nitrite to be consumed and nitrates to appear.

Every tank is different and every tank will cycle in it's own time. It took my most recent tank almost 60 days to fishless cycle. 29 days for ammo to be consumed, 9 days for nitrite to show up, and then 21 more day for nitrite to be consumed and nitrates to appear.

Sand is fine. "Silica sand" is likely a reference to what most people here call pool filter sand and there are no chemicals in it. You'll want to rinse it thoroughly, though. I'd put it in a bucket (say, 5 pounds at a time) and swish it around with a hose until the water runs clear.

It depends. If you don't have sufficient surface agitation, an airstone can help as all the bubbles cause the surface to break up. You can accomplish the same thing by using a filter that directs some (or all) of the outflow to the surface (such as a powerhead). Biowheel filters create a...

It really depends on what your goals are. Do you want a high-light, high-tech tank, or are you content with lower light plants? Are you looking at staying with LED fixtures, or would traditional fluorescent tubes be ok? Most importantly, how much are you willing to spend? Sticking with what...

As an additional point, if you are going to dose Excel at those levels, it can get expensive. An alternative is to switch to Metricide 14. Both Excel and Metricide are the same thing - glutaraldehyde. Metricide 14 is approximately twice as concentrated as Excel, though. As such, you'll want...

I agree with BillBug. A blackout may get rid of the current algae, but does not address the problem. Since you're dosing ferts and injecting CO2, the problem is an imbalance of something. Your task is to figure out what. Nitrate or phosphate is a good place to start. I also agree with...