3 gallons Ecosystem parameters

[latvian]

Hello everyone,

I have a small 3-gallons aquarium that I am hoping it works like a complete Ecosystem. The aquarium has the following:

- 1 x Guppy
- 1 x Java Fern
- Underground filter
- Substrate level of live gravel with bacteria
- bubble stone
- NO heater

The aquarium has been running for 15 days now and I am feeding the Guppy 2 times a week only and haven't done any water change so far.

As of day #15, the water parameters are as the following:

NO2: 0 ppm
NO3: 0 ppm
pH: 7.5

The question is: Does my aquarium look fully cycled and works as an Ecosystem? Is it advisable to introduce another fish to the aquarium?

Please take a look at the complete parameters values and chart and also a look at the aquarium itself.

Thank you in advance

 

[Delapool]

Hi, nice chart - very interesting work. I'd kind of be surprised if it has cycled yet.

Is your test kit liquid based and also do you have ammonia test at all?

Other thought would be to test your tap so you know what the starting baseline is. From memory ours has maybe 5ppm nitrates.

 

[latvian]

Is your test kit liquid based and also do you have ammonia test at all?

I forgot to mention that I am using strips testing kit which might be not the most accurate ever. The kits tests for NO2, NO3, pH. I think I missed the ammonia totally! I have to get a new and better testing kit.

Other thought would be to test your tap so you know what the starting baseline is. From memory ours has maybe 5ppm nitrates.

I have just tested the tap water and the strips shows:

NO2: 0
NO3: 0
pH: 7.0

75% of the water I used was spring water and the rest was tap water with water conditioner.

Thanks for your answer.

 

[Mebbid]

The problem with strips is that most of them don't test for ammonia. I would take a sample in and have it tested for ammonia asap.

When a tank is new there is a lack of bacteria to use up the ammonia which is highly toxic to fish. If this bacteria was present, you would see a nitrate reading of some sort.

What do you mean by "complete ecosystem="

 

[Delapool]

Recommend API master test kit for freshwater (or similar). Covers ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. Online is pretty cheap and works out much cheaper than strips which as you noted are not the greatest. Your ph trend is interesting (as tank cycles it will tend to lower kh/ph) but this could be inaccurate strips.

Edit - just saw the live rock and wondered what that referred to?

 

[latvian]

What do you mean by "complete ecosystem="

Well, I am hoping to make the aquarium cleans itself without needing to change the water, at least not so often. I was inspired by the following EcoAquarium, which I already have two of them running for 3 months now without changing the water.

Edit - just saw the live rock and wondered what that referred to?

From the same website mentioned above, I bought 3 bags (approx. 3 pounds) of living gravel which is cultured with anaerobic bacteria to use as a bio filter and substrate to this aquarium.


Check the attached photos for my 2 very small African dwarf frogs EcoAquariums.