tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Yeah that is true, very good point! have to see how things go but I'll keep this page updated with whats going on with it!
35 Litre (roughly 10 US Gallon) Betta tank - Betta advice needed!
- Thread starter tinkster87
- Start date
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Yeah that is true, very good point! have to see how things go but I'll keep this page updated with whats going on with it!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Safestart added...
Lfs gave complete refund on vase and rocks - they were not very happy that this happened so apologetic.
So now hav to hunt for new decorations!
Will check results again in 4 hrs
Lfs gave complete refund on vase and rocks - they were not very happy that this happened so apologetic.
So now hav to hunt for new decorations!
Will check results again in 4 hrs
BettaKing
Aquarium Advice Activist
SafeStart cycled my tank! As eco said always be careful with these products that claim to cycle your tank. But SafeStart is awesome!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Cheers BettaKing. Ill def keep eye on it. Hope it works for me also, how long did it take on ur tanks?
BettaKing
Aquarium Advice Activist
About a week and a 1/2 to 2 weeks. I was reeeaaaalllyy careful, and it worked great!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Cool did u hav fish in straight away or use ammonia?
BettaKing
Aquarium Advice Activist
Well I added fish food for ammonia. I probably did everything wrong lol, just glad it worked! I didn't add the fish in, even though your supposed to. As I said I probably did everything wrong!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Nah worries cool cheers. Im using ammonia until Sunday... All going well with levels etc then will get fish
BettaKing
Aquarium Advice Activist
Best of luck! 
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Sorry to bother you again BettaKing... just to pick your brains how long did it take for the Safestart to start to and noticeably reduce the ammo level?
Also did you put Aquasafe (or alternative product) in the water just before adding safestart or 24hrs before?
Sorry to keep bothering you!
Also did you put Aquasafe (or alternative product) in the water just before adding safestart or 24hrs before?
Sorry to keep bothering you!
BettaKing
Aquarium Advice Activist
I use Prime. Well I don't have a test kit, but I made frequent trips to the pet store to have it tested. As I said it took about a week and a half and my parameters were perfect! And your not bothering me
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Cheers!
Its just I put the safestart in yesterday and woke up today thought crap! I should have done a major wc first as I have loads of nitrates and should get rid of them first, so went home lunch time today and have done bout 90% wc and put aquasafe in there but think I then have to wait another 24hrs then put safestart in as aquasafe might bugger it up!
Its just I put the safestart in yesterday and woke up today thought crap! I should have done a major wc first as I have loads of nitrates and should get rid of them first, so went home lunch time today and have done bout 90% wc and put aquasafe in there but think I then have to wait another 24hrs then put safestart in as aquasafe might bugger it up!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Ive done a few large wc changes in hope to bring my nitrates down which it has done but its still over 10ppm... so I did test on water in bucket (with aquasafe) and water straight out of the tap and it appears my water comes straight out of the tap with nitrates around little higher than 10ppm - should I worry about this?
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
No, 10ppm is not a big deal. Even up to 40ppm isn't a big deal, it's just not ideal.
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
OK Thanks!
I was planning on doing 1 wc of 25% a week but now I might do 2 x 20% wc just to make it a bit better water condition.
Thanks again!
I was planning on doing 1 wc of 25% a week but now I might do 2 x 20% wc just to make it a bit better water condition.
Thanks again!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Right... after doing multiple large wcs to bring the Nitrates down in order of getting fish (hoping safestart does it job - can't really do a big wc straight after adding safestart) I will be adding the safestart tonight and hoping it can get cracking on the little bit of ammonia (just above 1ppm) in the tank by Sunday (and hopefully another bigger dose as well), as all other things with the cycle is brilliant just the ammonia will never vanish quickly!!! even though the Nitrites spiked above 5ppm and now down to 0!
Now have to keep being patient and see if it works... quickly, if not then another delay!
Now have to keep being patient and see if it works... quickly, if not then another delay!
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
UPDATE:
OK things still are not brilliant!
IMO Safestart hasn't done a bloody thing! almost 2 weeks since adding it.
So the tank has been cycling for 6 weeks tomorrow now and still the ammo just will not go away!!!
I got my fishies 13 days ago, and have used 1 x 100ml safestart and 1 x 250ml safestart and it has not reduced the Ammo at all, though I now have brown algae patches appearing on the glass and gravel etc. I am doing daily wc's to keep the ammo under 0.25ppm, Nitrites have stayed dead on 0 (this spiked when fishless cycling ages ago), Nitrates are 10ppm upwards yet my ammo still just doesn't go down, Im going insane from the wc's!!! I have emailed my lfs to see what they say but I am just running out of ideas while by Ammonia eating bacteria suck! my pH is still normal btw
OK things still are not brilliant!
IMO Safestart hasn't done a bloody thing! almost 2 weeks since adding it.
So the tank has been cycling for 6 weeks tomorrow now and still the ammo just will not go away!!!
I got my fishies 13 days ago, and have used 1 x 100ml safestart and 1 x 250ml safestart and it has not reduced the Ammo at all, though I now have brown algae patches appearing on the glass and gravel etc. I am doing daily wc's to keep the ammo under 0.25ppm, Nitrites have stayed dead on 0 (this spiked when fishless cycling ages ago), Nitrates are 10ppm upwards yet my ammo still just doesn't go down, Im going insane from the wc's!!! I have emailed my lfs to see what they say but I am just running out of ideas while by Ammonia eating bacteria suck! my pH is still normal btw
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just to update the thread a bit, we've been PM'ing to get some more info. I know the tap water has 0 ammo, 0 no2 and +10 no3, and that the ammo is climbing up to .5 in a very short period of time.
First thing I'd do is use that new gravel vac and do a good cleaning of the substrate. There's a bit of bacteria in there, but I'd much rather get out leftover food and any bits of that pot that flaked apart in case that could be a cause.
After you added the SafeStart...did you stock the tank straight away, or did you continue to cycle with the pure ammo?
The two variables to me are the broken flower pot that was flaking away, and the SafeStart. If it was another brand, I'd instantly blame the cycling product...but I've never personally heard of bio-filter crashes with that product (only inconsistent results of it actually helping or not.)
My main priority now would be to keep on top of the water changes (luckily it's only a 10 gallon), get yourself some Seachem Prime (if you can find it) to use as your water conditioner, and go on a city wide search for seeding material. The only 100% proven thing for instantly curing ammo spikes is a nice, big, dirty piece of filter media from an established tank.
I'd let someone else chip in on this...but since you've already added SafeStart...who knows, maybe dump another bottle in? Bottled bacteria is not one of my specialties...but I personally wouldn't see the harm in adding in more at this point since it's already been used in the tank previously.
First thing I'd do is use that new gravel vac and do a good cleaning of the substrate. There's a bit of bacteria in there, but I'd much rather get out leftover food and any bits of that pot that flaked apart in case that could be a cause.
After you added the SafeStart...did you stock the tank straight away, or did you continue to cycle with the pure ammo?
The two variables to me are the broken flower pot that was flaking away, and the SafeStart. If it was another brand, I'd instantly blame the cycling product...but I've never personally heard of bio-filter crashes with that product (only inconsistent results of it actually helping or not.)
My main priority now would be to keep on top of the water changes (luckily it's only a 10 gallon), get yourself some Seachem Prime (if you can find it) to use as your water conditioner, and go on a city wide search for seeding material. The only 100% proven thing for instantly curing ammo spikes is a nice, big, dirty piece of filter media from an established tank.
I'd let someone else chip in on this...but since you've already added SafeStart...who knows, maybe dump another bottle in? Bottled bacteria is not one of my specialties...but I personally wouldn't see the harm in adding in more at this point since it's already been used in the tank previously.
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tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
Was Tetra safestart only no different type used.
Seeded sponge filter now added, gravel vacuumed, and my filter rinsed out with tank water
Seeded sponge filter now added, gravel vacuumed, and my filter rinsed out with tank water
tinkster87
Aquarium Advice Activist
It appears Bruno (fighting fish) has fin rot so going out at lunch to to my local pet store to get some treatment for it poor bruno!!!
Also note on the ammonia it still is not going down
shall I give up now? it getting me so angry, im trying everything possible, everything.... yet it just isn't getting any better!
poor bruno!!!Also note on the ammonia it still is not going down
shall I give up now? it getting me so angry, im trying everything possible, everything.... yet it just isn't getting any better!
