WayBel2004
Aquarium Advice Regular
I purchased my Chlorine test strips at Petsmart.
Ammonia, what a pain
- Thread starter WendiDell
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
Unfortunately, We live in a small town with a very small Petsmart. They don't carry much in the way of fish supplies. It's all farm country here, Cows, horses, dogs, barn cats and ferrets mostly. I have to drive 3 towns over to get to a decent Fish store. They are pretty small too, but they do order things for me over the phone, so I only have to make one trip to pick it up. So online is usually easier and less expensive for me.
WayBel2004
Aquarium Advice Regular
Wow. I don't know what I would do without my LFS. We have 3 within 10 minutes of my house.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
Our LFS personal aren't very knowledgeable, so going 3 towns over where the owner of the store loves fish more than I do isn't so bad. And he does know quit a lot about fish. He hasn't steered me wrong yet and that says a lot. It's not easy to find a truly smart LFS person.
But, now I have AA to talk with before I buy what I don't need online.
I have made some purchases that turned out bad. Like Under gravel filters, yuck. I bought one for both 55 gl tanks and my 10gl tank. They caused more water problems than they fixed. I thought it would keep the gravel cleaner, not, it just gave all the tank gunk a place to hide where I couldn't reach it with a vacuum/water changer. Now they are sitting in a closet taking up space, with the other thing I didn't need.
From now on I'm going to ask in AA before I buy online. I might even save some money that way.
But, now I have AA to talk with before I buy what I don't need online.
I have made some purchases that turned out bad. Like Under gravel filters, yuck. I bought one for both 55 gl tanks and my 10gl tank. They caused more water problems than they fixed. I thought it would keep the gravel cleaner, not, it just gave all the tank gunk a place to hide where I couldn't reach it with a vacuum/water changer. Now they are sitting in a closet taking up space, with the other thing I didn't need.
From now on I'm going to ask in AA before I buy online. I might even save some money that way.
WayBel2004
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm so glad I found this site. Someone always has advice for you.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
We live in town so we are on city water. Everyone five paces out of town are on well water. And some of the well water around here isn't very good. It would be nice if I had better water to start with.
But for the first time ever my tanks tested positive for Nitrites. Unfortunately I've misplaced (or it was moved for me) the card that tells me what the colors mean.
Our first tank is in my grandsons room. The fish originally were for him and somehow ended up being my responsibility. The newer tank is in the living room. So I'm running back and forth changing water and adding dechlorinator and salt to replace what I vacuum out and feeding and doing head counts everyday. It would be easier if they were in the same room.
The color chart will turn up tomorrow.
But for the first time ever my tanks tested positive for Nitrites. Unfortunately I've misplaced (or it was moved for me) the card that tells me what the colors mean.
Our first tank is in my grandsons room. The fish originally were for him and somehow ended up being my responsibility. The newer tank is in the living room. So I'm running back and forth changing water and adding dechlorinator and salt to replace what I vacuum out and feeding and doing head counts everyday. It would be easier if they were in the same room.
The color chart will turn up tomorrow.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm really glad I found this site too. It's been so helpful already and I've only been a member for 5 days.
Thank you everyone on AA. Although I feel like I'm at a meeting every time I type AA.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have an ammonia problem in both of my 55 gallon tanks. Since it is in both it must be something I'm doing, but I don't know what.
There aren't any nitrates or nitrites from over feeding. I only have 5 fish in one of the tanks, so I don't think it's overcrowding.
I have 2 filters on both tanks 1 is the Magnum Canister and the other is the Emperor 400, so there is adequate filtering.
Does anyone have a suggestions?
I'm really getting tired of doing water changes every other day, it's exhausting. But if I don't change the water at least every other day, by the 3rd day the ammonia level is 2.0ppm or higher.
I'll take any advice at all, I don't care how out there it may sound. This has been going on for 2 months and I'm at a loss as to what else I can do.
HELP
I have an update on my ammonia problems.
Turns out I was cleaning my filters to much and now I have both Nitrates and Nitrites in my Cichlid tank.
My Tinfoil Barb tank is still not cycling, but I have hope.
The bad news is my grandson to the color chart from the master kit so I can't tell what the colors mean. I hate the idea of buying another kit just for the chart, but it's not like I'll never use the test kit. I'd eventually run out of test drops.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
ejaramillo01
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm pretty sure that if you check in the internet under API you will find a chart in the internet with the colors for each test kit.
The challenge is to have a good color printer....
Also if you contact them true email to the costumer service, maybe they can help you... I contacted them for other reasons in the past and they have been really helpful.
The challenge is to have a good color printer....
Also if you contact them true email to the costumer service, maybe they can help you... I contacted them for other reasons in the past and they have been really helpful.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for the chart info. I will check out API online. And fortunately I do have a good printer with fairly new cartridges. So it shouldn't be a problem
I would not trust an at home printer to print those charts, I've seen significant differences between APIs master charts and individual charts so now I only trust the individual charts.
Assuming it doesn't take you ages to go through one kit (unlikely given that you have 2 tanks) IMO, it's best to get that extra kit (which you will use eventually).
Assuming it doesn't take you ages to go through one kit (unlikely given that you have 2 tanks) IMO, it's best to get that extra kit (which you will use eventually).
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
I wasn't able to find a color chart online so I purchased another Master kit at Petco. If I had more time I could have gotten another kit from BigAlsonline.com for $19.99. But I needed it fast so I went to the only fish store in 25 square miles (Petco) that carried Master kits and paid $31.99 for it. From now on I'll make sure I leave enough time to order online given the price difference.
So far only one of my 55 gallon tanks has started to cycle. But it is just starting to get Nitrites.The other 55 gallon tank is still showing 0 Nitrites, 0 Nitrates. Same with my !0 gallon QT and my 5 gallon Hosp. tank. 0 Nitrites, and 0 Nitrates.I'm still waiting for them to start to cycle.
For now to keep the ammonia at .25ppm or lower I'm doing 30% PWC twice a day. It's a pain but I don't want my fish to get sick while this cycling stuff is going on.
So far only one of my 55 gallon tanks has started to cycle. But it is just starting to get Nitrites.The other 55 gallon tank is still showing 0 Nitrites, 0 Nitrates. Same with my !0 gallon QT and my 5 gallon Hosp. tank. 0 Nitrites, and 0 Nitrates.I'm still waiting for them to start to cycle.
For now to keep the ammonia at .25ppm or lower I'm doing 30% PWC twice a day. It's a pain but I don't want my fish to get sick while this cycling stuff is going on.
ejaramillo01
Aquarium Advice Addict
Keep up, for the 55G tanks will take maybe longer, but your PWC will help the fish.
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WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for the pep talk, it's discouraging sometimes to work so much and see zero changes.
But I will definitely keep up the PWC until I get results.
WayBel2004
Aquarium Advice Regular
It is frustrating but so worth it in the end. Good Luck!
marchmaxima
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ah, so many of us started right here. Doing what you're doing now.
Think of it as a rite of passage You're doing great.
Prime is some of the best stuff out there and it would take me some convincing to make me change. Fill your bucket, dose with Prime and give the water a good swish and let it stand for a minute. That's all you need to rid yourself yourself of chlorine. So many ppl here have a hose going from tap to tank and add Prime as they go. So, there's probably no need to worry yourself with chlorine tests if you're using Prime as directed on the bottle. And the test strips are (generally) so bad, you're probably getting false readings anyway.
Think of it as a rite of passage
You're doing great. Prime is some of the best stuff out there and it would take me some convincing to make me change. Fill your bucket, dose with Prime and give the water a good swish and let it stand for a minute. That's all you need to rid yourself yourself of chlorine. So many ppl here have a hose going from tap to tank and add Prime as they go. So, there's probably no need to worry yourself with chlorine tests if you're using Prime as directed on the bottle. And the test strips are (generally) so bad, you're probably getting false readings anyway.
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