First proper set up.

[wilmo]

Hey. Just bought an api test kit. And have my first readings.
Ph -7.6
Ammonia - 2ppm
Nitrite - 2ppm

And was wondering if they seem ok.

Cheers

 

[itsgracia]

Hi!

Do you have fish in the aquarium?

If you DO NOT have fish then that is an ok reading. I will even try to get the ammonia up to maybe 3-4 ppm.

If you DO have fish then NO that is not ok. Ammonia and Nitrite level should not go above 0.25ppm if there is fish in there because it can kill them. Immediate PWC (partial water change) of about 50%, check levels again, and if it's stil above 0.25, do another 50%, and so on. Also make sure to use a dechlorinator (I'm not sure if you know this already..don't mean to offend you or anything) like Prime or something similar.

 

[wilmo]

No I don't I made a common rookie error. Didn't know about cycling till today. How will I get my ammonia level up cause I can't get my hands on ammonia.

 

[trackfast]

Raw shrimp or some fish food into the tank; either will break down and become your ammonia source.

 

[itsgracia]

+1 trackfast

Good job on not putting fish and learning about cycling. Trust me it's a lot faster and less stressful to cycle without fish. Just be careful not to over do the shrimp/fish food because high levels of ammonia or nitrite can stall your cycle. Just try not to go over 5 ppm (3-4 is ideal). Also no water changes is needed unless you go over the 5 ppm. You can also crank up the heat a little, this will speed up building bacteria. Everytime your ammonia goes down below 1 ppm, feed the bacteria something. Once your ammonia and nitrite is down to 0 and consistantly doing so in a couple of days, do a massive water change (50%+) and then you are ready for fish.

Good luck!

 

[wilmo]

Will it go to zero on it's own. Eventually that is.

 

[Slade]

Ammonia & Nitrites will go down when the cycle completes, but Nitrates go up, so you need periodic PWC. Once they both go down and you have the Nitrate level under control, either add fish or continue with an ammonia source to keep the BB alive.