Coco1019
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2012
- Messages
- 251
You all have been such a help with my questions on my 10, I was hoping you might be able to advise me what to do for my non-planted 29. I have a whole thread, but don't want you to have to dig through it so I'll give the basics. Temp for this whole period has been 78 and I did have 9 guppies, 1 died a week later due to getting crushed between a sponge and the glass. They are fed small pinch of flakes in the morning and evening. Lights are on 8-10 hours a day,
On the 14th I started a fish-in cycle (this was after buying fish and then finding out about cycling when my fish got sick), tested and got:
pH - 7.6 (tap is 7.0)
Ammonia - .50ppm (tap has 0)
Nitrite - 0-.25ppm (the color was between the two)
Nitrate - 0
I was told to do a 50% water change and did. They (the helpful people on my thread) said to do at least 50% every time I saw ammonia of .25-.50.
10/15 - ammonia dropped to .25 and ites and ates were 0. Also added an airstone.
I was told about active sponges from Angels Plus and ordered one. Installed it on the 18th.
Parameters have basically never changed. The pH has settled at 7.4, ammonia .25, nitrites and nitrates 0. I do water changes every day usually 25% unless I'm getting into the gravel cleaning and it ends up around 50%. I have only skipped one day and when I did the ammonia went up to .50 from .25.
I have been advised to gradually increase my temp 2-4 degrees, but my heater sucks. It's not the kind that has the numbers, you just turn it and hope for the best. The next little twist I do increases it too much, too quickly to 86. I tried it when the tank was empty.
So we are on day 22 and no nitrites at all. Perfectly sky blue. I know it takes a while and I need to be patient, but when should I see some type of change?
On the 14th I started a fish-in cycle (this was after buying fish and then finding out about cycling when my fish got sick), tested and got:
pH - 7.6 (tap is 7.0)
Ammonia - .50ppm (tap has 0)
Nitrite - 0-.25ppm (the color was between the two)
Nitrate - 0
I was told to do a 50% water change and did. They (the helpful people on my thread) said to do at least 50% every time I saw ammonia of .25-.50.
10/15 - ammonia dropped to .25 and ites and ates were 0. Also added an airstone.
I was told about active sponges from Angels Plus and ordered one. Installed it on the 18th.
Parameters have basically never changed. The pH has settled at 7.4, ammonia .25, nitrites and nitrates 0. I do water changes every day usually 25% unless I'm getting into the gravel cleaning and it ends up around 50%. I have only skipped one day and when I did the ammonia went up to .50 from .25.
I have been advised to gradually increase my temp 2-4 degrees, but my heater sucks. It's not the kind that has the numbers, you just turn it and hope for the best. The next little twist I do increases it too much, too quickly to 86. I tried it when the tank was empty.
So we are on day 22 and no nitrites at all. Perfectly sky blue. I know it takes a while and I need to be patient, but when should I see some type of change?