Admins: Feel free to merge this with my "questions" post from last week.
Saturday July 23rd
I bought a starter 37g tank from Petsmart, their Topfin brand, that came with a 200w heater, a powerfilter 40, and some sample conditioners and food. Based on advice I read in these forums, I added a master test kit and a Python, an air compressor with an airstone and a bubble wall, some plastic plants, live plants, ornaments for fish hiding spots and lastly my son chose a SpongeBob Pineapple undersea dwelling!
We'll probably start with some Platies once the water is ready.
We did some initial tests and found 0.25 Ammonia, 7.8 Ph, no tests for Nitrite or Nitrates. Why did I have 0.25 ammonia? I don't know, I tested my tap water and it was 0.0. Maybe something in the plants or a residue in something else?
1 day after the initial setup I added 2 live plants and put in about a half cup of crushed coral as a stabilizing buffering agent for the PH.
Then I had a to wait a few days while I found the right kind of ammonia. Finally on Thursday the 28th I found the Ace Janitors ammonia and added it in (calculator suggested about 6.2ml).
I got a 5.0 reading and normal PH.
Sat, July 30th, I visited the same PetSmart where I bought the tank and convinced the guy there to give me some gravel from a tank. he gave me a double handful from a tank that had some healthy looking fry in it.
I suffered the embarrassment of purchasing knee high stockings at the supermarket and put the PetSmart gravel in the stocking, tied it off and shoved it into the filter compartment right next to the filter media.
A reading later that day gave me 5.0 ammonia and a spiked Ph of 8.4!
Sunday, July 31
I worried, but I had 5.0 Ammonia and Ph of 7.4.
I'm now patiently waiting to see when the NH3 will drop.
My only concern is that my water level is dropping about a half inch per day due to evaporation I think. The heater is cranked up, temps around 86F. Should I think about a PWC before I see ammonia drop?
Saturday July 23rd
I bought a starter 37g tank from Petsmart, their Topfin brand, that came with a 200w heater, a powerfilter 40, and some sample conditioners and food. Based on advice I read in these forums, I added a master test kit and a Python, an air compressor with an airstone and a bubble wall, some plastic plants, live plants, ornaments for fish hiding spots and lastly my son chose a SpongeBob Pineapple undersea dwelling!
We'll probably start with some Platies once the water is ready.
We did some initial tests and found 0.25 Ammonia, 7.8 Ph, no tests for Nitrite or Nitrates. Why did I have 0.25 ammonia? I don't know, I tested my tap water and it was 0.0. Maybe something in the plants or a residue in something else?
1 day after the initial setup I added 2 live plants and put in about a half cup of crushed coral as a stabilizing buffering agent for the PH.
Then I had a to wait a few days while I found the right kind of ammonia. Finally on Thursday the 28th I found the Ace Janitors ammonia and added it in (calculator suggested about 6.2ml).
I got a 5.0 reading and normal PH.
Sat, July 30th, I visited the same PetSmart where I bought the tank and convinced the guy there to give me some gravel from a tank. he gave me a double handful from a tank that had some healthy looking fry in it.
I suffered the embarrassment of purchasing knee high stockings at the supermarket and put the PetSmart gravel in the stocking, tied it off and shoved it into the filter compartment right next to the filter media.
A reading later that day gave me 5.0 ammonia and a spiked Ph of 8.4!
Sunday, July 31
I worried, but I had 5.0 Ammonia and Ph of 7.4.
I'm now patiently waiting to see when the NH3 will drop.
My only concern is that my water level is dropping about a half inch per day due to evaporation I think. The heater is cranked up, temps around 86F. Should I think about a PWC before I see ammonia drop?