Issues with 10 gallon fw planted chemistry

[moongoat347]

I have a 10 gallon planted freshwater that is in its 3rd week of a fish-in cycle that is not cycling "normally" per my previous experiences (with larger tanks--I have never set up a 10 gallon, nor have I cycled with a planted tank). I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I would like to be thorough for any advice on how to proceed.

The tank had the normal NH3/NH4+ "spike" to around 1.0 ppm on day 4 and, because I was going to be unable to do a w/c that day due to work, I hastily added a half-tablet of AmmoniaSafe, instead. I performed a 50% w/c the next day and have been performing a 25-50% w/c every day (sometimes several a day) until 3 days ago when I was out of town. I performed a 50% w/c Sunday morning and a 25% w/c Tuesday evening when I returned. Water results using an API Master Test Kit this morning (Wednesday) were:

NH3/NH4 = ~0.25
NO2- = 0
NO3- = 0
High pH = 8.2

With each water change, I have "cut" my tap water with 1/2 gallon DI per 2.5 gallons changed to attempt to lower the pH and soften the water. My tap water is hard, and even after letting water sit out for a day, its pH is ~8.0 (with 0 NH3/NH4+). Having performed ~15 w/c with DI, the water is now on the soft side, but the total alkalinity is still very high (~300).

NH3/NH4+ levels have never risen above 1.0 ppm and have been ~0.25 for most days since the spike. When I do a w/c, I treat the tap water with NutraFin AquaPlus, and I add a small amount of NutraFin Plant Gro for the plants. I used StressZyme during a few w/c at the end of the first week, but have stopped using it after having further read about it. Also, in a spell of absent-mindedness, I accidentally rinsed my filter with tap water instead of changed aquarium water.

I realize that I have more inhabitants than I should for such a small tank (11 total, listed below), however they are all now and have been acting normally and without any obvious signs of distress. I have a 20 gallon unplanted tank I have started in a fishless cycle that could be used in an emergency, but I would prefer not to.

I do not know if having added the AmmoniaSafe early on and rinsing the filter in tap water has disrupted the cycle, or if it is due to this being a planted fish-in cycling tank, but I would appreciate any advice as to what, if anything, needs to be done. I have not had experience with a tank that sustains low levels of NH3/NH4+ with no rise in NO2- by the third week of cycling, especially with one that is overpopulated. I have been feeding very strictly and do not see any leftover food after 5 or so minutes.

The tank contains:
1 wag platy (~1 inch)
2 sunset fire platies (~1 inch)
2 marbled mollies (~1 inch)
2 guppies
4 mystery snails
3 umbrella plants
3 Amazon sword plants
1 Crested Java fern

The tank came with a starter kit including a 100 gph filter, and I have 30W of light on a 12-hour cycle during the day. Water temperature rises and falls with light between 25 and 27 C (~78-81 F).

Many thanks in advance.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi! I don't have a lot of experience overall and zero with planted tanks but I do know that fish-in cycling can take months to complete, mainly b/c of all the water changes needed to keep the fish safe. So given that it's only been a few weeks probably isn't cause for concern. Your pwc and the plants could be keeping the ammonia levels low. The nitrite will show up when it shows up -- again, it could take a while. I don't see anything out of the ordinary but I'm sure someone else with more experience will come along and either confirm or refute what I've said (listen to them if it's different than what I've said lol).

 

[Aspencer]

My first tank was like yours...I just test everyday and when Ammonia or NitrItes got over .25, I did a water change.

Fish will get used to high pH in general. I would not add chemicals unless absolutely necessary and just take care of water parameters with water change.

Your tank seems normal from what I read.

 

[moongoat347]

Thanks for the replies! It's relieving to hear that the tank is not out-of-the-ordinary. I was concerned that it was being artificially maintained and would lead to a huge crash because the water is clear with virtually no odor and I haven't noticed any algae growth (which is new to me and frustrating the snails, no doubt), but I'll continue on with w/c and monitoring in the meantime.

A few other things I was pondering:

Should I consider lowering the temperature of my tank a bit, as it is at the high range for guppies, mollies, and platies? I keep the thermostat in my house programmed between 75 and 78 degrees year round, so the water will always be at least 75, but I don't know if I need to be running fans on the same cycle as the lights to keep it cooled.

Also, should I anticipate CO2 needs of the plants and use an infusion of some sort that might also help with the pH, or should I leave things the way they are and make changes only if the tank needs it? The tank is now moderately planted (I added some Wisteria and Anubias today...this is what happens when I don't have to go work).

Thanks, again!

 

[hippy guy]

Id say only rinse filters in clean, tank water, not tap, it could kill the bacteria you need in there. Just keep an eye on your paremeters, you should be fine

 

[jetajockey]

guppies and other livebearers are fine at around 78. They actually have a pretty wide tolerance temperature wise, so I wouldn't worry about it.

For the 10g you might want to look into DIY Co2.

Looks like you are on top of things, fish-in cycling can be done safely and effectively if you are monitoring levels and doing water changes as needed.

 

[hippy guy]

Can you change too much water? Sorry, just realized I had no idea lol

 

[moongoat347]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. I'm going to play around with setting up a CO2 bubbler using some old homebrewing equipment I haven't been using.

One of my mollies appears to be pregnant, as well, so I'm going to look into a livebirthing chamber and hope that my other fishless tank is near cycled by the time she pops.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

You could also reduce the lighting to 8 hours a day, because thats all plants need. Anymore just encourages algae growth. For the CO2, for the plants you mentioned it isn't absolutely necessary- in fact they'll be fine without it. However, if you want to do a DIY you could. Just be cautious with how much you dose

 

[moongoat347]

Well, I had the ulterior motive of introducing CO2 to also help with the high pH of the system, but I haven't been testing the KH/GH regularly and it appears that the general consensus is to not mess with it at this level. I have been reading various posts and forums, so I have been getting mixed information on the light and CO2 requirements of the plants in the tank, and the only LFSs with knowledgeable staff are not within meandering distance.

I have one plant I know for sure will have a high light requirement (I bought it from Petco as a generically labeled potted freshwater plant) as it has shoots a foot tall with leaves 4-6 inches in length, 1-2 inches in width, and resembling a very large Sword, but I haven't been able to identify it. It might be some type of Cryptocoryne, but I'm not really sure.

At any rate, some of the plants will eventually be moved to my other tank--I have just been using them to try to minimize/avoid an algae problem while this tank is cycling and before the snails realize they're edible. I'll cut back on the light and save myself some trouble, though.

Thanks, again, for the help.