cowgrlw
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi everyone!
I'm a very new aquarist (I love that term!). I'm fishless cycling a 29 gallon tank with pure ammonia, and I've been at this for just over 3 weeks (since July 14). The heater has kept the tank temp at 82F, air bubbler wand is on, plastic plants and rocks are in, no substrate. I've been reading and researching a ton about the *right* way to start a tank, the problems, etc., but I'm finding a lot of conflicting information. I started with no ammonia and two frozen cooked shrimp. But that got pretty reeky in just a few days, so I bought some pure ammonia and switched to using that. I've also researched and gone to see (drool over) the types of fish I want and I've been very patiently waiting for the tank to cycle.
I have an API Master Test Kit that I've been keeping track of my numbers with. For the past five days, the ammonia has been dropping. The nitrites went up to over 5.0 ppm 4 days ago and stayed there for 3 days. Yesterday, the nitrites had dropped to less than 2.0 and today they are at 0. The ammonia has been dropping to 0.25 or less by morning for the past 5 days and I've been dosing it up to just over 4.0 ppm with pure ammonia each morning. Yesterday, the ammonia was gone within 12 hours, so I dosed it a second time (not sure that was a good idea). Today, the nitrites are 0, ammonia nearly 0, so I'm getting there -- I think.
I've been testing for nitrates for the past five days, too. It started at 1.0 ppm and has gone up very slowly to 5.0 ppm after 4 days, but hasn't budged since. I tried the banging-the-bottle-on-the-table-and-shaking-the-bottle thing with Nitrate bottle #2, but it didn't change the results.
Is that normal for the nitrates to stay so low? I thought they should have spiked by now? Should I continue to dose with ammonia and wait until the nitrates spike? Or is the tank ready for fish now and it's time to do a water change?
I've read that I should do a 50% water change, that I *shouldn't* do a water change, that I should keep dosing ammonia once a day, that I should dose ammonia twice a day, that I *shouldn't* dose ammonia at all. I'm SO confused! But I can't find any info on low nitrates, at all, and I'm worried that I've lost my good bacteria after all this effort. But I hope I'm still heading down the right path and that, just maybe, I'm in better shape than I think I am. Can anyone offer any advice?
I was also wondering about the bubbler tube. It's covered in clear slime that has started to get black spots under it. Is this a good or bad thing?
Thanks in advance for any advice/encouragement/help. I could sure use some right about now.
Wendy
I'm a very new aquarist (I love that term!). I'm fishless cycling a 29 gallon tank with pure ammonia, and I've been at this for just over 3 weeks (since July 14). The heater has kept the tank temp at 82F, air bubbler wand is on, plastic plants and rocks are in, no substrate. I've been reading and researching a ton about the *right* way to start a tank, the problems, etc., but I'm finding a lot of conflicting information. I started with no ammonia and two frozen cooked shrimp. But that got pretty reeky in just a few days, so I bought some pure ammonia and switched to using that. I've also researched and gone to see (drool over) the types of fish I want and I've been very patiently waiting for the tank to cycle.
I have an API Master Test Kit that I've been keeping track of my numbers with. For the past five days, the ammonia has been dropping. The nitrites went up to over 5.0 ppm 4 days ago and stayed there for 3 days. Yesterday, the nitrites had dropped to less than 2.0 and today they are at 0. The ammonia has been dropping to 0.25 or less by morning for the past 5 days and I've been dosing it up to just over 4.0 ppm with pure ammonia each morning. Yesterday, the ammonia was gone within 12 hours, so I dosed it a second time (not sure that was a good idea). Today, the nitrites are 0, ammonia nearly 0, so I'm getting there -- I think.
I've been testing for nitrates for the past five days, too. It started at 1.0 ppm and has gone up very slowly to 5.0 ppm after 4 days, but hasn't budged since. I tried the banging-the-bottle-on-the-table-and-shaking-the-bottle thing with Nitrate bottle #2, but it didn't change the results.
Is that normal for the nitrates to stay so low? I thought they should have spiked by now? Should I continue to dose with ammonia and wait until the nitrates spike? Or is the tank ready for fish now and it's time to do a water change?
I've read that I should do a 50% water change, that I *shouldn't* do a water change, that I should keep dosing ammonia once a day, that I should dose ammonia twice a day, that I *shouldn't* dose ammonia at all. I'm SO confused! But I can't find any info on low nitrates, at all, and I'm worried that I've lost my good bacteria after all this effort. But I hope I'm still heading down the right path and that, just maybe, I'm in better shape than I think I am. Can anyone offer any advice?
I was also wondering about the bubbler tube. It's covered in clear slime that has started to get black spots under it. Is this a good or bad thing?
Thanks in advance for any advice/encouragement/help. I could sure use some right about now.
Wendy