allaboutfish
Aquarium Advice Addict
once your ammonia spikes your on your way (mine went up to like 8ppm)
Should I not do water changes until the ammonia spikes?once your ammonia spikes your on your way (mine went up to like 8ppm)
They didn't offer me a chemistry class in school, I just know a couple things from a good book on fish (plus a few other things from working various jobs).
1. Don't panic! You're making the hobby look difficult, and it's really not.
2. I'll bet that they were eating flake food at the store. Fish don't NEED to eat EVERY day. Let 'em get settled, maybe stake out their fav hidey spots, offer food, then if they don't eat try again in day or so.
3. There's no exact formula that I'm aware of to calculate the different cycling phases, but I think my last tank cycling was about 2 weeks before I started adding fish. (YMMV) Then I added 1-5 at a time (depending on size) per week until fully stocked to allow the tank to re-balance itself regarding bacteria / waste.
4. I probably used a pair of pliers to wiggle the plastic at the perforations on the lid. Pliers, vice-grips, whatever was handy for me at the time.
Wondering what my favorite fish-book is? i'll tell ya! Baensch Aquarium Atlas [Volume 1] - covers different freshwater fish requirements, water quality/chemistry, plants and more.
Local clubs are another great resource.