Well, I'm kinda looking at this entry as a continutaion of my previous "Uh Oh....Levels are climbing" post. in order to keep it alive, get your continuing advice,a nd to share a day to day experience of cycling a tank for new hobbyist's.
I think the hardest thing to do is to sit back and listen to good advice, but panic anyway, and wonder why steps are taking a more dramatic action.
Even though the 16 gal tank (w/ 4 danios) had been doing well since inception 5 weeks ago, I never got the dreaded Amonia spike or New Tank Syndrome as described. My miniscule (I say that as compared to my new levels) levels of .25-.50 ppm Amonia was noteworthy, and I 'thought' that was the spike.
'Lo and behold earlier this week, amonia climbed from .50 to 1.0 over night. So I cut out one feeding, ammo lock in hand, vacuumed gravel and was replaceing about 1 gal of water each day with fresh RO water.
With everyone's advice, I decided to make a more drastic water change last night...upto 4 gal (25% of tank). To my shock when I walked in the door at 4:30, my tank now looked like a cloud of split peas soup in 10 hours!!! Yes my clear tank I left in the morning was now murky 10 hours later. So of course I dropped everything and went for the uber water change of 4 gal with my siphon yet again. There was a little debris/waste, but very little and I added back 4 gal of fresh water along with 3/4 Tbsp of aquarium salt to boot (to replace the salt I've been sucking out over the last week and total of 8 gal of water over the last week).
Since I starved my fish yesterday morning, I gave in and fed just barely a pinch and they were eager, and still seemed pretty darn active.
Of course I woke up at 4am this morning...my wife was sound asleep and went out to look at my tank. All 4 danios were still alive (I was worried) and active...
Finally when I did get up this morning at 6:45 I took another water sample. The amonia test increments get wider after 1.0. It goes 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0. Well, to my continued dismay and shock my amonia is now reading between 4.0 & 8.0 so who know the exact level.
My fish behavior still seems normal. They are not 'crashing', do not appear to be gasping for air, they were eager for yet another small pinch this morning. Water is still cloudy, not as bad, but still there, yet no smell now.
I guess my question's are: 1) I assume another 3-4 gal water change tonight? 2) How big do these spikes get? I can't believe that 4 danios allowed the water to go from 1.5 to over 4.0 in 24 hours...they still seem active. 3) How long to these spikes last? I also tested my nitrites this morning..and shockingly still at .25ppm
I'm glad I can share this with you all and hope you don't mind I'm continuing my threads.... :?
I think the hardest thing to do is to sit back and listen to good advice, but panic anyway, and wonder why steps are taking a more dramatic action.
Even though the 16 gal tank (w/ 4 danios) had been doing well since inception 5 weeks ago, I never got the dreaded Amonia spike or New Tank Syndrome as described. My miniscule (I say that as compared to my new levels) levels of .25-.50 ppm Amonia was noteworthy, and I 'thought' that was the spike.
'Lo and behold earlier this week, amonia climbed from .50 to 1.0 over night. So I cut out one feeding, ammo lock in hand, vacuumed gravel and was replaceing about 1 gal of water each day with fresh RO water.
With everyone's advice, I decided to make a more drastic water change last night...upto 4 gal (25% of tank). To my shock when I walked in the door at 4:30, my tank now looked like a cloud of split peas soup in 10 hours!!! Yes my clear tank I left in the morning was now murky 10 hours later. So of course I dropped everything and went for the uber water change of 4 gal with my siphon yet again. There was a little debris/waste, but very little and I added back 4 gal of fresh water along with 3/4 Tbsp of aquarium salt to boot (to replace the salt I've been sucking out over the last week and total of 8 gal of water over the last week).
Since I starved my fish yesterday morning, I gave in and fed just barely a pinch and they were eager, and still seemed pretty darn active.
Of course I woke up at 4am this morning...my wife was sound asleep and went out to look at my tank. All 4 danios were still alive (I was worried) and active...
Finally when I did get up this morning at 6:45 I took another water sample. The amonia test increments get wider after 1.0. It goes 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0. Well, to my continued dismay and shock my amonia is now reading between 4.0 & 8.0 so who know the exact level.
My fish behavior still seems normal. They are not 'crashing', do not appear to be gasping for air, they were eager for yet another small pinch this morning. Water is still cloudy, not as bad, but still there, yet no smell now.
I guess my question's are: 1) I assume another 3-4 gal water change tonight? 2) How big do these spikes get? I can't believe that 4 danios allowed the water to go from 1.5 to over 4.0 in 24 hours...they still seem active. 3) How long to these spikes last? I also tested my nitrites this morning..and shockingly still at .25ppm
I'm glad I can share this with you all and hope you don't mind I'm continuing my threads.... :?