Well yesterday I checked my water parameters and the water parameters were as followed:
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Now this indicated my cycle was completely(after 3 weeks). I read a site that says do a 100% water change after ammonia and nitrites are 0 and the nitrates are at least 10 ppm. I did the water change and planted the tank with Hygrophila polysperma(until I get my other plants). Today I added 5 Zebra Danio(one long finned variety) and a Dwarf Gourami as I heard that you can stock fully once cycle is done and the tank is planted with fast growers. Well today I checked my parameters after adding fish(well like an hour after) and these were my parameters:
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 0 ppm
The parameters after filling the tank up yesterday were:
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 10-20 ppm
Now these are the things I suspect happened:
Stupid me not thinking of asking before adding fish, and now this . I havent done really anything new but I added peat(peat in a old filter cartridge and put in my filter) before adding the fish. I will be watching the pH though. Now to my questions.
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Now this indicated my cycle was completely(after 3 weeks). I read a site that says do a 100% water change after ammonia and nitrites are 0 and the nitrates are at least 10 ppm. I did the water change and planted the tank with Hygrophila polysperma(until I get my other plants). Today I added 5 Zebra Danio(one long finned variety) and a Dwarf Gourami as I heard that you can stock fully once cycle is done and the tank is planted with fast growers. Well today I checked my parameters after adding fish(well like an hour after) and these were my parameters:
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 0 ppm
The parameters after filling the tank up yesterday were:
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 10-20 ppm
Now these are the things I suspect happened:
- Added too many fish at one time. Im guessing not everything you read on the web is accurate.
- The plants absorbed all the Nitrates and I am experiencing a mini cycle.
- Somehow I killed the bacteria.
Stupid me not thinking of asking before adding fish, and now this . I havent done really anything new but I added peat(peat in a old filter cartridge and put in my filter) before adding the fish. I will be watching the pH though. Now to my questions.
- My gourami wont eat. I heard that you should feed new fish to see if they have any problems. Is this normal in Gourami's?
- Is this a mini cycle Im experiencing? I added dechlorinator to the tank on the water change.
- Did I add to many fish at one time? . I know it may seem obvious but I was reading a site that said this.