My Tank is CYCLED! :D

[Mjnorcal922]

Error in the title!!! I think its supposed to be my tank isnt cycled....

Well i got home today and i just tested the water using my api freshwater master test kit and my results were...
pH: 7.6
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ammonia: 0 or 0.25...idk look @ the pic
P.S: I havent done a water change since last wednesday.
Verify my answers please with these pics i took?

pH

Nitrite

Nitrate

Ammonia

 

[fisherjean]

When I get readings that are at the upper limit of the regular pH, I also do the High Range pH test - I think the regular test will register *anything* 7.6 or higher as that color.

I saw a difference in nitrite and nitrate readings when I drew water from the bottom of the tank. I think others might say differently, but I wasn't picking up anything at all for either when I drew midtank while I was cycling my tank.

And remember to shake your bottles, like a lot, before using them. Esp. Nitrate #2.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

When I get readings that are at the upper limit of the regular pH, I also do the High Range pH test - I think the regular test will register *anything* 7.6 or higher as that color.

I saw a difference in nitrite and nitrate readings when I drew water from the bottom of the tank. I think others might say differently, but I wasn't picking up anything at all for either when I drew midtank while I was cycling my tank.

And remember to shake your bottles, like a lot, before using them. Esp. Nitrate #2.

Ok i just did the higher ph and it came out to be matched to 7.4

 

[Newman]

so your pH is 7.4-7.6 quite all right, its the same pH as my tap water makes. I've kept livebearers very successfully in it.

0 nitrate is odd cuz you dont have any plants to take it out, but i guess you have been doing lots of frequent large water changes.

the ammonia is tricky in a photo. if its yellow, its 0 if its got green in it then its around .25

 

[Mjnorcal922]

so your pH is 7.4-7.6 quite all right, its the same pH as my tap water makes. I've kept livebearers very successfully in it.

0 nitrate is odd cuz you dont have any plants to take it out, but i guess you have been doing lots of frequent large water changes.

the ammonia is tricky in a photo. if its yellow, its 0 if its got green in it then its around .25

the ammonia is completley yellow...Is my tank cycled? and yes i have done ALOT of large water changes lol 50% daily for 1 week straight

 

[Newman]

sounds like it is. dont get anything yet though. its best to wait another week w/o any water changes and see what happens. if its cycled nothing should rise except the nitrates should build. pleco is still in here riight? if he is not you need an ammonia source.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

sounds like it is. dont get anything yet though. its best to wait another week w/o any water changes and see what happens. if its cycled nothing should rise except the nitrates should build. pleco is still in here riight? if he is not you need an ammonia source.

yupp he is still in there..So your saying not to do no water changes 4 seven more days? its already been 7...

hey i got a question how often can i feed the pleco alage wafers? 1 a day or what because there isnt enough in the bag that i have i dont think to last

 

[aakaakaak]

If you have wood he has food. Algae wafers are good to feed him as a diatary supplement, and a near staple. If you have the cash to spend on a $3 bag of wafers then do it. If not then I hope he likes zuchinni.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

He should also eat Cucumber if you have that. I forgot the type and size of pleco you have, I have 12 inch pleco I rescued and he eats like 3 of them a night!

 

[Mjnorcal922]

yeah i dont have the money im going to put alage wafers in there for now since he doesnt eat during the day ima only put one cucumber in there a night so it doesnt dirty my tank but i screwed up last night and the alage wafer that was in the tank was only supposed to be left in for two hours and i was supposed to take it out @ midnight but i fell asleep and sucked what had poofed up out @ 5am......i think the water paramaters must be going crazy, what do i do?

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

One waffer would not cause an issue in the tank. You also do not need to feed hime everyday.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

well are you guys sure to leave the tank without doing a water change for a week to see if its cycled? because its already been 8 days and anytime i put my hand into the tank like today i put in the bubbler and disturbed the gravel a bit and now abunch of **** from the pleco or the cucumber is floating around...its like slimy stuff and it chokes the filter too like my filter is running @ full speed but its going so so low its dripping out and its very loud/annoying....

 

[Newman]

you tested the water right? 0 nitrate right? one week to see if nitrate builds is not going to hurt your tank, unless your test kit is lying lolz.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

you tested the water right? 0 nitrate right? one week to see if nitrate builds is not going to hurt your tank, unless your test kit is lying lolz.

yes 0 nitrates
So, How often would you say to test the water for the next 7 days?

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

I would test every day......

 

[Mjnorcal922]

Ok i just test and my results were

pH: 7.6
High Range pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

I think it was the wafers that spiked up my water parameters because lots of them things dissolve into the water idk why it says wait 2 hours then take it out...

 

[bassbonediva]

aakaakaak, I hate to disagree with you, but driftwood SHOULD NOT be your plecos main dietary staple. Driftwood helps plecos digest the algae and veggies that they eat, but they cannot live completely on driftwood. There must be a source of algae (either naturally occurring in the tank or through you feeding algae wafers) and/or other vegetable matter for them to eat.

 

[ValRasbora]

if you can't afford algae wafers then you can try growing algae in a sunny windowsill (take a jar, put a rock in it, add a fish flake for some nutrients, place it in a sunny windowsill and wait.) or just feed him veggies. My clown plec loves green beans and cucumber. Wood isn't a staple; the sugars in it help them digest.

 

[Fishman1995]

So i can put my tiny bridge decor in a glass of water with a few flakes and get algae? OMG now i can buy oto's if i do that

 

[bassbonediva]

So i can put my tiny bridge decor in a glass of water with a few flakes and get algae? OMG now i can buy oto's if i do that

Not necessarily. Do you have a mature tank with an established, constant source of algae? I believe OC has a tank she lets get overrun with algae specifically for her otos. Also, they don't eat just any kind of algae (most plecos do). The ones in my 29gal won't touch the green algae on the glass (I need to catch them and put them in the 55gal, but I don't feel like moving rocks to get to them.