Uh oh, bad test levels
- Thread starter Meghan
- Start date
OKay, so I've been testing every few days and doing water changes about 2-3 times a week as well. Nitrite & Ammonia have been varying between 0 and .25, and I still have NO NITRATES... I think I'd like some advice on biospira. Anyone know if I can add it now, with fish?
Hate to say it, but I guess I don't have the patience for all this cycling business... I want to get more fish!
I've thought about getting gravel from a lfs, but I'm not sure I trust any of them enough that the gravel wouldn't have ich or something...
Hate to say it, but I guess I don't have the patience for all this cycling business... I want to get more fish!
I've thought about getting gravel from a lfs, but I'm not sure I trust any of them enough that the gravel wouldn't have ich or something...
OKay so I went to the 2 lfs's (including Petsmart & 2 smalltime locals) and none had biospira. Geez, and I had high hopes for the locals, but they had no idea what I was talking about... disappointing. I've come to the conclusion that my lfs's kinda just suck.
I did finally see oto's at Petsmart.
Guess I'm back to the waiting game. I mean, I've had fish since 2/23... and it's almost May now. Ugh... At least when I get my new tank I can use gravel from this one to get it started.
I did finally see oto's at Petsmart.
Guess I'm back to the waiting game. I mean, I've had fish since 2/23... and it's almost May now. Ugh... At least when I get my new tank I can use gravel from this one to get it started.
OKay so I went to the 2 lfs's (including Petsmart & 2 smalltime locals) and none had biospira. Geez, and I had high hopes for the locals, but they had no idea what I was talking about... disappointing. I've come to the conclusion that my lfs's kinda just suck.
I did finally see oto's at Petsmart.
Guess I'm back to the waiting game. I mean, I've had fish since 2/23... and it's almost May now. Ugh... At least when I get my new tank I can use gravel from this one to get it started.
I did finally see oto's at Petsmart.
Guess I'm back to the waiting game. I mean, I've had fish since 2/23... and it's almost May now. Ugh... At least when I get my new tank I can use gravel from this one to get it started.
But I noticed you have a Betta in a 2 G. How long's he been in the tank. Is there gravel in there? A filter at all? Decorations?
If yes and HIS tank is free of ammonia and nitrates maybe you can steal some stuff from his tank and put it in the 10G.
Haha, don't worry, I am resisting the oto's until I'm done cycling. I was just excited to finally see them out somewhere. No more fish until I'm done. *PEACE!*
Uh, yeah I never cycled Blue's tank either. And, I haven't tested Blue's water either because I was scared of seeing the results. Maybe I'll test it today to see if it'll help...
I figured I'd try getting my 10g cycled first. Once it's cycled I'm going to get my new tank- maybe a 36g bowfront, which I can cycle quicker with gravel from the finished 10g. Once the new one is done cycling, I'll move my guppies and cory into it. And some more cory's, oto's, more guppies (male only) and a couple dalmatian mollies (male only). Then my 10g will become home to Blue and a couple adf's. Don't worry there will be plenty of water testing throughout all of this to make sure it's all done right for once.
Uh, yeah I never cycled Blue's tank either.
And, I haven't tested Blue's water either because I was scared of seeing the results. Maybe I'll test it today to see if it'll help...I figured I'd try getting my 10g cycled first. Once it's cycled I'm going to get my new tank- maybe a 36g bowfront, which I can cycle quicker with gravel from the finished 10g. Once the new one is done cycling, I'll move my guppies and cory into it. And some more cory's, oto's, more guppies (male only) and a couple dalmatian mollies (male only). Then my 10g will become home to Blue and a couple adf's. Don't worry there will be plenty of water testing throughout all of this to make sure it's all done right for once.
Check the water in the Betta's tank. If it's been set up a while and it's only 2G then you know what it might very well be cycled already. If that's the case you may want to transport any decorations or a bit of gravel from his tank (you can put it in a nylon sock if it doesn't match what's in your 10G).
I'm pretty sure your tank is cycled and good to go Meghan. Have you done a really really good gravel vac? Sometimes there is a pesky .25ppm reading of nitrites due to decaying stuff in the tank. There isn't really much mystery that you dont have nitrates, that is not a problem!! When you do water changes it is to take those nitrates out of the water...in a tank that is understocked and/or has live plants, you may never see nitrates...some people even add nitrates to the water! Have you tested the level of ammonia in your tap water? Its possible that there is a bit of ammonia in it that your kit is picking up...at any rate I would call your tank cycled
Oh and by the way, on your betta's tank, it is probably cycled. Whether you were following it or knew about it or not...a tank always goes through a cycling process. If you don't do regular water changes on his tank he might have a low level of nitrite (like I said above) and high nitrates...but other than that I'd think his tank is probably fine.
Oh and by the way, on your betta's tank, it is probably cycled. Whether you were following it or knew about it or not...a tank always goes through a cycling process. If you don't do regular water changes on his tank he might have a low level of nitrite (like I said above) and high nitrates...but other than that I'd think his tank is probably fine.
nope, because the "cycle" is that ammonia goes to nitrites and nitrites go to nitrates and we saw the ammonia spike the nitrite spike and then we saw nitrates spike so the cycle is working. The tank will continue to establish and "balance out" how many of what kind of bacteria it needs to keep things working smoothly. A small amount of ammonia like that is not really something to worry about. I probably wouldn't get any additional fish until your parameters are 0, 0 and under 20 but like I said up above there can be reasons outside of cycling that can make those first two numbers not 0. If there were still high numbers of any of them I'd be wary, but once you see big numbers and a drop in each (not just because of a water change, but a consistent low number after a spike) the tank is "cycled".
Thanks for all the help, Tab & Froggy.
Yeah I do vacuum the gravel rather well each time I do a wc. But, it's funny because it seems like there is always quite a lot of poo/uneaten food (so I may not get it all) and I've made sure to only feed them once a day and sometimes just every other day. The guppies seem to rarely come to the surface to eat flakes, but since they aren't dead yet, they must eat at sometime. I put a 1/4 of an algae wafer in usually every other night for them and don't typically see any left over from it the next morning. I've seen both the guppies and the cory all nip at the wafers.
Yeah, I've had Blue for about 2 years now, but I just rinsed out everything in his tank a few weeks ago because I accidentally left his light (and the 10g light) on all day while I was at work. The 10g water was okay after it cooled down- both got to about 80. But, Blue's water was really murky, where as before it was clear. I did 3 75% wc's in the course of a week but it made no difference, so I rinsed it all out. He normally gets a wc once a week, keeps his water clear- he poo's a lot.
I'll check my tap water. It's city water so who knows whats in it.
Alright, I'll start thinking about that new tank soon then. Thanks again for all the great advice, I really appreciate it!
Yeah I do vacuum the gravel rather well each time I do a wc. But, it's funny because it seems like there is always quite a lot of poo/uneaten food (so I may not get it all) and I've made sure to only feed them once a day and sometimes just every other day. The guppies seem to rarely come to the surface to eat flakes, but since they aren't dead yet, they must eat at sometime. I put a 1/4 of an algae wafer in usually every other night for them and don't typically see any left over from it the next morning. I've seen both the guppies and the cory all nip at the wafers.
Yeah, I've had Blue for about 2 years now, but I just rinsed out everything in his tank a few weeks ago because I accidentally left his light (and the 10g light) on all day while I was at work. The 10g water was okay after it cooled down- both got to about 80. But, Blue's water was really murky, where as before it was clear. I did 3 75% wc's in the course of a week but it made no difference, so I rinsed it all out. He normally gets a wc once a week, keeps his water clear- he poo's a lot.
I'll check my tap water. It's city water so who knows whats in it.
Alright, I'll start thinking about that new tank soon then.
Thanks again for all the great advice, I really appreciate it!