Sumpin's Fishy - Page 10

Tubby Rower · 27-04-2007, 17:28

btw, here is the article that I'm using for fishless cycling. After re-reading it just now, I realize that I shouldn't have cut back on the ammonia just yet. I have to wait until the nitrite peaks.

According to that article, this method actually is shorter than adding fish slowly. If it gets the ammonia under control by next week, then I'll still add the fish slowly, but I would like to at least give this a chance. So I'm not completely ignoring you Darkness

Darkness · 27-04-2007, 20:03

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Tubby Rower

btw, here is the article that I'm using for fishless cycling. After re-reading it just now, I realize that I shouldn't have cut back on the ammonia just yet. I have to wait until the nitrite peaks.

According to that article, this method actually is shorter than adding fish slowly. If it gets the ammonia under control by next week, then I'll still add the fish slowly, but I would like to at least give this a chance. So I'm not completely ignoring you Darkness

It's a good article and the method described is certainly a valid method. Just don't add too many fish at once after the fishless cycle (unless you're willing to do daily water changes for about ten days after stocking the tank)...

ProPain · 28-04-2007, 12:09

strangely I keep finding this thread an interesting read although fish tanks really aren't my cup of tea. Intrigues me how complicated the whole thing is though. I always thought: buy tank, throw in stuff, fill up, throw in fish and you;re done. Much more too it than that I see now.

Tubby Rower · 28-04-2007, 15:44

I tested yesterday and nitrite has risen to 0.5 ppm and still high ammonia and no nitrates. Although the ammonia test looks less blue now [:/] (there is no blue on the scale, just yellow to dark green

)

Tubby Rower · 30-04-2007, 12:32

Ok.. to update my test table

Code:

Date	Ammonia added 	Ammonnia	Nitrite		Nitrate
4/21	5 drops		0.25 ppm
4/21	75 more drops	1 ppm 
4/21	15 more mL	4 pmm
4/22	20 mL				0 ppm
4/23	20 mL				0 ppm
4/24	20 mL				0 ppm			&lt;--- added plants here
4/25	20 mL				0 ppm
4/26	10 mL		off hi scale	0.25 ppm	0ppm
4/27	20 mL		off hi scale	0.5 ppm		0ppm
4/28	15 mL		off hi scale	1 ppm		0ppm
4/29	10 mL		off hi scale	2 ppm		5ppm

So that means that I have both types of bacteria present. I have cut back on the ammonia that I'm adding. Ammonia is still pretty high which is concerning me. If anything I've added less than the instructions I was following stated to add. Since it doesn't look like this will finish by tomorrow, I'll be waiting until I return from our trip this weekend before doing anything. Since there will be no fish in the tank, I'll need to keep them "fed" with ammonia until I get back. On next Sunday, I plan on doing 50% water change (assuming that ammonia & nitrite levels are 0) and add fish probably next monday. If the levels aren't 0 then I will go by Darkness's strategy of 75% water change, 50% 3 days later, then see what's going on.

Tubby Rower · 04-05-2007, 13:18

OK since we are leaving this morning for the weekend, I did ~75% water change and re-adjusted the rocks to try to have a larger stack where the filter intake is. I do need to get some more rocks though. Sherry said that she like the other arrangement better. I figure that when I add a new species, I could re-adjust the rocks then. I hoping that when we get back on Sunday, that the water will be more suitable for fish.

btw, the plants died on me. Not sure if the radical water chemistry, the lack of appropriate light, or the lack of fertilizers killed them.

Darkness · 04-05-2007, 13:27

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Tubby Rower

btw, the plants died on me. Not sure if the radical water chemistry, the lack of appropriate light, or the lack of fertilizers killed them.

Neither lack of good light ot lack of fertilizers would have killed the plants that fast. That will take a few weeks at least...

Tubby Rower · 07-05-2007, 01:23

well I tested my water tonight and the ammonia is down to 0 ppm but the nitrites are still @ 2 ppm. The good news is that nitrates were up to 20 ppm. So that means that I have all of the bacteria necessary. I'm planning on doing a 50% water change tonight and getting the KH and GH correct (pH is still ~8.0-8.2). Then tomorrow on the way home I'm either gonna buy the yellow labs or the rustys.

Darkness · 07-05-2007, 12:33

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Tubby Rower

well I tested my water tonight and the ammonia is down to 0 ppm but the nitrites are still @ 2 ppm. The good news is that nitrates were up to 20 ppm. So that means that I have all of the bacteria necessary. I'm planning on doing a 50% water change tonight and getting the KH and GH correct (pH is still ~8.0-8.2). Then tomorrow on the way home I'm either gonna buy the yellow labs or the rustys.

Sounds like a good plan to me...

After you've added the fish monitor the water parameters carefully and don't hesitate to throw in an extra waterchange if you feel the pollutants concentrations are too high.

I'll add a "tips on buying cichlids" in a few hours. I'm a bit busy now...

Tubby Rower · 07-05-2007, 13:19

The 50% water change went well. I added a commercial Malawi cichlid salt per the directions. They said to wait 24 hours to test for KH & GH so I'm not sure if the hardness is correct, but it will be hopefully by the time that I get the fish in there (ig: waiting on the temp of the bag water to equalize with the tank water will give me some time to dissolve some Epsom salts and baking soda in the water.

Quote:

quote:if you feel the pollutants concentrations are too high

what is "too high"?

27-04-2007, 17:28	#91
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	btw, here is the article that I'm using for fishless cycling. After re-reading it just now, I realize that I shouldn't have cut back on the ammonia just yet. I have to wait until the nitrite peaks. According to that article, this method actually is shorter than adding fish slowly. If it gets the ammonia under control by next week, then I'll still add the fish slowly, but I would like to at least give this a chance. So I'm not completely ignoring you Darkness __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

28-04-2007, 12:09	#93
ProPain Customized Admin :) Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sailing the seas of cheese. Posts: 5,852	strangely I keep finding this thread an interesting read although fish tanks really aren't my cup of tea. Intrigues me how complicated the whole thing is though. I always thought: buy tank, throw in stuff, fill up, throw in fish and you;re done. Much more too it than that I see now. __________________ I fed my Dog the American Dream Well, he rolled over and he started to scream He said, I dig the taste of salt but it don't keep me alive yeah, yeah

28-04-2007, 15:44	#94
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	I tested yesterday and nitrite has risen to 0.5 ppm and still high ammonia and no nitrates. Although the ammonia test looks less blue now [:/] (there is no blue on the scale, just yellow to dark green ) __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

30-04-2007, 12:32	#95
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	Ok.. to update my test table Code: Date Ammonia added Ammonnia Nitrite Nitrate 4/21 5 drops 0.25 ppm 4/21 75 more drops 1 ppm 4/21 15 more mL 4 pmm 4/22 20 mL 0 ppm 4/23 20 mL 0 ppm 4/24 20 mL 0 ppm <--- added plants here 4/25 20 mL 0 ppm 4/26 10 mL off hi scale 0.25 ppm 0ppm 4/27 20 mL off hi scale 0.5 ppm 0ppm 4/28 15 mL off hi scale 1 ppm 0ppm 4/29 10 mL off hi scale 2 ppm 5ppm So that means that I have both types of bacteria present. I have cut back on the ammonia that I'm adding. Ammonia is still pretty high which is concerning me. If anything I've added less than the instructions I was following stated to add. Since it doesn't look like this will finish by tomorrow, I'll be waiting until I return from our trip this weekend before doing anything. Since there will be no fish in the tank, I'll need to keep them "fed" with ammonia until I get back. On next Sunday, I plan on doing 50% water change (assuming that ammonia & nitrite levels are 0) and add fish probably next monday. If the levels aren't 0 then I will go by Darkness's strategy of 75% water change, 50% 3 days later, then see what's going on. __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

04-05-2007, 13:18	#96
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	OK since we are leaving this morning for the weekend, I did ~75% water change and re-adjusted the rocks to try to have a larger stack where the filter intake is. I do need to get some more rocks though. Sherry said that she like the other arrangement better. I figure that when I add a new species, I could re-adjust the rocks then. I hoping that when we get back on Sunday, that the water will be more suitable for fish. btw, the plants died on me. Not sure if the radical water chemistry, the lack of appropriate light, or the lack of fertilizers killed them. __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?

07-05-2007, 01:23	#98
Tubby Rower Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Middle of VA. Posts: 3,896	well I tested my water tonight and the ammonia is down to 0 ppm but the nitrites are still @ 2 ppm. The good news is that nitrates were up to 20 ppm. So that means that I have all of the bacteria necessary. I'm planning on doing a 50% water change tonight and getting the KH and GH correct (pH is still ~8.0-8.2). Then tomorrow on the way home I'm either gonna buy the yellow labs or the rustys. __________________ 3/2006 : Now, surely that must be because some fists might have caused internal damage to certain delicate parts?