OTIS
Fish Fanatic
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- May 5, 2010
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Now I realize I should have done my reading and this does explain a good bit of what had happened during my past go around with this tank, but now I have been reading and understand a lot more then before but still am seeking the experience of those on these forums.
So I have a 55 gallon tank with a brand new Fluval 305. The occupants consist of 1 Juvenile Albino Tiger Oscar(3"), 2 (I would say adult) Adult Chinese Algae Eaters(4-5"), 1 Albino Channel Catfish(I have already been advised into changing the catfish out, I know).
Now the tank has been together and running with fish for about 1.5 weeks and now the stats are starting to show up, for awhile everything was zero(except Nitrate but we will get into that). Now ammonia levels have spiked and I just did a 50% change w/ treated tap water. Here are the tanks stats along with the tap water used to replace. Tests done with API Drops.
Tank Water
Ammonia - 1 ppm
Nitrate - 7 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
pH..... - 7.2
Tap Water
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 7 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
pH..... - 6.4
I realize I should have done a fishless cycle but these fish are home already so we gotta go with that.
Now I am confused to why my Tap Water has such a high initial Nitrate level, as well as I am confused to why there is a huge Ammonia spike and no Nitrite present to make up for the possible slight increase in Nitrate. If I am getting this all mixed up please tell me, and if I am not please tell me what I should continue to do. Any and all help well......helps,
-OTIS
So I have a 55 gallon tank with a brand new Fluval 305. The occupants consist of 1 Juvenile Albino Tiger Oscar(3"), 2 (I would say adult) Adult Chinese Algae Eaters(4-5"), 1 Albino Channel Catfish(I have already been advised into changing the catfish out, I know).
Now the tank has been together and running with fish for about 1.5 weeks and now the stats are starting to show up, for awhile everything was zero(except Nitrate but we will get into that). Now ammonia levels have spiked and I just did a 50% change w/ treated tap water. Here are the tanks stats along with the tap water used to replace. Tests done with API Drops.
Tank Water
Ammonia - 1 ppm
Nitrate - 7 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
pH..... - 7.2
Tap Water
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 7 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
pH..... - 6.4
I realize I should have done a fishless cycle but these fish are home already so we gotta go with that.
Now I am confused to why my Tap Water has such a high initial Nitrate level, as well as I am confused to why there is a huge Ammonia spike and no Nitrite present to make up for the possible slight increase in Nitrate. If I am getting this all mixed up please tell me, and if I am not please tell me what I should continue to do. Any and all help well......helps,
-OTIS