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I use the API master testing liquid kit. And I haven't tested the tap water but will do.

Thanks Colin, What sort of filter is in the tank? It's a filter cartridge from Superfish - it came with the tank, a Qubic30l described as a Biological filter with Crystal Clear cartridge. How do you clean the filter? In a bucket of used tank water, I take the sponge out and the compressed...

Hi all. So far so good. We’ve a happy Betta in a 30l tank with two zebra nerite snails. I change the water every weds and Sunday (about 50%) and somehow when I test the water on Saturday it’s always showing as between 0 and 0.25 ammonia. Yesterday I tested about two hours after the change...

I want to thank you all so much for your help and guidance with getting the water right for Albus and his tank mates. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as we continue fish keeping.

He built a bubble nest pretty much as soon as he arrived... I annoyingly destroy it (accidentally) with some of the water changes... But he rebuilds.

Hi Libby - sorry about the delay... we have a fish! Our LFS started opening for three hours a day and selling livestock by appointment so we booked in a couple of weeks back. I’ve been kept busy with work / home (which of course are all the same thing at the moment) - and now also water...

Is this not a bit unusual as there hasn't been anything in the tank except the cycle....?

Hi - Can anyone tell me what this is growing on what I think is Hornwort... The patches of white/blue around the leaves (where they grow off the central stem) arrived recently and I wondered if it was a danger to the tank?

Thanks Sean - this is super clear! My next challenge!

I really didn’t want to have to get one, every extra expense seemed like it was testing my love for my child!! (The initial purchase of a tank and two now dead orandas was for her birthday) - then determination kicked in, so we got the heater, then the testing kit, then the ammonia, then the...

Oh the joy! Thanks all for your help (now to get the fish / ensure it remains happy / keep it alive)

*punches the air*

An update for those following... I've just done a 100% water change using 50% RO water and 50% tap water. New water test results: Kh - 80ppm (previously 201) Gh - 180ppm (previously 274) Ph - 7.6 (I hoped this would be a little lower) Nitrite - 0ppm Nitrate - 10ppm (there was 31.7 in the tap...

Thanks Seangee - great tips - in that case I'll be leaving it in the cupboard under the stairs! And the tip about refilling as part of the water change makes so much sense - I'll be doing that too. I'm not sure I completely understood this: drilled a small hole into the end bung where the...

Thanks Martyn - too late I'm afraid - we have a RO unit so can make RO (this was meant to be a cheap gift for my child and has become a rather expensive hobby quite quickly). The plan long term is to get it installed permanently (it's a Vyair system that currently I have to screw onto the...

Thanks Byron, this is great! I'm doing a 100% water change as I type with RO/DI and Tap mix. Because I don't currently have a fish I've just poured two buckets full of dechlorinated tap water into the tank, and am now working towards adding two buckets of RO/DI which should get me back to full...

HI Derek, I did eventually pin it down I believe (Essjay helped me work it out / convert the figures)... this is from an earlier post: The Water Board claim the water is: Hardness (Total) as CaCO3 - 274 Alkalinity as CaCO3 - 201 Nitrate in tap water - 31.7 So I'm using a RO/DI filter which...

Thanks Seangee.

Hello - I'm about to do my first water change on a cycled tank (no fish yet). (First time fish keeper). Our water is basically liquid rock so I'm going to be mixing 50% RO/DI water with 50% tap water. I want to also add some sort of dechlorinator to the tap water (aquasafe etc) - my question...

Thanks Essjay (Guppy10) - I think the nearest Maidenhead Aquatics to us would be St Albans or maybe Ascot as we're in London. There is also a local shop that is open for two hours each day so we're going to investigate this.

Hello all, I love this forum - it's got me through the tricky cycling times - but, I've now got a fully cycled tank sitting upstairs (fully cycled as of yesterday). And we would like to add a betta to the tank. I've found a number of stockists who report no disturbance to their delivery systems...

Ahh Libby - you're an old pro! I didn't realise you had kept Bettas before. I was told that shrimp and Betta can be happy tank mates but its dependent on the temperament of the Betta... So we're going with armoured snails. Ha - yeah the perfect 'pet' fish indeed - she's so excited. And thanks...

Thanks - as ever Essjay - I'll make sure we're at the point I can water change and then I'll do your 100% at 50/50 - I haven't cleaned my filter yet - should I do this and if so any tips?

Ahh - so the big reveal is... (it's not really a reveal if you read back into older posts....and how I discovered this forum)... this Betta is for my 6 year old daughter - the tank is in her room and she is the most hopeful and expectant kid right now! We knew nothing about fish and...

Ahh this is great news Essjay - thank you for all your help with my watery woes. The plant is live - Anarcharis Elodea Densa I think, from Pets at Home (and we're planning to get a little more - something floating like Frogbit). I am a little worried about how to get it back up to 1ppm but...

Ok - I've finally got a slightly positive update in that I think my ammonia levels are starting to drop. I don't think I'll ever ever see Nitrates (due to dumping a bit to much Filter Boost in at the start of this attempted cycle). But what I do now know is that the strip tests I was using were...

Hi @Libbyd - excuse the delay - I've been tending to my water ;-) I think things are moving in the right direction finally. Ammonia dropping, nitrates rising... and still no nitrites (I've updated in my thread - didn't want to hijack yours but wondered how it was all going?)

I'll be off to check my water later today - hoping for something shifting in the right direction. The Vyair system I found is this one...

Yep! Some journey. Still holding out though. Mainly watching ammonia levels and not too concerned with nitrates as water changes with RO/DI will hopefully help keep that under control (along with hardness - liquid metal is how I’ve seen London water described). I found a Vyair system at discount...

Hi Libby - I'm annoyed for many reasons at the moment! Mainly being trapped in the house for 23 hours of the day (although we've a garden which is a blessing right now!) - but with regard to fish, it feels like my luck isn't great - I'm still attempting the cycle this tank but the results are...

Hi Libby - also in the UK - and currently trying (struggling) to cycle a 30l tank for a Betta and a couple of Nerite Snails (no live stock as of yet).

Here is a little update for those following... Day 5. 6/4/20 Ammonia - 0.5ppm Kh - 20˚ Nitrate - 10 Nitrite - 0 Ph - 7.6 Gh - 16˚ Cl - 0ppm Tested in between and ammonia seemed to have spiked around 6ppm Day 7. 8/4/20 Ammonia - 3ppm Kh - 20˚ Nitrate - 20 Nitrite - 0 Ph - 8 Gh - 16˚ Cl - 0ppm...

Weird huh? Is there anything in my box of tricks that could help? There is still a little filter boost left and also the Bio Nitrivec. I will order the Master Test Kit to see if I can get more accurate readings.

Ahh, nope - just simple gravel (and nothing beneath it). I've got the heater quite high (as you can see here) - could that be effecting anything?