Electric Blue Rams

[Jebbwardo]

my ph is 6.5, my ammonia is 0.50ppm, my nitrite is around 0.5-0.10, my nitrate is around 40ppm but i have no fish so dont mind about the nitrate at the moment i will just do a water change. my water is at 82 degrees too.
 
am i doing okay as this is my first tank i will be getting the fish in a week and was wondering if my water is okay? i know the nitrate isnt okay but i havnt got no fish in at the moment anyway, i am getting 2 electric blue rams to breed, i have gravel substrate and around 40 plants in the tank with yorkshire slate and a synthetic slate ornament my filter is a fluval 4 plus i have second hand sponges in and would like some advice as im new to this.

 

[fluttermoth]

Well, you'll need to properly cycle your tank; rams can't cope with any trace of either ammonia or nitrite.

What is the level of nitrate in your tap water?

Oh, and the hardness? Rams really do need soft water to thrive; that's far more vital than pH.

I'm worried you're having to use a buffer to get the pH down. That would imply that your water might be quite hard, so any pH changes you make are likely to be temporary.

 

[Jebbwardo]

i know and i am not going to put the fish in until they both are 0. i dont know the levels but i will check now and will my plants lower the ammonia and nitrite and nitrate?

 

[fluttermoth]

I would be doing a proper fishless cycle, adding ammonia.

Just reducing the levels in the tank by water changes and/or plants won't cycle your filter.

 

[Jebbwardo]

my filter is second hand and so are the sponges. and my nitrate in my tap water is around 20ppm

i dont see the point in cycling my tank after i read this. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/299827-why-we-should-not-fishless-cycle-planted-tanks/

 

[Livewire88]

The problem is that Electric Rams are VERY sensitive fish so would not be suitable for a fish in cycle of any kind (even when taking into account the info in the thread you have linked) you may get away with some hardier fish but not EBR.
 
Just my honest oppinion.

 

[fluttermoth]

I agree.

Rams really are a very delicate little fish; many people, myself included, consider them much harder than discus, for example, and the electric blues even more so.

I really do think you should do a proper cycle before you get them.

 

[Jebbwardo]

so i should go get some ammonia, and start a cycle? its painstakingly long to do a cycle and i dont see the point in it can you clearly show me why i need to do one? 

 

[fluttermoth]

You need to do one because all fish produce ammonia.

If you don't have a cycled filter, the ammonia will build up in the water; some fish can cope with low levels of ammonia, but rams are not one of them.

Any trace of ammonia or nitrite will make your rams sick, or even kill them; they really are very sensitive indeed.

The bacteria that eat the ammonia (and nitrite) live in the filter, all the time; you never get rid of them. Looking after those bacteria is why you only ever clean your filter media in old tank water and why you don't ever change everything inside the filter at once. If your media does need replacing, you only change 1/4 at a time, so you keep a good colony of bacteria growing.

 

[Jebbwardo]

So I just need to add ammonia put my temperature up and wait?

 

[Livewire88]

Can you not source some mature media from a local fish store or a friend? if you add this to your new filter it will help kickstart the cycle.
 
Have a read through this thread, it will explain exactly what you need to do;
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/

 

[Jebbwardo]

My filter is second hand and I have took water and squeezed my friends filter sponge into a bottle with some of his water and tipped into my filter, ill just go buy some ammonia from the shop and put it in hate waiting I'm to inpatient

 

[fluttermoth]

If you've managed to transfer some bacteria (an actual clipping of media would have been better), then your cycle will go much faster.

If you're going to have any success with rams, you really do need to make sure the water quality is spot on.

 

[Jebbwardo]

Okay I'm gonna get some ammonia but how long do you think it's gonna take? And will I have to do water changes even tho I haven't got no fish and if so what water changes should I do like 50% a week or what

 

[fluttermoth]

It's impossible to say for sure how long it will take. If you've already got some bacteria (or can get some from your friend on an actual piece of media), then maybe a week or two.

You don't change water during a fishless cycle, unless your pH drops below 6, or your nitrates get near 100pm, as both those things can stall a cycle.