First Api Master Test Results

[photoj]

Hello all. If you read any of my previous posts you would know that I'm accidentally doing a fish in cycle. For fish I have 3 Black phantom Tetras, 3 Black Tetras, 2 red Platy, 1 wag tail platy, 1 sword tail and a clown loach. I'm feeding them tropical flakes and the loach is getting Hikari tropical wafers. For plants 2 Hygro, 1 Bacopa, 1 green Cabomba and a piece of Malaysian drift wood. I'm running an external filter with two mechanical media and one bio media plus an under gravel filter. Tank is at 78F. I'm in week 5 and just did my first API Master tests. I was using the dip strips before. Here are the numbers

Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite .5
PH 7.8
I'm doing a 30% water change right now to hopefully drop the Nitrite levels.
A couple of questions... should I get rid of the undergravel filter? Do they make any difference? I'm also finding that the other fish are eating the wafers meant for the loach. Any trick on feeding him?

Thanks for all the help.

Cheers
photoj

 

[rdd1952]

UGFs are pretty outdated and if you have another adaquate filter for the tank, I would remove the UGF or simply cut it off. The biggest problem with them is that they will pull even more waste down into the gravel. Without it more of the waste will stay on the gravel or near the top to be removed easier with gravel vacs. The loach will get his food. I have 3 kuhli loaches and in my 29 gallon and it looks as if the other fish get the flakes before the kuhlis have a chance at them but they are doing fine (almost 2 years now).

 

[OldMan47]

You need to get the tank cycled before considering removing the UGF. A UGF is one of the best biofilters. When you have a cycled tank, you could start working toward another filter by running one with the UGF for a few weeks but right now the UGF is helping process the ammonia and nitrites.

 

[photoj]

Ok so i'll keep the UGF and the external running until the tank is cycled. How do you know when the tank is finished cycling? I guess i knew it was cycling but never thought about when it would be finished.

Cheers
photoj

 

[OldMan47]

It is basically finished when the ammonia and nitrites are completely undetectable in the tank water. The nitrates will still be gradually increasing. At that point, if your tank is not already full, you could gradually add to the stocking levels at a rate of 10 to 20% more bioload every week or two.

 

[photoj]

Hello everyone. Happy Holidays.

How am I making out. It feels like it's working.
The only concern I have is there is a musty smell from the tank.
Here are my numbers let me know what you think.
Dec 23
Nitrate 0
Nitrite .5
Ammonia 0

Dec 25
Nitrate 0
Nitrite .25
Amonia 0

December 27
Nitrate .5
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0

Cheers
photoj

 

[rdd1952]

In one sense, it appears to be cycling sine your ammonia and nitriate are at zero but on the other hand, if the tank were cycled/cycling, you should have higher nitrates unless you have some type nitrate sponge in your filters or you are heavily planted and the plants are using the ammonia before it can be processed or you are doing daily water changes to keep the levels low. Barring either of those, you should definitely have more than .5 ppm of nitrate at tis point since ammonia is broken down into nitrite such that 1 ppm of ammonia will become 2.7 ppm of nitrite and eventually 3.7 ppm of nitrate.

 

[photoj]

I am doing water changes every other day of about 30%. Nothing in the filter but a mechanical and a Biological. There are four small plants in the tank so i don't think it's that. Should I be worried about the musty smell?

Cheers
Photoj