My Fishless Cycle

[Twinklecaz]

Lol thanks. That's what I've done a few times and it's exactly the same. Yesterday though I held the test against the white of the test card and up to the window and it was definitely just yellow. But I do know what you mean about the thick thing. I think it should be a very light clear yellow should it like the Nitrite is but blue? ? ?

I think I'm gonna get/order the Salfiert kits this weekend and see what they tell me. I just think it would be very strange for me to have this is plain untreated tap water and maybe it's just how I'm reading it

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, Caz, that's exactly how I think of it! There is this "quality" that's hard to describe of the clarity of both the ammonia yellow zero and the nitrite blue zero that the API kits can give that are somehow very like each other. Its almost as if its an "opacity" (state of being not opaque) thing rather than a "hue" property. They both just get very clear and crisp but tinted to their respective colors. I'll bet all of you, a year down the road after your filters have been performing properly will know these colors well.

Caz, if you try the Salifert comparisons I'd be delighted to hear your observations and impressions. I've always wanted to try them but just have never got around to it as they say. I've always believed Truck that they are better and seen many other writeups to that effect in other posts and websites. It doesn't change the concept though that OM and I espouse that in the end all the testing is more about "a process" than a particular value on a particular day and once you've learned that, you can get past a lot of funny stuff along the way.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Twinklecaz]

I'm gonna wait to see if I can get them at this new LFS I'm going to tomorrow and if not I'll order them online. I need a smaller syphone too .

 

[Twinklecaz]

Just did a random 12 hour test and both Ammonia and Nitrite were 0.25 ( Ammonia may have been nearer 0.50 couldn't decide) so that's an improvement. Again, I'm not gonna both putting it in my log as it was just a random sneaky peek but it seems to be progressing well

 

[PDSimon]

What fish you planning on getting?

 

[JoshuaA]

Just did a random 12 hour test

Can it be called "random" if you have done it specifically on 12 hours ?

 

[Twinklecaz]

Ah but I chose the day randomly

Simon, I'm planning to get:

3 x Male Platy ( not sure on mix but maybe one Red Wag, one Red and one Blue)

2 x Honey Gourami (hopefully one Golden and one Red - both female). If not maybe one Dwarf though.

6 x Panda Cory

and then in about 6 months time 6 Green Neons if I can find them but ordinary ones if not.


I went to another LFS today and they had the biggest choice of Platys I've seen anywhere. Not all their tanks were that healthy though so I'm not sure on using them. I'm starting to wonder if I'm setting my standards too high. I don't know what's "reasonable". One of the tanks had a dead platy in that looked like it had been there a while, another had a dead betta and a one platy tank had one random guppy and one random neon in which just annoyed me. Other than that a few tanks had fish that looked unhealthy but I don't know if all these reasons are enough to write them off or if overall they're fine.

 

[JoshuaA]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm setting my standards too high.

I think the way to do it is ask them if anything is up with them. Ask them if they have quarantine tanks, If they haven't then what you could be seeing on display could well be their quarantine tank. Ask about the dead ones too and why they haven't removed them.

You may find they had a pump failure or a electrical cutout during the night and upset the fish. You also might find they had an outbreak or infect fish introduced into the tank.

Also ask about their filter system... I know a lot of stores have one big sump system for the whole display (Pets at home) and all their water is off the same heater as well not accommodating for the individual needs of the fish. The place I worked at had sections of tanks on filters and separate quarantine tanks out of view. (Q'tine was only like 3 days though I think). Then the new place I found for when I do stock my girlfriends tank has individual heaters and filters for every single tank. So the room is a noise of filters! If they have ill fish and its a store like P@H you probably can guarantee any fish you get may well be infected.

 

[Twinklecaz]

It was one in a garden center. I think I just want them to ok because they have such a good choice of Platys.

I have one more to check out which I have to wait for coz they're having a refurb. I emailed the guy who runs it and he said they have all the fish I want but I'm best to wait until after the refurb.

You're right, I need to be less shy with asking questions. I never ask any of them anything!

 

[OldMan47]

If there are fish that are dead for long periods of time in a tank, and those fish are in plain sight, avoid the place. If you spot a single dead fish behind an ornament or something, let them know and watch their reaction. They should be eager to get the dead fish out of the tank ASAP.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks OM. There was also one with what looked like white fluff on it. What's that Fungus?

 

[JoshuaA]

If there are fish that are dead for long periods of time in a tank, and those fish are in plain sight, avoid the place. If you spot a single dead fish behind an ornament or something, let them know and watch their reaction. They should be eager to get the dead fish out of the tank ASAP.

This ^

If you did drama in your secondary education you may be able to watch their "stage reaction face", if you see walk away!

 

[waterdrop]

White fluff is usually fungus. I still advocate visiting a store off and on over a long period of time. Sometimes you can enter a store at a time when they've recently received new shipments and its a pretty common occurance to have shipment losses that must be removed. In a busy shop that can take time. Some places also have larger variation in the quality of stock that comes in with different shipments. That can be another wild card in what you find on different trips.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Twinklecaz]

I got the Salifert kits.

Firstly I can see why Truck considers them more accurate. When the reading it 0 then the test should stay the colour of the water (only issue I can see with this is if you have tannins) so there's not a lot of way you can mistake it. BUT......I think I still prefer the API ones. There's a lot more faffing with the Salifert ones. You have to add a bit of solution and then shake it up, add a bit more etc. I think when you're doing 2 tests a day it could become a pain. I will however keep these tests and use them for when I have my fish and I'm not testing so often.

Can you buy the API tests seperately or do they only come as the whole kit?

 

[JoshuaA]

Can you buy the API tests seperately or do they only come as the whole kit?

Yeh you can get them individually but theyre some what expensive compared to the price of just another master test kit.