New To Fishkeeping, Help Needed

[JAYMK2]

If you get a master test kit like the one I linked to, it will contain everything you need: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

For the time being, half water changes should do fine.

cheers for all your help mate
everything is much clearer now

 

[JAYMK2]

ok so i picked up a Nutrafin mini test kit but i am still confused about what reading im looking for, i am going to do a water change now in a little while and i got some API declorinator to add into new water

what else do i need to do?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

At the moment the ammonia reading is the most important and that has to be kept below 0.25ppm with water changes. But test the tap water first as that may have ammonia in it already. Which API dechlorinator did you buy because there are two and one doesn't detoxify the ammonia, that's API tap safe.

 

[JAYMK2]

At the moment the ammonia reading is the most important and that has to be kept below 0.25ppm with water changes. But test the tap water first as that may have ammonia in it already. Which API dechlorinator did you buy because there are two and one doesn't detoxify the ammonia, that's API tap safe.

i'll do another test in a while, one of tap water and one of tank water and see what it is

and API stress coat, it says makes tap water safe?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

API stress coat, it says makes tap water safe?

Yes that one detoxifies any ammonia so it's fine.

 

[JAYMK2]

ok so earlier i done the first test of my tank

it showed there was alot ofNitrite in the tank so i done a 50% water change and left it for a few hours

iv come back now with a fresh test and i think there is something wrong

Nitrate - 0
Ph - 7/8
Ammonia - 0
Ammonia from tap - 0
Nitrite - 0

the test kit isn't changing the color of the water apart from the ph tube, maybe the tank is safe?

only thing added to the tank was API stress coat which was mixed with new water during the change?

J

 

[Cossie1111]

Looks like your water change cleared things up for the time being.

It also seems that the ammonia spike is over, and thats why you got a reading of high nitrite.

Once you get a reading of nitrate, you know that the nitrogen cycle is taking place.

 

[littlenemo]

another case of bad advise from the local fish shop.

 

[JAYMK2]

Looks like your water change cleared things up for the time being.

It also seems that the ammonia spike is over, and thats why you got a reading of high nitrite.

Once you get a reading of nitrate, you know that the nitrogen cycle is taking place.

so at the moment the tank is all good?

 

[Mowbz]

Also im not to sure, but those "algae suckers" could be chinese algae eaters (i think thats what there called) which will grow up to be very aggesive and kill your fish. You need to wait for someone more experienced to confirm this point.

i highly doubt they will, there quite a stupid fish haha stuck to the side of the tank all the time LOL

If it does indeed turn out to be a CAE, Cossie is right, they will grow up and likely develop a taste for the slime coat and eyes of other fish.

From an inexperienced keeper, "i highly doubt they will" is a little crazy. Especially since you set up the tank on bad advice.

I know you;ve only just joined and its blunt, but its true, they make very bad community fish, and will start to devour their tankmates as they get bigger, tearing off scales causing infection etc.