Starting My First Fishtank

[Timmy_Bee]

well it sounds like your cycle is going well. im thinking it was the gravel that raised the pH. This may lower back down, or it might be buffering it at 8.3... i would keep an eye on this

 

[yancho]

What is exactly buffering? couldn't find a proper easy answer for me to understand

 

[Timmy_Bee]

some substraits such as coral rock react with water over a long period to change characteristics such as pH or kH. My use of buffering was probs the wrong word, and its been a while since A-level chem, so in short:

some things can change the pH in the short term, but after a water change or two, things will be back to normal, but some things (such as coral, or bogwood) can change your pH over a longer peroid

 

[yancho]

Good readings tonight:

Yesterday readings:
PH: 8.3
Ammonia: 4
Nitrite: 5

Today:
PH: 8.3
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 5

Put Ammonia back to 4. Looks like it was me testing for PH badly, and not using the high range ph! Is 8.3 too much for guppies? looks like they stay nice up to 8

 

[Timmy_Bee]

i would hazard a guess that 8.3 will be fine, but if anyone on this forum has got a similar pH, tell us what you keep!

 

[yancho]

Darn. in 12hrs Ammonia is going from 4 to 0.5. Must be the plants heavily eating ammonia! Should I take them out from the aquarium and let them in some water with ammonia every day?

 

[Timmy_Bee]

how long have you been up and running for again? it could be that everything is going according to plan.

Im sure others would disagree here, but surely if your tank is dealing with ammonia (and later sorting out your nitrates/nitrites) then thats good - whether its your filter or your plants doing this...
Im guessing the issue is if its just your plants, you then stock your tank, then your plants die and your in a fish-in cycle...

I would probs take someone else's advice on this...

 

[yancho]

just almost a week. so definately still very early. will keep on feeding ammonia every 12hrs. a bit scared with the fish cycle

 

[Timmy_Bee]

hows it going? any updates?

 

[yancho]

hei tim.

yeah good news ph dropped to 8 - 8.2

ammonia is going from 5 - 0 in less than 12 hrs. i keep feeding ammonia before work (9am) and after (10pm). also i am putting some fish flakes too.

nitrites is the problem. still stuck as 5+

 

[Timmy_Bee]

sounds like stage 1 is finished. just need to get your 2nd batch of bacteria to grow up a bit... all in good time!

 

[yancho]

how much do u think i have to wait for nitrites? seeing it as too long

 

[waterdrop]

A quick glance through your thread did'nt seem to turn up any dosing reduction for 2nd stage, so I'll suggest it: During the first stage (while your waiting for ammonia to drop to zero within 24 hours and to see the first traces of nitrite(NO2)) you're fine to kick it a bit with 4-5ppm of ammonia as the dose each 24 hours (when ammonia has dropped to zero ppm in the previous 24 hours) but once you start the second phase (where nitrite spikes beyond what your test kit can read (5ppm+ usually) then it can help to lower your dosing to 2-3ppm so that not as much nitrite and nitrate is built up (it slows the N-Bac development) and the higher dosing is not really needed again until part way into the third phase of fishless cycling (when nitrite is -also- rapidly dropping each day.)

Hang in there and have patience. You are very lucky to have stumbled across a real hobbyist forum and part of what its trying to teach is the slow nature that's appropriate for good freshwater keeping. There'll be years to enjoy your happy and healthy fish and right now you want to become the best new fishkeeper that you can and that means having a deep understanding of these mysterious bacteria that will be lifelong partners in helping your plants and fish in your crystal tanks!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[yancho]

waterdrop, following your advice i went down from 7ml every 12hrs to 4ml every 12hrs that should be around 2ppm every 12hrs amounting to 5ppm every 24.

is that good? changing temperature should help things?

 

[waterdrop]

Now that you're in the nitrite spike and getting lots of nitrate too, it would be better if you allow the bacteria to use up the ammonia and then starve for some hours before receiving ammonia again. Just do the dose once in a 24 hour period and do the full dose to achieve about 3ppm. Its perfectly ok if the 12 hour test shows zero ppm ammonia and then there's another 12 hours before you dose the tank. Temp should still be 29C/84F.

~~waterdrop~~