Starting My First Fishtank

[Skins]

Hello there,
It was WD who has been helping me complete my fishless cycle. I was doing the same as you and dosing every 12hrs but now I dose every 24. I ended up doing a down to gravel water change to remove the build up of nitrate. Now that I am dosing every 24hrs the nitrogen does not build up so quick.

Skins.

 

[yancho]

ok thanks to you too skins. will do a water change tomorrow / sunday then

cheers!

 

[yancho]

PROBLEM

Some of the plants died and they are releasing ammonia now! Yesterdays reading was 8ppm (and I think darker). Tonight = waterchange!

 

[Timmy_Bee]

ah...

Yeah, make sure the ammonia is lower than that, otherwise you may get the wrong kind of bacteria growing.
How are your nitrite/nitrate levels looking?

 

[yancho]

both over the chart high!

its just that these days most of my plants died (the villasoniorias - whatever their name is] so now they are turning to ammonia. good cleanup tonight

 

[waterdrop]

Full water change with re-dose of ammonia is in order (can't hurt anyway!) WD

 

[yancho]

full water change done. adding 4ml ammonia every 24hrs

nitrite = 5ppm but at least true 5 not over the limit 5
ammonia going to 0 in 24hrs

not adding fish food
cleared all the old plants

 

[waterdrop]

sounds good -WD

 

[OldMan47]

Yancho, the second stage, getting good nitrite processing, often takes about twice as long as the first stage took. As frustrating as it can be to wait that time, it is essential for the ultimate health of your fish. Try thinking of it this way, you spend a whole 8 weeks getting a tank ready for your first fish and enjoy a lifetime of fish keeping with healthy fish. I think the 8 weeks is quite pessimistic, but even that long time is nothing compared to the good time you will enjoy once things get a good start.

 

[yancho]

good news!!!!!! 4ppm from 5ppm in nitrite!!

they are alive \o/

 

[Timmy_Bee]

we're getting there!

 

[yancho]

we're getting there!

0ppm on nitrite now .. now its a case to have 5ppm drop to 0ppm

 

[waterdrop]

Hang in there yancho. WD

 

[Timmy_Bee]

Good stuff! you sorted for what your going to stock in your tank?

 

[Skins]

That finish line seems to be getting ever closer