Thinking Of Starting A Tank Again!

[eaglesaquarium]

Looking great.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Looking good

Fingers crossed you have got there now

 

[omega59]

So i left my tank for 2 days, i did however add the ammonia drops 2 days ago. Here are my results today... I'll add some more ammonia drops every 3 days I guess then test. So I'll leave it as is for another day, add Ammonia drops leave it and test again in 24hrs.
 
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 20
Ammonia 0

 

[Ch4rlie]

Not quite there yet. But surely getting there, the reading of nitrate and lowering readings of nitrite is a good sign

 

[eaglesaquarium]

 

[omega59]

This is me atm with all this..
 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Sorry, that really made me laugh!
 
   
 
I know its been something of an ordeal for you this cycling lark but believe me, you have done real good
 
A lot of patience and trying to understand the how the cycle works, I reckon you have learned a lot through this, it will go around in your mind a while yet but iwill be sort of a series of little 'clicks' in mind then working out things in your mind. Not one big 'eureka' moment as I hoped for when i first started. Easier than you think, will make perfect sense.
 
Its through the practical procedures and learning bit by bit that will work its way in your head, you just do not know it yet

 

[omega59]

Quick update tonight. And a concern. First the results.

Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 5

My concerns;
Those tiny white floating things are back again (as I posted before) what is this will it ever stop?
Also, while I was scooping water into the testing tubes, I noticed it was burning my fingers, is this normal, is it got something to do with the white stuff?

I'm adding few drops of ammonia for tonight will test tomorrow.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Not sure at all what this "tiny white floating things" are. Did you add new filter floss or anything?
 
Sometimes if you do not rinse off new filter floss before adding to the filter it will leave small white floating particles. Thats the only thing i can think off.
 
But the more pressing concern of the burning of your fingers, I think this may be down to the ammonia from the bottle and there may be some residue of this ammonia on the test tube vials.
 
Always worth thoroughly cleaning the test vials as any residue left can have a effect on further test results. Of course does nto need to be said to be very careful wiht the ammonia itself.
 
I remember you mentioned once before that you accidently had a drop of this ammonia on your finger and it caused a burning sensation, so this sounds like the most likely cause rather than the tiny floating white stuff.
 
BTW the test results are looking good

 

[gale]

Is it okay to dip the tubes into the water to fill them? I was worried about any residual testing solution getting in the water. I have been scooping water into a plastic cup and using a disposable pipette to fill the tubes. 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Is it okay to dip the tubes into the water to fill them? I was worried about any residual testing solution getting in the water. I have been scooping water into a plastic cup and using a disposable pipette to fill the tubes. 

 
You can dip the test tubes into the tank to get sample of water but be sure that the tube has been washed and rinsed. In tap water only btw, do not use any soaps or disinfectants.
 
A tip, if you do want to get a sample of tank water with the tube, be sure to fully immerse the tube under the water and get a sample of water from the middle of the tank really. The surface of the water can contain natural scum/debris that can affect the test results.
 
FYI, I use a turkey baster to get samples of water. Much easier and keeps your hands dry.
 
Simply dip the baster into the water at required depth, squeeze the hand pump bit at the top and slowly realese, it will suck up a certain amount of water, depending on the size of the baster, and the squeeze again when end is in the test tubes and hey presto I have the exact amount of water I want into 4 different test tubes in a matter of seconds. But I always be sure the baster and test tubes are clean before doing so

 
             

 

[omega59]

I just took a quick pic so you can see again these white stuffs. I do make sure to clean and rinse after each test.
 
https/drive.google.com/open?id=0B0_K1FZY2wgBY2VkSVZSVmtCa3M
 
https/drive.google.com/open?id=0B0_K1FZY2wgBRU5UQU5CdGRDOGc
 
Here are todays results (i did add 5 drops of ammonia yesterday)
 
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0

 

[Ch4rlie]

Looks like bubbles or a natural scum on top of water surface which could have been collected from the air around the tank. Water absorbs so much stuff that you would not believe.
 
Be careful that there is no aerosols like deodorants or hairsprays and air fresheners in the same room as the tank as this will be absorbed into the water easily.
 
I get this on one of my tanks from time to time, never really know why to be honest, does nto seem to affect the tank stocking anyway as far as can see. I remove as much surface debris/scum as I can by laying a couple of sheets of normal papaer or plain kitchen paper during weekly water change maintenance, it soaks up the surface stuff much better than anything else i've tried.
 
The test results looks good after 24 hours of adding full dose of ammonia, seems to be progressing nicely. Getting there now :d

 

[omega59]

OKay cool, I'm gonna leave it for another day and test. was i suppose to remove this carbin sack? there is biomax in the lower pocket.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Carbon is only active for a short while so its probably redundant as a affective tool to remove any medication from the water column. But it can be fine as filter media for bacteria to colonise on.
 
Leave the biomax ceramic, this is good stuff for the bacterias to make homes in