Too Many Issues To Have An Accurate Topic Title

[Be4st]

Hi all, I'm new to fish-keeping and require some advice/help. I know I have messed up but fish seem to be fine.(misunderstood fish-less cycle) They are feeding well and get very happy when they see me. Pre-warning, this post is going to be quite long as I am going to tell you how I started (from tank setup to now), just so you know the facts and can better tell me what to do.
 
So here goes.
 

• I bought my 50L/11 Gal tank from my local pet store. It came with a 200L filter and shielded lighting. I also purchased roughly half an inch of gravel from there also.
• Once home, I washed every item with warm water and proceeded to set up the tank.
• I filled the tank up with water straight from the tap (no de-chlorinator), turned on the filter and left it running for roughly 5 days.
• I then purchased Tetra Aqua-Safe and added the correct amount and stirred it around slowly with my hands to make sure it was mixed well. Stirred up gravel too to make sure there was no crap resting under there.
• Purchased Air pump, 10" air-stone and heater and set the heater up to run at 24-25 C. (75/77 F).
• I left the tank running again for roughly a week
• I purchased 3 Female Guppies, 2 Female Platys and 3 live plants from Pets@Home and took them straight home.
• Correctly adjusted fish to water temperature whilst still inside the bag for 15 mins and then added water from tank to the bag and left them for another 15 before adding them into the tank. (did not add water from bag. Just the fish. Also added plants/ornaments whilst they were getting adjusted in the bags)
• Realised I needed more gravel to anchor plants, so I purchased more, thoroughly washed it and added it by hand very slowly into the tank. It got a little cloudy but disappeared in 3/4 hours.
• Noticed that the 200L filter was making the water a little to rough on the Guppies so went and purchased a smaller one, washed it out and swapped over filters. (They seemed to enjoy getting launched to the other side of the tank by the filter outlet and swimming against its current)
• Every day for 6 days, I checked water conditions with 'API 5 in 1' test strips and each time reports came back as follows:

GH (General Hardness) - 120 ppm
KH (Carbonate Hardness) - 120 ppm
PH - 7.5
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm

• I read up that strips are inaccurate and was about to order and API Master Test Kit off Amazon. Luckily someone I knew found an unused one in a Car Boot sale and gave me that earlier today.
• I was about to do a 20% water change today but thought I would check the current water quality out before-hand. (Used a test strip and result were exactly the same. Then used Master Test Kit). Results are as follows: 

Ammonia - barely above 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 7.2
 
I know I messed up on the fish-less cycle by not adding Tetra Safe-Start and similar stuff to get the bacteria going. I misread a file and I thought the bacteria would come from the filter seeing as it has it already in there (according to instruction booklet). My fish seem really energetic and happy and love to come to the glass when they see me or my girlfriend near. They are eating OK. I am giving them a small pinch every 12 hours. Enough for them to eat for 3/4 mins at a time. Water is crystal clear also.
 
Now here comes the question time. Questions are in bold for the TLDR people.
 
How is it possible that I have basically 0 across the results board? Live plants + filter working overtime?
Is it still healthy enough for the fish?
Even though the results came back as clean, do I still have to go ahead and change the water/gravel-vac today?
My 10" air-stone is basically on full power. (its under the gravel). It is producing small bubbles at the ends but alot of large ones in the middle. Turning the pressure down stops the outside bubbles and leaves the middle the same. Turning it down more seems to work but i liked bubbles coming across the width of the tank.
Is there a way to make the air-stone produce bubbles more evenly?
 
That's it I think. Thanks in advance for your help guys

 

[daizeUK]

Your filter won't have any bacteria since it's brand new, so I am dubious that your ammonia is really that low.  Your nitrite and nitrate might well be zero but I would expect to see more ammonia in an uncycled tank with 5 fish.  Your 3 live plants are unlikely to be doing all the work.  What is the expiry date on your API kit?
 
You are now doing a fish in cycle which means doing lots of water changes - it's not too late to add some bacteria if you want to help them though, Tetra Safestart isn't a bad idea now.
 
I frankly wouldn't trust your results so I would definitely do at least a 50% water change.

 

[Fluval-1200]

Wish my results would come out like that lol

 

[Ch4rlie]

Ok, a few issues as you say.
 
First, your tank is pretty small am afraid is a bit small for guppies and platies.
These are active swimmers and need quite a bit of swimming space but your numbers are pretty small though so may be ok for now but you will probably need a bigger tank.
 
Yes, you are right, strip test kits are pretty inaccurate. Much better with API liquid test kit, do check the dates on the kit.
As am pretty sure you should have some ammonia and nitrate readings by now but your live plant may be absorbing those. Someone more experienced will probably explain more and see whats going on.
 
Ah, see Daize has got there before me just now while writing this! lol
 
Air pump and airstones don't do very much to a tank unless agitating water surface a lot which will help the bacteria growth.
Airstones are generally just used for decor purposes. A control valve will help control how much air flow you want, most LFS have these and are fairly inexpensive.
 
Really, think you have no bacteria yet in your filter as everything is still new so your cycling process has not yet started really.
 
And yes, you will need to do water changes, every day, several times a day ideally, and gravel vac will help to take out fish poo and uneaten food and also keeps ammonia and nitrites to a manageable level for your fish.
Rotting food does create ammonia and nitrites. And both these are not good for your fish, this is why a fishless cycle is best as if mistakes are made, no fish will suffer.
 
I may actually recommend you take back your fish to the LFS or re-home them as its gonna be hard work for both you AND the fish if you carry on with a fish in cycle.
 
 
 

Wish my results would come out like that lol

 
I think these results are false to be honest, as there is no way there is no ammonia after 6 days, plants do absorb some ammonia but not that much really IMO. 
 
I'd much rather have readings that show small amount of ammonia and nitrites as this would show something is happening in regards to the cycle. All zeros and only pH showing a number, not the best for cycling.

 

[Be4st]

Thanks guys. I just went and did my water change, heated and treated the water before putting it back in the tank. I think my Master Test Kit may be out of date. I'l take a test tube of tank water tomorrow to the LFS and see if they can do an Ammonia Test. I doubt it though. I never even saw an Ammonia/Master Test for sale there but I'll try find someone at least. I live in a small town and my LFS is an 'everything' type of pet shop. I normally go 30'ish miles to a bigger one but cannot make it there for 2/3 weeks due to car trouble.

 

[Be4st]

Ok... An update to the water quality. I had a buddy do a test for me today and the results came back as:
Ammonia - 1.0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 15
PH - 7.2
 
I haven't changed the water since my last post. I also found a snail in my tank which I removed. 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Do a 90% water change now.
 
Ammonia will need to be reduced asap.

 

[Fluval-1200]

Do a 90% water change now.
 
Ammonia will need to be reduced asap.

Lol 90%

 

[Ch4rlie]

 

Do a 90% water change now.
 
Ammonia will need to be reduced asap.

Lol 90%
 

What? Why do you lol at 90% water change?
 
OP stated he has 1.0 PPM ammonia in his tank, doing a 90% water change will reduce this to 0.1ppm, still not ideal.
 
Op has fish in his tank.........

 

[Fluval-1200]

90% will most likely remove most ammonia yes, but then start another mini cycle and he will have similar results in the next couple of days.
20 - 25% every day for about a week would be better.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Thats a better explanation rather than lol at my post. Quite offensive if am honest. Thought was helping.

 

[Be4st]

Done the water change. Only removed about 30% water as I ran out of Tetra Aqua-Safe. Will have to get some more tomorrow. My buddy mentioned using something called Seachem instead of Tetra Aqua-Safe. It apparently lasts longer so you get more bang for your buck so to speak

 

[Fluval-1200]

Done the water change. Only removed about 30% water as I ran out of Tetra Aqua-Safe. Will have to get some more tomorrow. My buddy mentioned using something called Seachem instead of Tetra Aqua-Safe. It apparently lasts longer so you get more bang for your buck so to speak

That is true, seachem stuff lasts a long time

 

[daizeUK]

Seachem Prime, yes it's definitely good value.
 
I agree with Charlie, 'lol' was a bit rude and unhelpful.
 
Now I'm going to disagree with both of you and suggest that 50-70% would be ideal   The reason being that you want to get your ammonia under 0.5ppm asap but with a pH of 7.2 they should be able to cope with 0.25 - 0.5ppm for a short while.

 

[Be4st]

Great, I will get some of that too if i can find it in my LFS. If not, I'l order some off the net