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cycling a new tank

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zappa
Post subject: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:32 pm
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i recently got back into keeping fish and started a 20 gallon long. i have some experience with keeping fish but have a whole lot to learn, still. i want some help interpreting the results of my water tests.

i am 18 days into cycling the tank with a single feeder gold fish. i have been doing 50-75% water changes every other day. i was slacking a bit and only picked up a test kit yesterday. i tested the ammonia and nitrites last night. the ammonia was at .25 and the nitrites i estimated at 4 (it is hard for me to tell the differences on the color chart for nitrites). i did a 75% water change.

today, i tested again, including testing the ph and ammonia levels of the tap water.

the water from the tap had an ammonia reading of .5 and a ph of 8.4

the tank water had an ammonia reading of .25 and a ph of 7.4 (i am guessing because of the drift wood in the tank)

nitrites of the tank water tested at 4 and nitrates of 80

i am curious as to why my nitrates are testing so high. i feed the one gold fish just a very small amount, once daily. like one flake crushed up. when i started the tank i used substrate from a tank i had been running a couple years ago. i am wondering if perhaps there was fish waste/some food in the substrate which is causing some issues?

i am going to bump up the water changes and do them daily instead of every other...50-75%.

any help interpreting my readings would be very much appreciated. thanks.


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Admin
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:09 pm
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i am 18 days into cycling the tank with a single feeder gold fish.
you are workin WAY to hard
just set up the tank
put a few hardy fish in add some filter bacteria and/or seachem stability


i have been doing 50-75% water changes every other day.
stop
if you want it to cycle
you are flushing the food for the good bacteria awa
y

i was slacking a bit and only picked up a test kit yesterday. i tested the ammonia and nitrites last night. the ammonia was at .25 and the nitrites i estimated at 4 (it is hard for me to tell the differences on the color chart for nitrites).
how? there is nothing to produce ammonia
i did a 75% water change.
don't do that for a week at least

today, i tested again, including testing the ph and ammonia levels of the tap water.

the water from the tap had an ammonia reading of .5
your test kit is wrong
there can not be ammonia in tap water unless there is something dead in the source water
like a cow or one hundred cows in the resevior

and a ph of 8.4
not abnormal
I would not worry about the pH
but continue to check it every month or so


the tank water had an ammonia reading of .25 and a ph of 7.4 (i am guessing because of the drift wood in the tank)
normal in a new tank

nitrites of the tank water tested at 4 and nitrates of 80
then you are cycled
you can't have nitrAte
until you have the bacteria that eats nitrIte


i am going to bump up the water changes and do them daily instead of every other...50-75%.
don t change the water anymore
for a while
well
change 30 % twice a month, once you get going with fish in there

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zappa
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:33 pm
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what you're telling me goes against a lot of what the people at the site aquatic community are telling me...not sure who to believe but want to get it right.

the test kit i am using is an api master test kit for fresh water. is there a better choice?


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Admin
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:44 pm
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I'm right

get tank
put water in
turn filter on
put filter bacteria in (we have 1000 gallons of it, free)
put fish in
change 30% of the water twice a month
feed fish
enjoy fish
live happily ever after

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zappa
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:49 pm
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so you can give me some filter media from an established tank!?!?!? that is awesome!! i will be by tomorrow. by the way, when will you have some nannacara anomala in?


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Admin
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:51 pm
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of course

don t know about the anomala
not rare
just not commonly kept or traded

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zappa
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:20 pm
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that is such great news and makes everything so much easier...will come by the store friday. i have bought nannacara anomala from you in the past and really like them. was hoping to keep them again. when i called the store the other day the kid that answered said you had some a couple weeks ago and would probably have them again sometime soon.


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zappa
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:37 pm
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wanted to say thank you for the bag of bacteria i picked up at your store today. im starting to think of stocking ideas for the tank. i am planning on moving the gold fish to a friend's pond or rehousing it in my 45 gallon bow. not sure yet.

i am hoping to keep a breeding pair of dwarf cichlids in the 20 gallon long but not sure what to go with. open for suggestions.

thanks again for your help.


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Admin
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:58 am
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we have hundreds of species

you are going to have to pick your favorites

dwarf cichlids are a good idea

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zappa
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 4:36 pm
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gonna go with a pair of the cacatuoides from your shipment on 10/7

looking forward to it.


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Admin
Post subject: Re: cycling a new tank
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:26 pm
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actually they should be arriving late tomorrow night

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