# water levels



## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

Jan 22,2008 test

Ammonia - 1.0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 7.6

does this mean my tank is almost cycled?

I started on Jan 11 and I added Multi-purpose (Bio-support (30/ml) bio clean (30/ml) and water conditioner (30/ml). My brother put them all in at the same time. I left the tank as is, then i put some Seachem Prime:

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...prime_250_ml?&query=prime&queryType=0&offset=

and never thought that it might wreck the cycle so I added some fish food on Jan.20 to let rot for a week to get some more bacteria. I just got my test kit today and that is what the levels are.

I will clean out on Sunday and redo the fish food for 1 more week.

When my brother added the packages to the tank, I only added 1 cap a day (3 days)of that seachem prime, and then the fish food last Sunday.

Hope I never wrecked anything.

I will test on Sunday again to see what the levels are.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

datchison said:


> Jan 22,2008 test
> 
> Ammonia - 1.0
> Nitrite - 0
> ...


No.

When your tank is near the end of cycling the ammonia concentration will be zero and the nitrites concentration will be approaching zero.

Something is wrong here but I cannot ascertain what it is via your post.

TR


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2008)

Nothing is wrong with your numbers....you haven't had time to cycle the tank yet, like I mentioned in chat. A cycle takes at the minimum, 4 weeks usually. Sometimes fishless cycling can be faster........but it won't be less than 3 weeks if you don't use any established media.

Prime won't affect your test results, so you didn't wreck it. 

Keep adding the food, a little every day and then when the cycle is over, do a large water change.


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

how large? 30 or 50? then do i put fish in the same day?


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2008)

I'd do more like 75%....vac the decomposing food up, but don't do a gravel vac.......just hover it so you don't disturb the bacteria.....and don't touch the filter. Use dechlorinator with the new water.

You could put fish in the same day after the change.


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

Here is my fish tank as it is now


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

I am going to the store tomorrow and I am goig to get a shrimp to throw in for the bacteria. What kind of shrimp do i get? just in the frozen section? and what do i put it in? so it doesn't make a mess in the tank?


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

Yep, just plain ol' c0cktail (or raw if you prefer) shrimp will do. Put it in a piece of old clean pantyhose and tie it up.


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

I don't have pantyhose lol, what else could i use?


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2008)

a small mesh bag...just something that will allow water to flow freely around the shrimp, but will keep the shrimp contained.

you don't have to put it in a bag, but it's just lot easier for clean up, so you don't have to try and find all of the pieces of shrimp.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

Your gravel!!! It... it Burns my eyes!!!


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## Knight~Ryder (Dec 2, 2007)

Gourami Swami said:


> Your gravel!!! It... it Burns my eyes!!!


haha... I put blue gravel in mine, which reflects very well in the tank...I guess I should get some pictures put up soon.

As far as pantyhose is concerned, dave you'll need to ask the people who live upstairs!


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

Screw it lol, ill just do fish food ( a pinch a day) I will test water levels on Sunday


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

Just go to the dollar store and buy a pack of knee high hose. Only costs a buck. You figure out how to explain it to the clerk. LOL

These are good to have on hand anyway. They work great for emergency intake tube covers (so we don't suck up fry), bags for adding carbon to the filter (for removing meds--cheaper then premade bags), algae scrubbers (slip it on your hand and wipe). You can even cut the net part off of a dip net, slip on a knee high and use it to remove tiny bits of debris from the tank that the siphon or net might miss.

NOTE: Rinse them well in plain water to remove any detergent or other nasties from the factory.


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

Just did my water levels today and again they are the same....

Ammonia - 1.0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 7.6


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