# please help me



## david12 (Nov 18, 2009)

hello i have had mine saltwater tank cycling for a bout 8 days now i have 11 gallon tank i have the bag purgin i think its called and i have .50 Ammonia and 0 nitrite and 10 nitrate today i went to the pet shop they told me i can take the there little white tude that where in tank and put bio balls instead that have been seeded so i did now my filter is kind of slowing down just a bit so what happens now i am a little bit stressed out becuase i wanna get it right and i am only ganna put 2 vloens into the tank by the way and the tank as a bluit in light and a wet and dry filter


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## david12 (Nov 18, 2009)

by the way i ment clown fish lol


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

What?
I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you're trying to say.
I THINK you're asking if adding bioballs from an established tank to your filter will make your tank ready for some clownfish.
The answer is ... maybe. It should definitely help, but to really make sure, get yourself some stuff called "Stability" by Seachem. Adding that to the tank each day for a week will have your tank ready to ride.


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## david12 (Nov 18, 2009)

yes thats what i ment i am sorry for my spelling i dont understand why i have ammonia and nitrites becuase i heard that ammonia goes into nitrites and then goes into nitrites and nitrates is the final stage so i dont under stand that why i have ammonia and nirates at the same time and yes i got the bio balls from the pet shops there own set up they have


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

You have them at the same time because it doesn't ALL switch from one thing to the other at the same time. 
1- Ammonia is constantly produced
2- Bacteria turn it into nitrite.
3- More bacteria turn that nitrite into nitrate
4- Yet more bacteria turn that nitrate into nitrogen

The thing is, each of these different kinds of bacteria have to GROW to a population level high enough to make these changes. If ammonia is constantly produced, you're always going to have it until you finally have enough bacteria in the tank to convert all of it as fast as it is made, thereby making it zero. Before then you'll have the nitrite that your current level of bacteria can produce, and the leftover ammonia that it still can't process.
The same will happen when you go from nitrite to nitrate, so expect it.

"Stability" gives you the bacteria you need right up front, so you don't have to wait so long for them to grow.


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## jrm402 (Jan 21, 2010)

Clownfish too tend to be a pretty hardy fish. If you add the "stability" by Seachem, you can get away with adding your clownfish today. Just remember to follow the directions on the bottle to get a good established amount of bacteria.

About adding the established bioballs: It's near impossible to avoid the new tank ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate spikes. The tank needs time to grow bacteria everywhere, on the glass, plumbing, substrate, decorations, etc. All of this bacteria will help break down fish waste. So you will only be lessening the waste spikes.


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## jrm402 (Jan 21, 2010)

TheOldSalt said:


> You have them at the same time because it doesn't ALL switch from one thing to the other at the same time.
> 1- Ammonia is constantly produced
> 2- Bacteria turn it into nitrite.
> 3- More bacteria turn that nitrite into nitrate
> ...


Don't the bacteria that turn nitrate into nitrogen require an anaerobic condition to flourish? Does stability also provide these beneficial bacteria?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. This can confuse people who don't know it when they don't see much nitrate. 

Also yes, nitrate reduction takes place in low-oxygen environs.


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