shollia

Well I'm not sure.
I MIGHT have a .5 reading, but those test strips are so hard to read.
I'm gonna see about getting a liquid one but we won't probably get one til this weekend.. if that.

I'll continue to do the small water changes though.

Thanks for the help!

shollia

YAAAY

Finally after what seems like forever.... we're finally starting to get nitrite readings!! WOO!
Even though we still haven't gotten liquid testers yet.... the strips are definitly picking up nitrite in the water.
I was starting to get a bit worried that I was doing too many water changes there for a min when the ammonia kept reading at 2.0 and didn't seem to be going down or going up any, but I didn't want to stop the water changes fearing that my fish would get more stressed than they already are.
I'm just glad that I'm finally seeing signs that our tank is indeed cycling.... slowly... but surely.
Now I just have to keep at it and make sure my fish come out as good as possible... BOY I wish I had actually read and paid attention to the cycling....I let our impatience get the better of us.. but that won't happen again whenever we get another tank

0morrokh

Sweet So now you're halfway done... (I can hear you yelling, noooooo, only HALF way!!??!!) hehe just messin with you No actually I think once you get nitrites the cycle picks up a bit. Hopefully you'll be done cycling pretty soon.
You're doing right to do water changes if the ammonia readings are 2...that's WAY too high, in fact if they won't lower I would advise doing even bigger changes. Although...it's possible the strips are lying (like they will sometimes do) and giving you a higher reading than you actually have. :P

shollia

Pooo... you had me going there for a minute! heh... Even though half way through isn't that bad!

Oh no no... we went out and got a liquid ammonia tester
We just don't have ones for the other things to test for.. such as nitrite/nitrate. I'm still stuck using the strips for those.. but we've had the liquid ammonia test for a little while now* heh

I tested twice today.... first time the color was a bit lighter than it has been... also tested about an hour ago and the color is alot lighter... from the chart.. the ammonia is at 1.0.
If it's still that low tomorrow I'll still do the regular 10% water change, but if it's back to 2.0 again I'll do a bigger water change

0morrokh

Actually I think you'd better do a bigger water change even if the ammonia is reading 1.0--that sounds low but technically any level over .25 is very toxic. The ammonia shouldn't go back up to 2.0 at this point since it's beginning to convert to nitrite. You'll want to make sure to at least get the nitrite liquid test kit so you can accurately monitor the nitrite spike. Once you start getting nitrites you should try to keep them at a max fo 0.5 ppm.

shollia

I was only going to do a 0% again today, b/c the ammonia read at about 0.5... but I went ahead and did a 20% water change b/c from the strips.. it seems that the nitrites are getting pretty high.
It looks like we're getting nitrate readings as well.
Uunfortunatly.. I dunno if we're gonna be able to go to the petstore once again... even though i really want to. BF has to work late tonight and well.. I don't drive.. *sigh*

shollia

Oh the ammonia is disappearing so fast!! This is just so exciting! *squeels*
The nitrites seem to be spiking though... and according to ths trips I'm getting nitrate readings.
So about how much longer do you folks think our tank has before it's done cycling?

We still haven't gotten those dang liquid nitrite and nitrate testers yet *smacks bf mentally*... I'm making my brother take me out to the petstore tomorrow though so I can get some... and possibly a tank for my desk muahahaha.... :P If I do get one.. I'll definitely be cycling it fishless!

shollia

Alrighty.... I did tests today... and the ammonia was ALMOST gone. The color was almost yellow that indicates it's 0 ammonia.

I got my brother to take me out to ge tthe nitrite and nitrate liquid testers finally (thank god one was on sale.. expensive!! sheesh.. but also grabbed a 10gal tank! muahahaha)
Came home and tested both of those and well....
It looks like both nitrite and nitrate are spiking really bad.
I'm not sure what's going on... is this normal?

From the chart and the color the water turned... nitrites were almost at the max 5.... while nitrates were between 40-80. I did a 50% water change b/c I got really worried...... I just thought that nitrites were supposed to spike.. then would go down and nitrates would gradually go up?

0morrokh

Did you mean your nitrites are 5 or .5?

I'm not sure if it's normal or not to get such a high nitrite and nitrate spike. Could be your tap water. Fill a glass with tap water, let it sit overnight, and test it for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

Make sure from now on your nitrites don't get above .25 and your nitrates don't get above 20. Although, with so few fish in such a big tank, you shouldn't need to worry about nitrates unless you are overfeeding.

shollia

Ya know, that's probably it.... me overfeeding them. I fed them less for a little while then went right back to my "Oh they look hungry!.. Lemme feed them!" ways
I'll watch how much I'm feeding them.

I just did another test... nitrites were at .25 and nitrates were at 20.
Hoping those stay low... hate doing large water changes.. I have to take out the breeders net and stick it into a container of water really quick.. always makes me so nervous that the fry are gonna get stressed from that.


In lighter news.. sorta... I set up the 10gallon finally! YAY!
Think I'm gonna have to get a new air pump though... and another air wand thing.... and a divider... and gravel.... and plants.. and decor...... and new bulbs that don't light up with a pee yellow color...... other than that.. YAY!!! Another step closer to my bettas... muahahahaha

0morrokh

Glad to hear your water parameters are back into the safe zone. With only--4, right?--danios in there, you do not need to be feeding much at all. They say that you should feed what the fish can eat in 3-5 minutes...well that's a bunch of I won't say what, if you fed them as much as they could eat for that long they'd explode. Remember a fish's stomach is only as big as their eye. A couple flakes each, twice a day, is all they need. I know it's soooo hard to resist their begs and pleads...but less food = less water changes hehehehe.

Well I'm glad you set up your 10 gal. Let me know if you have any questions about cycling it fishless. You're going to have a divided tank with a male and female Betta, right?--or am I thinking of someone else?

shollia

That's me!*

Think I should wat to try to start cycling it until I have some gravel? Or doing it without some will be fine? Dunno why keeping some would make any difference.. but well.. ya never know heh.

Question about fishless cycling.... all I have right now is fishfood to start with... if later on down the road I get my hands on some ammonia.. would it be ok to start using it instead of the food? Would that mess up what cycling was already done to the tank or anything like that?

Oh and also... with using the flakes cycling.... about how long would that take? Like just a guesstimate.
Oh and another one... heh...... during the cycling.. do I need to be using an airpump?

0morrokh

It doesn't matter what you're cycling with--as long as you're providing a source fo ammonia, the bacteria aren't picky eaters However...once your other tank is cycled you can take some used media from that filter and put it into the new tank, and you have an instant cycled tank. Or you could run the new filter in the cycled tank for 2 weeks and that will seed it.

If you cycle with flakes...differen't people say different times. It took me around 7 weeks to cycle with flakes but others say they did it in 3-4. If you can get ammonia though I have heard of people cycling a tank with that in just a week (though that's unusual...). Or, you can cut time if possible and use one of my 'cheat' methods I described above.

If the air pump is just to run an air stone for oxygen/circulation purposes then no, I don't think you would need it while cycling.

I think that answers all your questions, let me know if there's anything I missed.

shollia

I keep seeing that mentioned to use some of the filter media to cycle the other tank with...exactly how is that done? Am I supposed to cut some of the filter off of the cycled tank (whenever it's done that is) and just plop it into the new filter? Wouldn't that mess up the cycled filter any? Or am I supposed to have a backup filter for the cycled tank? heh

Thanks for answering all my questions!! I'm so giving you a mental hug and highfive right now :P lol

0morrokh

You're welcome
If you choose the cheat method of using old filter media....just cut some of the old, cycled filter media from the old filter and put it into the new filter. What I might do is cut the old media in half and put new media in the "old" tank--and then stick a half of the old media in behind the new media in both filters. What kinds of filter do you have in each tank?
Taking out some of the filter media doesn't hurt a matured tank because there is so much good bacteria everywhere it can easily re-multiply to make up for what is lost. After all, you will eventually need to change the filter media when it becomes clogged.
However, if you are still worried, the most fool-proof method of 'cheating' is just running the new filter in a cycled tank...then you don't need to worry about losing bacteria in the old tank.

shollia

Not sure what kind of filters we have... it's just whatever came with the aquarium.. some sorta Top Fin brand... the filters look like well.... a bagged air conditioner filter.


Anywho! I swear my fish are going to give me a freaking heart attack!!!!
Came home from petsmart (wanted to get a heater but dang are they expensive!).... and looked in my tank to see how fish are doing... and guess what??
My gal with fin rot is missing!!! I looked around the entire tank and she was nowhere! Then I was messing with some stuff.. and to my surprise.. I see a tiny little tail sticking out from under one of the bigger black rocks we have in the tank!! OMG I about had a heartattack! I got ir off of her.. and a few others that were apparently on her and she darted out. WHEW. I'm glad I found her when I did.... I dunno if she did it on purpose.. or was perhaps looking for food or something and the rock fell on her... but that scared the bejebus out of me.

0morrokh

Fish do have a tendency to like giving their owners heart attacks. :P Glad she's ok.

Are your filters the power filters that hang on the back of the tank and sucks the water up through a tube?

shollia

Yep.. those are the kind we have.

The one my mom gave me also has one of those but unfortunatly, her tank wasn't built for that type of filter apparently b/c the top doesn't fit when you have a power filter* It's alright for now, but I'm just afraid my brother's little 2 yr old is going to stick something in there when no one is looking. She's been good so far around the new tanks. Just looking and not touching them, but the little tank is closer to her reach so.. ya never know*

Update on my fin rot gal.. I haven't moved her into her* quarantine tank yet.... I'm going to as soon as I wake up tomorrow though Once again, to my horror.. when I went to check the nitrite and all that mess, I noticed that she's now missing half of her tail fin. How that happened is beyond me. Maybe when she darted out she hit the plastic plant and it cut it off, or maybe I did it by accident when I was freeing her.. or something.. *shrugs* It doesn't look "nipped"... just looks like it was cut off cleanly.

Anywho! How long should I keep her in the hospital tank? My brother got me tetracycline tablets for the finrot.. and it says it's a 5 day treatment... but should I keep her in longer?
If I do, then when should I do a water change after I stop medicating? Right afterwards?

EDIT: Think I'm going to stick the male in there as well. His fins are a bit frayed and it wouldn't hurt just in case would it?