Diana

Just starting up a 10 gallon aquarium, don't know what I am doing, have been attempting the fishless cycle. One week later, it's zeroing out the ammonia from 5 to 0 in about eight hours (happy happy joy joy) so, should I keep feeding the aquarium enough ammonia to get it up to 4, or just 1 while I am waiting for the nitrates? Is it okay if it sits for awhile at zero, or do I have to feed it every eight hours to keep the ammonia eating bacteria happy? The various references seem to cite both. My issue is that (at this particular instant in time) I am thinking of dumping a small school of tetras in there (once it's completely cycled), which will pretty much max out the aquarium, and since I am hoping they will be a school, I am guessing I should add them all at once. I may be wrong in this assumption.

Diana

Also, any suggestions on good kinds of tetras that max out at 2" or less (preferably less)? I'm thinking of something other than neons or green tetras, as they would be the only fish in there. I saw some pretty ones called black skirts, but they're probably too big.

pepetj

When that happens you can still feed the same amount of ammonia once a day.

I've fed twice a day but keeping at low end.

Both scenarios same result.

Besides the beautiful Neon (1.5") there are interesting small sized tetras out there:
The rummy nose (2")
Glowlight (1.5")
Head and Tail Light (2")
Bloodfin (2")
Slender (2")

If you combine Neon and Glowlight Tetras (mine school together at times) you could probably keep four of each (12" fish for 10gal is not a misdemeanor to me).

With good filtration (Say HOB at 100GPH plus a Sponge filter) and adequate substrate (sand instead of gravel), once the tank "matures" (say five or six months) and with three or four Anubias barteri var nana there (no need to upgrade lights, add ferts or CO2) I would even place three Khuli Loaches juveniles, four Ghost Shrimps and one Nerite Snail.

That's what I would do with a 10gal, with weekly maintenance routine and without overfeeding. Small tanks are way unstable in water parameters.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

Peterpiper

As there are 2 types of bacteria at work with the cycle, you will need to keep adding the ammonia, the nitrites will take longer to start to fall.. so just keep adding the ammonia to 4ppm every 12 hours and when you have 0 for ammonia and nitrites your done!

Diana

Thank you for the suggestions - I'll look into the plant. Currrently, I have something fernish in the process of turning crunchy and a sword something that seems happy. The tetras you mention all sound nice. Any of them would make a nice school. As for the other stuff, well, I'm very good at killing things, so I will try to be conservative until I build up more confidence. Besides, the aquarium is the standard setup from the TopFin kit, with gravel and no foam filter, so I don't think I should push the envelope too far, yet.

DE88ROX

Great advice from the above posters.

But as far as Tetras are concerned. I bought 6 Serpea Tetras for my tank. They add some color and school togther and seem to be very hardy. White Cloud Minnows (chinese danios) are also great fish.

JMO of course.....GOOD LUCK!!!!

aquarist48

Cardinal Tetras would be nice. Bigger than Neons and not susceptible to neon disease.

Lucy

They are gorgeous fish, but don't they do better in an established tank?

Diana

Sigh.

Nitrites and Nitrates both off the chart for DAYS



(Not that I'm impatient or anything

)

Since nitrites and nitrates are sorta similar, could my little API 5 in 1 test strips be sort of mixing them up?



(Incidently, you have way too interesting of smilies here. Wish I could find a reason to use this smilie

)

djbrist

Hi Diana, I use the master test kit from api, I've used strips too but I know the kit is more accurate and reliable as may others will tell you also, save the money and get a kit when you can. And...... be patient, thats what I have learned and am continuing to learn.

Dave

Diana

'Kay, I'm just doomed, here. Gave up, coughed up the $$ for the master test kit, did the nitrite test. . .

And it comes out GREEN?!

Um, there is no green on the chart. It goes red to blue.

So does green mean

a.) COOOL! It's really close to sky blue. Must mean we got those little nitrites zapped
b.) I am sooooooo (bad word). The nitrites are so high they are beyond the capacity of the test
c.) Dufus! You need to shake the tester solution bottle a bit more.

??

Sharkitty

Diana, I love you already.

Check the lot number on your nitrite bottle. It will tell you when it was manufactured. If it's 06 or earlier I'd blame the age. If not, do the test again. Make sure you have rinsed the tube extremely well (I would think soap remnants could totally screw up your readings). Get back to us after that and we will continue diagnosing.

And bravo for cycling fishless.

Oh, and to weigh in on fish choice, Serpaes are really adorable and rummy nose have the cutest tails ever. Those get my votes.

Sharkitty

Also . . .

Ammonia readings are green. And the nitrate test bottle 2 is the one that needs to be shaken. Did you maybe forget which one you were testing when you looked at the cards?

EDIT: Totally goofed my tests/colors in the first post.

joy1125

My API liquid nitrAte test colors start at yellow-0- thru oranges (middle range) to dark brick red (highest).

The API nitrIte colors start at aqua blue (0) to violet (middle) then to dark fuschia (the highest)

Diana, are you getting green on your ammonia test? I had very dark green when my ammonia was up. My API starts at yellow for 0, through lite greens (for middle ranges) to dark green as highest.

Diana

Shook the heck out of the bottle and whacked it on the table a few times, double-checked expiration date and that it was the nitrite, rinsed the tube really well, and did the test again. There is a quick flash of very deep magenta, then it progresses through the color chart and turns a lovely spring green.

Thought some bad words, told it I would show it, and tested some plain old tap water. It swirled a bit, no magenta flash, and then turned Sky blue.

Rinsed, shook, tested the aquarium water: deep magenta flash, then lightened progressively through the colors spending a moment or two on lavender, seemed to be turning light blue, but kept going to green.

Decided to play with the nitrate test instead. It came out a lovely gold that perfectly fit in between 5.0 and 10.

Maybe I should make my local fish store test it.

Sharkitty

Never trust your LFS. That's theme here.

Look at the little stamp on the top of the bottle. Something like 04LOT0908.

Very, very strange results are you getting. You don't need to shake the nitrite bottle though - that might affect it?

What is your ammonia at?

Sharkitty

Shoot, sorry, you just said you checked the date. I got nothin'. That is very, very odd.

Did you buy it somewhere with a decent return policy?

Diana

Ah, the ammonia test is turning green! I had been getting lazy and depending on the indicator hung in the tank, because the liquid test had been agreeing with it, but the liquid test for ammonia I just did shows 2.0. Okay, the mystery seems resolved. I'll give overnight to clear out that ammonia and then try testing nitrites again.

Thank you - I was getting rather confused!

joy1125

Since you are just getting nitrates, and they are still low, your nitrites should be very high, indicative of the flash of magenta on your test. (I'm at the same place you are with my cycling tank#2. I have lite gold on nitrates, and dark pink on nitrites)


But I do I think you have a defective test kit. I'd get a new one so it doesn't drive you crazy ! It's hard enough trying to decipher those colors, even when the test is working properly !

joy1125

Glad you figured it out Diana ! Good luck.