Hussain

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and just started a new tank 15Gal, (60Liter). With 20 watt fluorescent compact light.

At first when i built my tank i did the following steps:
1- Putted a layer of Tetra complete substrate.
2-Cover it with some gravel.
3-Added some tetra Initial Sticks.
4-Cover it with some gravel.
5- Added tetra nitrate Minus.
6- Added gravel.
7- Filled the tank with water to the half.
8- Putted my plants and fixed the filter (added Tetra Bactozym in the filter) + heater plus the air pump.

In the first 24 hours of the tank started there was cloudy water and it disappeared now. But after 2 days water looks little greenly. (By Mistake when i was adding tetra AquaSafe to the tap water, i've added 20ml extra to the 15gal tank.

The reading now is:
Temperature: 78 Fahrenheit (25 Celsius).
nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
GH: 10
KH: 10
pH: 7.6

There is no ammonia i think because i didn't add anything to the tank yet. and my test strips doesn't show the ammonia level. only Nitrite and Nitrate.

My Questions is:
1- Do i have to keep the Air pump running during the nitrogen cycle?
2- Is it normal to have a green water in the first days? (Picture attached),
3- Do i have to put ammonia to the tank or keep it like that?

I would be very thankful for any suggestions and comments.
Thanks.

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navyscuba

I not familiar with some of the products that you used but I don't see a form of ammonia added into the water if you don't have an ammonia source your tank will never cycle. I would add a piece of raw Shrimp hanging in mid water. or add fish food everyday. As the food of shrimp decay will transform into ammonia that will feed your nitrifying bacteria and your cycle will begin. Check this first. http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Good Luck.

Hussain

I've Added the shrimp. And waiting for the result, Thanks for the help navyscuba

Any addition comments or suggestions are welcome

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soccermatt

looks like your off to a good start. My only suggestion would be to buy a decent liquid test kit (API's is good). A master test kit will include all the required tests and last you a long time. Liquid test kits are also much more aqurate then test strips.

Good luck with your fish tank.

Hussain

Thanks for suggestion, I will get the kit by this weekend.

Regards,

HitchHiker

Are those live plants in your tank? It looks really nice.

Hussain

Yes, those are live plants, Cant wait to put in the tetras.

thank you.

navyscuba

Ok that's a good start. You said you are getting the test kit right? Ok Well my only thing now is find a piece of fishing line that you can hang the shrimp to the top with something so the shrimp will be in mid water. You don't want the shrimp to decay totally in one spot on the gravel. As soon as you get readings your readings good you can pull the shrimp out(remember it will smell) and just add food like you had fish in the tank Until you get your fish. So in the meantime is a good time to do some homework and look for what type of fish you want and can be in a 15 gal tank.

Furallicah

I noticed your concern for the color of the water. And in the pictures with the shrimp added it seemed to be less. My question is, is your tank getting sunlight? Sunlight can lead to alge. It could also be from the plants, and due to the fact that the plants ferterlizer has phosphrous in it means that alge can grow much easier. It should lessen over the next few days though.

Hussain

Im at work right now. once i go back home, i will put the shrimp on the middle of the tank. but until when i should keep it? ammonia reading, or NH2 reading?

Thanks.

Hussain

Well the tank is 3 days old now. and i have timer that work 12 hours and 12 hours off. no sun light at all is getting through the aquarium. Maybe because of the heavy plants. Have to wait and see by the weekend what will happen.

Thanks.

Hussain

Here it is, in the middle.

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jdhef

Welcome to FishLore!

Many people like to put their piece of shrimp in a mesh bag (they usally sell them at the pet store, and are generally used for putting loose carbon in) so that as the shrimp decays particals of shrimp don't get all over the tank and make a mess.

I've never cycled with a piece of shrimp, but that piece may be much larger that you need. My fear would be that it would produce too much ammonia, and actually kill the bacteria you are trying to develope. Hopefully someone with more experiance with this method of cycling will provide some help.

Hussain

Thanks for the advise, I think i have a bag somewhere i can put that shrimp in. About the ammonia i will get a test kit for it today and try to control it.

Any suggestions, comments are welcome. I think the light is a bit low. its 20 watt compact fluorescent. tank is 15 gal, that mean i need 60 or 70 watt. right?

polojoanne

just wondered if u could pop yr shrimp into the lettle net bag thingy that comes with washing powder?

JSK

Hi Hussain, Welcome to fishlore.

Take a look here for information on cloudy/colored water: http://www.fishlore.com/CloudyWater.htm

It is almost certainly algae. I am not familiar with all the products you have used, but it sounds like your tank is very nutrient-rich. Your plants are just getting established and therefore can't compete with the algae.

You don't state what kind of plants you have put in. Different plants need very different conditions. Some plants need lots of fertilizer, some less. Some need to get their nutrients from the soil, some get them from the water. Some plants need lots of light, some less. Check out this site: www.plantgeek.com.

For example, I have Java Fern and Water Sprite in my tank. My substrate is pure sand, I have never added any fertilizer (but I did bubble in CO2 for awhile). I have a 55 gallon tank with only 30 watts TOTAL of compact fluorescence light ("daylight" bulbs). My plants are all very healthy, growing well, and even propogating. But, other plants would die under these conditions. Also, my tank is not a "tall" one like yours, which affects things because light in your tank has to penetrate down through more water and distance, while my lights are much closer to the plants.

I guess what I am saying is that you may need more light - but maybe not. It depends on the types of plants you have. Look iinto the requirements for your plants before you invest in more lighting, which can be expensive.

TedsTank

Welcome Hussain!

Not sure if this got answered....yes, if you are going to have an airpump...keep it running.

More oxygen transfered to the water equals more bacteria can be grown if needed!!....so many gallons of water needed for filter equals more oxygen, equals more bacterria can be grown.

The amount of bacteria will adjust to the bio load of the tank...so once you are cycled it is better to a add couple fish every couple of weeks than to get everything you want at once.

Hussain

Today i bought a new light. the most wattage compact fluorescent light which is 32 watt so far. i will try to get something better.

Tried to find ammonia test kit, i visited 4 shops today and didn't find any kit.

The plants i bought is without reading about their spices, thanks for the site you gave me. i will look for them tomorrow. it's 1:30am here, got work tomorrow.

Hussain

First im going to put the shrimp into net, and have to get ammonia test, I've raised the water temperature to 90 Fahrenheit, I've read that increase the bacteria growing.

Elodea

Here's a nice article about green (algae) water. It says that the algae eats up all the nutrients in the water, then dies back down. I have no idea if it'll be a match for your plants, though. Here's the link: http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Misc%20Green%20Water.htm

Hussain

Today got the API ammonia test, and the readings are:


Water temperature = 33.2 degrees Celsius = 91.76 degrees Fahrenheit
Ammonia = 1.0ppm
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Gh = 16 d
KH = 10 d
*Note* What does d mean?
Ph 7.6

The shrimp is in the tank for 2 days now.

Is everything fine now? when i should have some Nitrite on reading?

Regards,

jdhef

You may have already stated whether you are using an air pump, and I'm too lazy to go back thru the whole thread to find out, but if you do not have an airstone running in the tank it would probably be a good idea to do so, since warmer water holds less oxygen and the bacteria does need oxygen.

That sentance was way too long...sorry!

Hussain

I Have an airstone it doesn't effect the temperture i think no problem with the air stone. Changed the light bulb to something more wattage, and got an digital thermometer today.

I've putted in a small bag and waiting for the results by tomorrow i should get the ammonia increased.

Some of the plans are getting yellow and im not seeing its growing. the tank is less than 1 week began started is that normal?

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jdhef

I'm sorry if I wasn't very clear. I meant that since your water temperature is pretty high, it holds less oxygen than cooler water. And since your bacteria needs oxygen to grow, it would be good to have an airstone so you get more oxygen in the water. But you are doing that, so all is well.

As far as your plants go, I don't have any experiance with live plants, but it would seem that your plants turning yellow might be a sign that something is wrong. Hopefully one of the plant experts will respond.

Good luck!

Hussain

Thanks for the point bro, the air stone running everything good, once the cycling is finished i have to find something to do with that green water.

trying to recognize the plants spices that i have JSK gave me a good link.

Thanks everyone.

kcarmartinez

I turned up the heat too high to kill off some ICH and ended up loosing some of my plants. And that was at 88*F.
Second, I read somewhere about using willow branches to clear up green water. Not sure if you have that tree available where you live though. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/m...-willow-13200/

Hussain

We don't have that kind of trees in Kuwait :P We only have desert plants hahaha :P Kidding. no willow in Kuwait.

I will use something that kills algae from Tera company, after the cycling is finished it will not cause any damage to the fish.

I've got my plants identified and tomorrow i will low the temperature to meet the plants requirements also the PH has to be lowered a little to 7.

jdhef

I wouldn't mess with the ph. Most fish will adapt fine to a ph between 6 & 8. Chemically altering the ph can lead to swings in ph or a ph crash which can kill your fish very quickly. It is much more important to have a stable ph than trying to hit a certain number.

Also, becareful using any chemical algae control. It was posted here a little while ago that an algae chemical made by API wasn't as safe for fish as they lead you to believe. I was having a algae problem in my betta's tank just over a year ago and had used that algae chemical (I think it was called algae fix but I'm not sure). Anyway, my Betta ended up dying a pretty ugly death that I now believe was causes by the algae chemical.

Hussain

Since i have no fishies yet, i've decreased my PH to 6.8, which is good for neon tetra (which i want to have in my tank).

And about the algae im not sure if its algae or not, because it's been from the day i've started my tank, how can algae can form in a new that that is 10 hours started.

Maybe its green from the plants, because i found one of the plants which is fake its called Dracaena sanderiana link: http://www.plantgeek.net/plant-276.htm I will remove it.

And what caused the water to be green maybe I Over dosed Tetra IntialSticks Link:
http://www.tetra.de/tetra/go/7B4FA82...d=33&lang_id=2

And When i was adding water on the plate i missed the plate which caused some damage to the substrate and the gravel so the Tetra initial sticks got mixed with water.. Maybe that the cause. So i have to do some water change.

Can i do water change during the cycle? By the way I've got my ammonia up to 4ppm but no Nitrites yet. when should i see the nitrites? the ammonia is 4ppm for 2 days now. Water Temperature is 27.7 Celsius = 81.8 Fahrenheit.

Thanks for the help everyone, And the great website which have a lot for sharing the good information.

nerite0479

1-I would suggest leaving the airstone in the tank during the cycle.It is a good idea to have good aeriation during the cycle.

2-I would wait a little while longer to see if the water clears up.Make sure you have very good filtration and perform a 10% water change once a week.If it doesn't clear up I would buy some algae control medication.

3-I would not suggest adding ammonia to the tank for now.Let your tank cycle some more.