kelsangdol

Hello,
I added the TSS and my 4 goldfishes two days ago in a 55 gallon tank.
The pH is around 7.2
The nitrite is 0.50
The ammonia is 1.0
The nitrate is either 0 or 0.5 <--which seems logical? the test colors are confusing

Are these normal?
Are these readings dangerous or harmful to my GF?

harpua2002

Yes, they are dangerous to the fish. This is why I recommend fishless cycling, but that's a whole other topic. Hopefully the product will work and cycle the tank within the week... but sometimes it doesn't. Regardless, I don't think there's anything you can do; you're just supposed to wait it out or else it won't work.

kelsangdol

Oh no really!?!??!
I was too afraid to do the whole ammonia dosage.
I hope that nothing long term will happen to them when it's all over.

harpua2002

The raw shrimp method is easier, just chuck it in there and wait for the tank to cycle. It really is that easy.

I hope the TSS works for you. Best of luck!!!

Meenu

Unless you are seeing a problem with your fish, you shouldn't be testing your water with TSS. The only reason for this is because when you see the wacky readings, it's easy to panic. The readings are off while the TSS is working. If you are going to spend the money on the product, you need to let it do its job, which includes not messing with the water for a week. Since you already have it in your tank, at this point, the best thing to do is to follow Tetra's instructions as closely as possible. If you do a water change because you panic, or detoxify with Prime, etc., now, you are much less likely to have success with TSS.

I totally agree that fishless cycling is an awesome option, EASILY the best one because it is fast, easy, with no harm to the fish... but that ship's already sailed.

By the way, when I used TSS, I was told by very experienced FL members that although your readings are wacky while using TSS, the product keeps the fish safe while it is in your tank. I added it to my tank after the fish had red gills, and within a day, the redness was gone (red gills is a sign of ammonia poisoning).

You're going to be less stressed if you just feed your fish and let TSS work. Keep an eye out for red gills and clamped fins, ICH, etc... if you see anything like that, there is a problem - otherwise, your tank should be fine.

kelsangdol

Ok, they seem ok..

Lucy

According to Tetra, it looks like those are the readings you should expect while using TSS.
Here's a Q & A With Tetra about Tetra SafeStart

harpua2002

I seriously don't see how that's possible, but that's just me I guess. If ammonia detoxifying products can't be used with TSS, then ammonia is present and toxic while the tank cycles. Q and A with Tetra mentions that the only thing in that bottle is bacteria and an ammonia solution to feed it. Nothing would be there to cause a false positive, and nothing is in the tank to detoxify it. Red gills aren't the only sign of ammonia poisoning, and all fish don't show signs.

Meenu

I know how you feel about TSS and cycling products, Harpua.
I'm just giving my opinion, and passing on what others told me. And what I saw with my own eyes, which was red gills that went away when I added the TSS. By the time I got on this forum, I'd already gotten the fish and a bottle of Cycle, which we know for sure doesn't work.

I don't work for Tetra, don't get anything when I recommend their product any more than Seachem pays me for recommending Prime every other post. - although I think they should. I like TSS overall, but in no way do I think it's some miracle product. So I guess I'm trying to say I like TSS and I like you, and we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Kelsa, it's great that your fish look good so far. I know this is stressful. It'll all be worth it when you have a cycled tank, I think Harpua and I will agree on that.

harpua2002

And hey, I like you and everyone on this board, and I like Prime, and I like logical arguments, lol. I'm not trying to put anyone down at all, I just think there is a lot to be learned from debate. There are many ways to do things in this hobby and no one right answer. It would be a lot easier if there was (especially SW)! Again, I argue because I think we can all learn from it, and those who are reading these posts that are thinking about setting up a tank can get different perspectives and make a decision based on that.

I'm glad the fish seem to be taking it ok. More than likely they'll be fine. If you know anyone with some old filter media you could throw in there, it would help too. If not, just keep an eye on things. You will know if there are serious problems.