Joboo
- #1
Hi All,
I started my 20 gallon low tech tank (with lights and a heater) on Jan 6th. Substrate is aquarium soil(plant Fluval startum), gravel, sand, few rocks and a driftwood. Wanted to set up a self sustaining eco system. Seachem prime and stability is used during water changes. I have never reached 0 ammonia. Its always 0.25. And i have always had 0 nitrites and 0 nitrate. This is my 5th week. Attaching photos of tank and the tests. The test pic values are also noted below as picture doesn't show colours properly. This is my first tank (ignoring the fish bowl i had as a kid when internet was not available for knowledge- i was never successful in keeping fish healthy and alive. But things are different now). Is my tank cycled already? Is it normal to show ammonia consistently at 0.25? Should i do anything different? Thanks in advance for reading and replying
Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?: May be 18 gallon. i have a 2 inch clearance at top
What type of water are you using in your tank? (tap, well, RO/DI, other): Tap
When did you start cycling the tank?: Jan 6th
What type of filtration are you running on this tank? (sponge, HOB, canister, other): No filter.
If canister or HOB list all the media you are running in it. (manufactured cartridges, sponge, etc.): N/A
Do you have good water agitation/surface movement?: No
What is the water temperature?: 22 celcius
If fish in cycling
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts): 1 Betta, 4 neon tetras, 1 mystery snail, 3 tiny ramshorn snail (which came with some plants)
How often do you feed them and how much?: once. 5 pellets for betta and atiny pinch of flakes for tetras
Are they showing signs of distress? (fish hiding, staying at the top, looking pale, torn fins, etc): Nope.
Do you have live plants in the tank?: Yes. Have stem plants, anubias and floating plants(duckweed and water lettuce)
If so are they healthy and actively growing?:Some of them are growing well especially duckweed and water lettuce
Products used while cycling
If this is a fishless cycle what ammonia source are you using? (fish food, Dr Tim’s ammonia, other):N/A
If adding liquid ammonia how often do you dose ammonia in your tank and in what quantity? (1ppm, 2ppm etc.):N/A
If using fish food as your ammonia source how much are you adding and how often?:N/A
Are you using a dechlorinater and if so, which one?: Seachem Prime
Are you using bottled bacteria and if so, which one?: Seachem Stability
Did you add seeded media from a previously cycled tank?:No
What other products/chemicals are you using? (list them all): Seachem Excel once a week
Testing and cycling process
What was your knowledge of the nitrogen cycle before beginning to cycle your tank? (none, beginner, intermediate (please explain), advanced): None
What do you use to test the water? (API liquid, test strips, other): API liquid
Did you test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH, if so post the results below?:yes
Have you done any water changes and if so, when?: Every day 20% in first week. Every other day 20% in week 2. Every week once 30% there after. In week 4 i did a 50% water change while cleaning and vaccuming gravel
How much water did you change?: see above
Did you vacuum the substrate?:Yes once in week 4
Did you clean your filter, filter media, decorations and/or glass?: Glass weekly once
If using disposable cartridges have you replaced one recently?:N/A
*Parameters - Very Important
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Tank water:
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.2
Tap water:
Ammonia:0.50
Nitrite:0.5
Nitrate:0
pH: 7.2
I started my 20 gallon low tech tank (with lights and a heater) on Jan 6th. Substrate is aquarium soil(plant Fluval startum), gravel, sand, few rocks and a driftwood. Wanted to set up a self sustaining eco system. Seachem prime and stability is used during water changes. I have never reached 0 ammonia. Its always 0.25. And i have always had 0 nitrites and 0 nitrate. This is my 5th week. Attaching photos of tank and the tests. The test pic values are also noted below as picture doesn't show colours properly. This is my first tank (ignoring the fish bowl i had as a kid when internet was not available for knowledge- i was never successful in keeping fish healthy and alive. But things are different now). Is my tank cycled already? Is it normal to show ammonia consistently at 0.25? Should i do anything different? Thanks in advance for reading and replying
Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?: May be 18 gallon. i have a 2 inch clearance at top
What type of water are you using in your tank? (tap, well, RO/DI, other): Tap
When did you start cycling the tank?: Jan 6th
What type of filtration are you running on this tank? (sponge, HOB, canister, other): No filter.
If canister or HOB list all the media you are running in it. (manufactured cartridges, sponge, etc.): N/A
Do you have good water agitation/surface movement?: No
What is the water temperature?: 22 celcius
If fish in cycling
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts): 1 Betta, 4 neon tetras, 1 mystery snail, 3 tiny ramshorn snail (which came with some plants)
How often do you feed them and how much?: once. 5 pellets for betta and atiny pinch of flakes for tetras
Are they showing signs of distress? (fish hiding, staying at the top, looking pale, torn fins, etc): Nope.
Do you have live plants in the tank?: Yes. Have stem plants, anubias and floating plants(duckweed and water lettuce)
If so are they healthy and actively growing?:Some of them are growing well especially duckweed and water lettuce
Products used while cycling
If this is a fishless cycle what ammonia source are you using? (fish food, Dr Tim’s ammonia, other):N/A
If adding liquid ammonia how often do you dose ammonia in your tank and in what quantity? (1ppm, 2ppm etc.):N/A
If using fish food as your ammonia source how much are you adding and how often?:N/A
Are you using a dechlorinater and if so, which one?: Seachem Prime
Are you using bottled bacteria and if so, which one?: Seachem Stability
Did you add seeded media from a previously cycled tank?:No
What other products/chemicals are you using? (list them all): Seachem Excel once a week
Testing and cycling process
What was your knowledge of the nitrogen cycle before beginning to cycle your tank? (none, beginner, intermediate (please explain), advanced): None
What do you use to test the water? (API liquid, test strips, other): API liquid
Did you test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH, if so post the results below?:yes
Have you done any water changes and if so, when?: Every day 20% in first week. Every other day 20% in week 2. Every week once 30% there after. In week 4 i did a 50% water change while cleaning and vaccuming gravel
How much water did you change?: see above
Did you vacuum the substrate?:Yes once in week 4
Did you clean your filter, filter media, decorations and/or glass?: Glass weekly once
If using disposable cartridges have you replaced one recently?:N/A
*Parameters - Very Important
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Tank water:
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.2
Tap water:
Ammonia:0.50
Nitrite:0.5
Nitrate:0
pH: 7.2
