Parameters Good for New Tank?

P.H. - 7.4
Ammonia - 1-2 ppm (Just found that my sink and bath water has the same amount)
Nitrites - 0 ppm
Nitrates - ? (Do I really need to test nitrates before fish are in the tank?)

I'm gonna do a fish-in cycle using Tetra Safestart Plus. Am I good to go?

 

If you're just testing your source water you might as well test your nitrates.

Is that water with fish already having been in it for a while? Or is that straight from the source?

If the latter, I think your fish are going to be rather stressed in that water... before the cycle is available, that ammonia isn't going to go away. Prime detoxes ammonia for 24 hours, but you can't use TSS if you've used Prime in the last 24 hours. I believe TSS cycles involve ammonia going up in the beginning as well, though I'm not sure. Perhaps there's another water conditioner that can detox ammonia without interfering with TSS?

Or you could do a fishless cycle with TSS, using ammonia drops instead of fish. I THINK that works--I know Dr. Tim's One and Only works that way.

 

If you're just testing your source water you might as well test your nitrates.

Is that water with fish already having been in it for a while? Or is that straight from the source?

If the latter, I think your fish are going to be rather stressed in that water... before the cycle is available, that ammonia isn't going to go away. Prime detoxes ammonia for 24 hours, but you can't use TSS if you've used Prime in the last 24 hours. I believe TSS cycles involve ammonia going up in the beginning as well, though I'm not sure. Perhaps there's another water conditioner that can detox ammonia without interfering with TSS?

Or you could do a fishless cycle with TSS, using ammonia drops instead of fish. I THINK that works--I know Dr. Tim's One and Only works that way.

This is from a tank that has been running for about 23 hours now, fishless, with water conditioner. Source water nitrates are 0 ppm. On the TSS bottle, it says that it reduces ammonia and nitrites on the front and then it says on the back that it "contains unique bacteria and is proven to reduce fish loss due to ammonia and nitrite toxicity. I've also read that TSS needs ammonia to feed the bacteria.

 

Right, but that's what the fish are for; they provide the ammonia. You don't have to START with ammonia. Not that people don't, though, especially if they're in the situation where they tried to start a tank, had a bunch die, and then researched and found out about the nitrogen cycle and found out their water was at 4 ppm ammonia.

And yes, TSS will reduce ammonia and nitrites... when the cycle is complete. They tell you not to test during the two weeks for a reason--the readings go up and down like crazy as the cycle is established.

It will probably be fine but you'll have to watch your fish for ammonia poisoning more carefully than people that start out with 0 ppm ammonia.

 

with that amount of ammonia I think you'll stres the fish. do a fishless cycle with tss which will be better, with that amount of ammonia in you tap water the bb should have enough food.

 

If you do do a fishless cycle with TSS, you'll have to keep adding ammonia to feed the bacteria.

 

If I were you, I'd do a fishless with TSS. Also, contact your water company--water should not have ANY ammonia in it, let alone 1 ppm.