Hi everyone I'm kind of new to this forum I tend to post more at bettafish but I need some advice.
I recently found out that my tap water has nitrite Someone told me to use aquarium salt to help my fish while tank cycles to be able to handle nitrite but I'm afraid that may kill my plants
I have javamoss sunset hygro bacopa amazon sword red root floaters and some others that I just can't remember the names so should I add salt if so how much per gallon?
Don't give up!!! Once it DOES establish, it'll be smooth sailing! Did you get the extra sponge filter media from your friend in there yet? I hope you're through soon - patience is the most important part of this hobby - and the most difficult! Hang in there! And as Sandy said - keep doing what you're doing. . .
Ok I didn't have the chance to do it last night I just came from work and tested water since I have to wake up early I just couldn't but I'll do it once I get home Posted via Mobile Device
I changed water today about 30 gallons and added prime again 5x the dose I tested the water before doing the water change and readings were the same ammonia was about .25ppm I'll let it run for 24 hrs and test water tomorrow when I get back from work
I don't think it matters if you put the sponge in before or after the water-change. . . Personally, I'd want to get it in there ASAP! I wouldn't worry too much about the cloudiness right now - you're likely seeing a bacterial bloom. It'll clear up on it's own - water changes aren't likely to help with that - just ignore it if you can!
Don't be sad about the loach eating from her hand - I'm sure he'll do the very same for you, when he comes back home! I LOVE hand-feeding my finned friends, it took very little time for them to become accustomed to me - I'll offer a word of warning on that, though. . . once they reach that level of comfort, they will NEVER leave you alone again. I love it, but it *can* make water changes and pruning tricky!!! ^_^
So do you recommend the water change or should I leave it for now ? I can still adding prime daily but I'm worry About the ammonia?
About feeding them by hand I know one of my betas used to jump when sees me getting close with the food but it makes me jealous that je did it with her and not with me
I'd just leave it for now, honestly. . . get that sponge in there!
(Did you keep the filter wet with tank water between your friend's house and yours? *hopes*I probably should have thought to mention this before, I'm sorry! )
Yanno, Carlos. . . when I was cycling my first tank, I had a similar situation (though it didn't last NEARLY this long). What I did to solve it was simply. . .nothing.
Sometimes it can be best to just leave things alone for a bit, and give them a chance to settle. I'm hoping with fingers crossed that this filter is the ticket to getting you past this. . . but if not, I'd suggest that if you don't see a change over the next few days after adding the sponge filter, (if you're comfortable with this approach) you leave this tank alone for 3 days or so without touching the water - but continue adding Prime.
I'm not sure if this is an accepted way of going about things, so you may want to hang on for Sandy, or another more experienced member to advise. . . I only know that it worked for me - those three days of leaving the tank alone allowed it to fix itself and restore it's own balance. Sometimes. . . the best thing to do is nothing, I think. . .
Give the bacteria on the sponge a few days to do it's thing, though - hopefully that won't be necessary.
YOU'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS!!!! *HUGS* And when you do, we're changing the title of this thread and move it to the journal area so you can continue to chart it's progress! I can't WAIT until things settle down, and you *FINALLY* get some enjoyment out of this beautiful tank!
I placed the sponge in there since you told me that it didn't matter if before or after water change, don't worry the sponge came with tank water in a bag just like if it was a fish I know that that bacteria is alive and has almost the same or more requirements than a fish to transport it
About this long situation that's the main reason I was thinking the tank was cursed lol no seriously this is the first time that happens this to me even my little tanks are cycled and those are 2.5 gal
I'm sorry if I become frustrating sometimes I'm just trying to do the best I can I wontw touch it for a while at least until next scheduled water change which is in a week hoping it goes back to normal
cycling time can be dependent on a few things.ph,oxygen level and temperature.in your case it looks to be the low ph level. tanks are harder if not impossible to cycle at low ph.
get a bag of some crushed coral.or you can go the baking soda route. the crushed coral will be more stable. aragonite will also work. sorry i did not notice this sooner.should have caught it.
carlos,wondering if you could get a bucket and fill it with your source water and put a bubbler in it for 24-48 hrs.take the ph at the beginning and the end.this will help to tell us what is going on with your dropping ph.
Ok I just need to go to the pet store for an air pump ill get it after work Posted via Mobile Device
Ok just came back from work I couldn't get the crushed coral the fish store doesn't have saltwater fish They told me that shells do the Same thing I don't know if it's true but I brought them anyway I got the air pump 7.8 is the ph of my water source I'll get the bucket fill and post the results on 24 hrs and 48 hrs
I forgot to say that I have Indian almond leaves that I use for my bettas tanks I originally buy them cause of my boys was tail bitter so it helped him recovering fins I've read that they can change or alter water chemistry but I've never try them in a big tank could they help with this if so how many to use I have like 20
shells will do the same thing as crushed coral, ... technically
crushed coral is reduced to a near sand-like size, which can dissolve quickly (relatively speaking) in water - think days instead of weeks.
i'd recommend cuttle bones instead of shells, ... more surface area, easier to crush on your own, so it would have a more significant impact on water chemistry (and they're cheap - although i don't know if they're cheap enough, nor do i know how many you'd need to get the results your after.
the calcium will try to raise the PH to 8.6 if i remember correctly though.
If your water is too soft, and the pH too low, your tank will be unable to cycle.
Things like crushed coral bring the water hardness UP
Things like Indian Almond leaves bring the water hardness DOWN.
So using your IALeaves, unfortunately, won't help in this situation.
Sandy has asked that you do a bucket test on your pH, because the level you get from testing pH directly from tap may not be exactly accurate. After the water has been allowed to sit and off gas for24 hours or so, you may find that you get a different, more accurate reading, which will give you (and us!) a much better idea of what your pH *actually* is - and allow us to better advise you.
If you're going to be at the pet shop anyway, I HIGHLY recommend that you pick up the API KH and GH test kit. If we could get those numbers, along with the correct pH - so many questions will be answered. If that kit isn't available, but your shop is on the same water as your home - the shopkeepers may be able to provide you with the kh/gh levels (be sure to write them down, and don't accept answers like "soft" or "hard"!) Another option would be to contact your local water supply company - if you're lucky, they'll know the KH and GH of the water, though this is hit-or-miss. I live in a big city, and my water people had NO clue what I was talking about >.>
Hope this helps!
I know it seems SO complex - but your situation is certainly the exception to the rule!!! It isn't usually this difficult! Either way, stick with it, honey! We'll get through this together!!! *HUGS*
Ok I'll look for that test kit on my way home I didn't know that the leaf gets the ph down as I said I bought them for my tail bitter Betta to help him recover city doesn't even know that they have nitrite in their water neither about hardness so I'll buy the kit on my way home Posted via Mobile Device
I agree you should have the KH and gH hardness kits along with the pH test kits. And in my planted tanks I need to high range pH kit as well.
I have found that monitoring the kH is more important than the actual pH.
My tanks are heavily planted and do not have mechanical filters or circulation. They measure a pH of 8.4-8.8 with the API high range test kit. Regardless of the substrate in the tank.
But kH steadily rises in a sand only substrate but with peat moss capped with sand kH remains around 4 degrees. And neon tetras do much better in that environment.
I did some dosing for iron but other then that nothing.
Tanks have ran for 9 years that way.
I do use tap water.
And I do no water changes.
And as you already know water changes will limit but no prevent changes in anything including iron, boron, and maganese. Perhaps the tap water add those things and the peat moss regulates them.
i did dosing for iron, the plants were still pale, not yellow, but had no deep green of a healthy plant
any emersed leaves were all curled and hooked as well
older emersed leaves showing signs of burning on the tips
pH 7.0 buffer and had almost instant results (submerged leaves) got darker, the emersed leaves are waiting for new growth to get their color & shape back
Edit:
Iron at pH 8 or higher is near totally removed from the water column converted to a form the plants cannot use that precipitates to the bottom of the tank, to eventually convert to rust (not usable either by plants)
My tapwater ph is over8.0 and my plants and fish do fine. I only grow fast growing, easy plants though so maybe somthing more demanding would not do so well for me. Live plants will help keep ammonia down, and therefore nitrite and nitrate will also be reduced. I just started keeping live plants in my tanks about 2-3 months ago and the effect on my weekly test results is significant. Test in mycichlid tank used to read10-20 a week after water changes, now its 0-5. Only thing different is the live plants... same fish, same food , same water. I always heard plants were good but didn't know that they're THAT good. I use anacharis, hornwort, and java fern.
Good luck!
Ok I added the shells to the filter tested water ph stills 6.0 Ammonia is .25 ppm nitrite .25ppm and nitrate 5.0 I ordered the hardness test on amazon once it gets here I'll use it to let you know the results it's been hard but I've been trying not to quit I want to thank everyone in here that's been helping me out specially Chesh who's been telling me to not give up
Sorry that I took that long to reply Posted via Mobile Device
you have a few other tanks,correct? what does the ph test at in those?
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