Stocking and Cycling and Nitrites, Oh MY!

Hi all,

I've posted a few times before, and I'm getting some AMAZING information. After prepping the tank for what is now coming just past 15 days, things seem VERY STABLE.

For the last 4 days, my NH3 is 0, while my Nitrites have not changed from .3mg/l - Which is the lowest on the Tetrattest liquid reagent test kit I have outside of < .3mg/l

My tank is currently stocked as follows, and we're not planning on much more at all, everything is THRIVING and doing fantastically well. I keep getting told that I still need to wait for nitrites to be 0 , I'm blasted confused!

Here are my current 46 Bowfront tank inhabitants:

3 x Congo Tetras (1 male approx 2.5", 2 females approx 1.5")
5 x Neon Tetras (< 1")
7 x Harlequin Rasboras (< 1")
2 x Yoyo Loaches (1")
1 x Dojo Loach (4" I finally found one, now if only he'd come out!)
1 x Pleco (1")
4 x Otocats (< 1")
6 x Fancy Guppies (2 males approx 1", 4 females approx 1.5ish")

There are also the following randomness:

3 x Driftwood (mostly Ironwood) with various plants, including Java Fern, Moss, Annubis, Wisteria, etc.

??? x Other plants

Filter - Eheim 2213
Heater - Stealth 200w
Lights - Stock hood flourescent - 1 x 25w and a Freshwater Aqualight w/ 1 x 21w 6700 light and 1 x 21w 10,000 full spectrum light

Substrate - Thin/Natural small rock gravel, standard kind that Big Al's has.

I know that's a LOT in a tank our size right now, I've convinced my wife that we're good for the life of it right now, the only thing we'll add on is the baby guppies and I'm thinking of setting up another tank to move them into. But that's another story and I'm not focused on that right now.

Here's what I'm concerned about:

- Why is my nitrite level not changing - either up or down? Same with the NH3, if my tank hasn't cycled would this not be rising? I have not seen a spike for over a week and a half. I did a 20ish% water change on Thursday as well, again - levels were the same

- How can I have a non-CO2 system to keep a fairly planted aquarium? I want to focus on low maint. and attractive, it doesn't have to look jaw droppingly amazing, I'm going to focus on my 20g for that I was going to get some flourish excel to help with the lack of CO2 - MOST of my plants are not super high lighting, but I don't even know how many w/gal the t5 works out to be! The local plant-specialist FS suggested I get rid of the two bulbs in my t5 and put in HO bulbs. Also suggested CO2 systems, and it just seems like it's getting very complicateded!

I just want to keep on track with what we're doing. The 20 we have is well established and I've added a bit of filter residue to our tank, and once it settles from the move I'll be putting the old filter media into our tank for a bit. Again, I just don't know if we're cycled, or not. If we're on the right track for having a medium planted aquarium, or not.

For the 20, I'm starting from square 1 - going with a low fish load of maybe 10 fish (mostly 2 schools, primarily endlers and a few random extras) and I'm going to use the best of the best with the substrate. I want to do CO2 there to help things out - but I'm just so lost with what works best for what I've got.

I've attached a pic pre our main piece of driftwood, I'll add that one later on.

Thanks in advance!!

Nick

star_rider said:

I'm a bit tired at the moment so I'll attack the nitrite issue.

ammonia is 0 correct?

nitrites at approx .3 and have not moved?
are you testing daily? the 20 is established?

can you squeeze the sponge or filter element fro the established tank inot your filter on the new bowfront?
you would essentially be taking bacteria from one tank to the other. could be the nitrites have spiked and they haven't risen because you have bacteria establishing a foot hold and are consuming the nitrites but have not caught up..are you seeing nitrates?

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Thanks for replying

Ammonia is 0, yep!

Nitrites are .3, and I'm testing daily, sometimes multi-daily.

I previously squeezed the filter element directly into the tank on Friday evening. It was white and blooming for a bit, and then it just sort of disspiated, I can go directly into the canister (I'm assuming I'd remove the charcoal and put it under that, and then put it back on top?)

I'll do that tonight and see.

I do have Nitrates, but I measured and they're almost the same as our tap water. They HAVE gone up, but as I was saying, they're at same level as the tap for the most part.

Hope that helps, I'll do the filter squeeze tonight - It's a good tank (a little algae but health wise, the fish are in great shape)

Thanks,

Nick

Another update...

Did a round of testing last night and it looks like there still are some trace amounts of nitrites, but VERY trace. On the test, where it was clearly in the .3mg/l range, it now is closer to the < .3mg/l range. I think this is a good sign?? :help:

As for Ammonia, we're at 0. Nitrates are at about 15 - 17mg/l, CO2 is at 17ppm and Iron is at about who knows ppm (I'll never like that test, ever!)

pH is stable at about 7, and the only concerns we have are one Rasbora casualty (it looked like its jaw disentegrated, when I took it out to examine it, the poor thing died of shock) and our mail congo has the beginnings of pop eye, we're doing regular water changes to keep a close eye on this.

Thanks as always in advance for any and all help!

Nick

budrecki said:

ummmm.... I 'll take the pleco issue

Ok, bad news. I assume its a common, yes? The pleco has to go. Like right now. If you are feeding it enough, you can expect grow rate of an inch or so per month. I have an 18 inch common, he's big and messy and no way a 46b bow is large enough.

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I figured that would be the case, we were planning on sending him out once he gets too big. My wife likes them, it's the old assumption that they actually do good for the tank

We can always grow him a bit and then use that to finance things a bit more, we have a good LFS that will most certainly take him.

plah831 said:

just to warn you, I had a common plec for about three months. In that brief period of time, he tripled in size and started getting VERY aggressive with my dojo loach. That loach is my favorite fish, so I wouldn't stand for it: the pleco had to go. Also, my dojos never hid. They're out and about all the time, even when the water was crap (didn't know about cycling and water changes) and even when I had just one. I wonder what's up with yours?

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Hmm - Ours seems very complacent with sucking all along the driftwood!

As for Senor Dojo - I dunno. I wonder if the gravel we have is just so conducive for burrowing that he is happy doing so. Also, the water is a bit warmer than he likes, which I know can be a bone of contention for them. When he's out though, he's a total dork. He likes to hide like, right on top of some of the plants we have. It's quite cute.

I chalked it up to just so many places to hide, and preferring to burrow in the gravel we've got in there.

maybe it's the temp, I know the water conditions aren't bad, the tails on our guppies are splendid, though we have had a few rasbora casualties - The male Congo is healing up perfectly and looks good as new, I'm going to do a water change/salt add tomorrow and see if we can clear anything else up!