cycling & amphipods.

i think i lost 1 of only 2 verified amphipod inhabitants! he's been laying out on his back for about 20min twitching a bit. i put API 5in1 strip in like OMG somethings going on. copepods are flowing out of every crevice, though. The top suction cup on my heater for some reason never wants to stay suctioned to the glass. it's a copepod party behind it!
so weirdly enough my nitrites are 0 and nitrates (color scale has: 0, 20, 40, ...) i reckon are like 5. really really weak. i didn't expect this so soon.
saturday: pH 8.5, NO2 10, NO3 80.
sunday: pH 8.5, NO2 4, NO3 30.
i've not yet mastered the color strips but i don't need precision to tell when a cycles done. pH showed a lil yellow dot at first but it bled out to the usual red, maybe it can be read as slightly below 8.5.

definitely want to put hermits and snails in soon (tomorrow?!$#@) then and start running lights. i've not ran them yet...

oh SP.. haven't done that regularly it just hit me. a hair over 1.025 @ 78.7F. not much water gone. used tap for first fill, but will be using DI for top-off and water changes now. will utilize the LFS until I eBay some stuff from previous hobby to foot the bill for RO/DI of my own...

well to celebrate i wanted to put something in my tank. only fish store is petco... yeah i know. i live in the middle of nowhere. there is one other guy but his tanks look worse, although he's more knowledgeable. so i only got 4 hermit crabs. they're fools. no species, but from the cost and the look -- reg-legged all the way. i shouldn't have to directly feed them, right?

Germanman said:

yea i would ahev to agree here liquid test kits are going to be much better and acurate....Salifert is one of the best

Click to expand...

i do use a liquid ammonia test, since it wasn't in the 5-in-1. a real kit wasn't in my start-up costs. have to be a bit later. =( it's definitely on "phase 2"'s shopping list. with a refractometer and timers for the lights. actually might need those light timers sooner since i'll be out of town this weekend, eh?

Germanman said:

yes u shouldt have to feed them unless there isnt enough for them to pick at.
also congrats on ur first animals!

Click to expand...

how do i know what's enough, and of what? "detirous" (i spelled it so bad even the dictionary won't help me).

i have what i believe a modest inhabitants list. i tried posting it twice, at work using Internet Explorer, and lost it each time. i hate IE. good descriptive post, but while i'm talking about it here's the low-down on the crew:

2 turbo snails
8 margarita snails
2 more red-legs
and maybe 2 scarlets

think i should trim it down if i want that $30 scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp?

Germanman said:

yea would do maybe just 2 small hermits if u want the cleaner shrimp...and make sure the turbos dont fall on their backs they cant right themselves and will really foul the aquarium if the die.

Click to expand...

i saw lots of turbos at petco. i think they were all on their backs. i said forget the snails. i already have 4 crabs, so too late to go with 2. they're not all red, just the first one i saw. i see 2 blue, and the 4th... i hope he does something soon. it's only been a minute and i didn't observe him so much in the bag. they can turn themselves up right, yes? PETCO... never again.
That Fish Place is 2.5 hours away... I can transport live fishies that long right? I mean they're sending them through the mail nowadays.