is there something wrong with my blackmoor?

[newbiefishlover]

also one last thing- i need a nitrite and ammonia ph tester kit- ive googled and ebayed this for the last 30 mins and can not find one any where online- but the pet shop should sell it - right? lol
what plants are best to have nitrate in the tank (this is the one that reduces the nitirte yes?)

 

[newbiefishlover]

hi thanks for that , the pic actually wasnt meant to of attatched aswel sorry

 

[Lupin]

also one last thing- i need a nitrite and ammonia ph tester kit- ive googled and ebayed this for the last 30 mins and can not find one any where online- but the pet shop should sell it - right? lol
what plants are best to have nitrate in the tank (this is the one that reduces the nitirte yes?)

Well, you want the fast growing ones such as Egeria densa and Ceratophyllum demersum. My goldies showed very little interest in chomping the plant.

 

[newbiefishlover]

iv been looking to get a backdrop to brighten up the tank, and there was a DIY 3d one listed, so i thought i would check with you guys first , make sure the things ill be using will be safe for the fish,
as if i get it made this week before i pick the tank up at the weekend, i can cycle that in the tank too and get it 'fish friendly'!

1. Styrofoam (that the back drop is going to be made from)
2. Aquarium safe silicone and a caulking gun(to glue the peices together and glue it to the tank)
5. Quikrete Hydraulic Water-Stop Instant Plug Cement (to go over the styrofoam and harden it)
9. Epoxy Resin
10. a lot of patience
(to do a final coat with and create a barrier between the cement and the fish)

 

[mel_20_20]

You need to get a good liquid test kit, such as: API Master test kit. It tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph. Drsfostersmith.com has it, so does Petsmart and probably Petco. I've never seen it at WalMart. My little local fish store (lfs) doesn't carry it either.

It's very important you get the liquid test kit. Strips are inaccurate, inconsistent, and more expensive in the long run. I was paying for new bottles of strips all the time.

I haven't had to buy another liquid test kit and I've had this one now for three or four months. I test every day, sometimes twice a day or more if I've had any spikes in parameters. It is well worth the purchase price, which should be around $25 +/- a couple of bucks.

 

[newbiefishlover]

yeah i noticed the strips are more costly lol.
i got some from the nearest pet shop- it was all they had for ammonia!

my main tank tested 0.5 ammonia.
i managed to get the liquid tester for nitrite though, and that came up between0.1 and 0.25,but im due a water change today so ill re test it after that!

how often should i test the water? should i do it weekly after a water change or ............?

i know the ammonia will be there more than it should as i have the problem of too many fish and not enough tank space, but that will be sorted by monday

i was wondering, when i get my tank on monday, i know i need to cycle the water, but i was wondering, if i boiled water, and left it to cool, would that remove any impurities and make the water safe for the fish? x

 

[mel_20_20]

You need to do a water change any time you find any detectable ammonia and/or nitrites, or your nitrates exceed 40.

At the least you need to keep ammonia, and nitrites as close to 0 as possible, certainly below .25.

You really shouldn't need to boil water. Just use a good conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramines and detoxifies ammonia and nitrites.

Prime is excellent!!
You still have to do water changes to remove the ammonia and nitrites, but Prime will detoxify for approximately 24 hours, which gives you some breathing room to schedule the water change at a convenient time.

 

[newbiefishlover]

ok i got my water change done and the test strip tested for 0 ammonia ,but my nitrite is at about 0.05, its a lot less than yesterday and i did a 50% water change.
will this be ok for the fish until monday when i get the new tank?
i was wondering aswel, as this is 80 litres, would i be able to fill the new tank up with fresh water and add all of the water from this tank? as that would work out as a 75% water change wouldnt it ?
and i can then trasnfer the fish over straight away?
i only want to rush them into it so i can put the other fish in to the tank that they are in now so he has filteration and the tank will be much cleaner and larger than what he is in now?!

 

[Lupin]

ok i got my water change done and the test strip tested for 0 ammonia ,but my nitrite is at about 0.05, its a lot less than yesterday and i did a 50% water change.
will this be ok for the fish until monday when i get the new tank?
i was wondering aswel, as this is 80 litres, would i be able to fill the new tank up with fresh water and add all of the water from this tank? as that would work out as a 75% water change wouldnt it ?
and i can then trasnfer the fish over straight away?
i only want to rush them into it so i can put the other fish in to the tank that they are in now so he has filteration and the tank will be much cleaner and larger than what he is in now?!

Hi NFL,

Please change your test kit to API liquid. Test strips are grossly inaccurate. At this point, I would not trust the strips anymore. API liquid test kits can last you a long time and is worth a better investment than test strips.

When you transfer to a new tank, transfer the old filter media and/or substrate there. Water is essentially useless as it does not carry enough colonies of beneficial bacteria to help with the nitrogen cycle process. If possible, ask your friend for an established filter media making sure it is free from pathogens, of course. Please do make sure your ammonia and nitrite are not high enough to harm your fish. If you detect both, do water changes straight away until they are back to zero or at least 0.25 but again, be reminded the test kit needs to be changed to avoid misleading results.

Good luck!

 

[newbiefishlover]

Water is essentially useless as it does not carry enough colonies of beneficial bacteria to help with the nitrogen cycle process.
i half understand what you mean, i think. could you explain a little further please?

If possible, ask your friend for an established filter media making sure it is free from pathogens, of course.
the only filter i can use is the one i have now or the one thats coming with the tank?
and i have no idea what you mean about pathogens?!