Need some clarification on a couple issues

[Ryan32185]

So, I posted a couple days ago explaining that my fish are not very active and just seem to hide behind the rock or plants near the back of the tank. I, admittanly, did not cycle the tank as I am supposed to and that is my mistake. I have 5 bleeding heart tetras and 3 loaches, small ones not clown loaches but I don't remember the exact name. I have been doing daily water changes and use a water conditioner. I also have a water softener at my house that filters all our tap water if that helps/hurts the situation.

I have an Amonia and Nitrate drip-test and tested my water and got about .25ppm of Amonia and 2.5 ppm for Nitrate. Since I didn't cycle my tank these numbers don't seem to high and I thought the levels are the reason for my fish being inactive. So, what else should I look for? Could high nitrites be a cause of my rather inactive fish? Should I be concerned with pH and nitrites and if these levels are high will they make my fish inactive and just hide in the back of the tank near the heater? Maybe my water condition has nothing to do with it and its some other problem?

I understand the tank is not cycled so I guess that is the problem but I thought that high levels of amonia/nitrite/nitrate are a result of not cycling and stress the fish but my levels are not that high...

Oh and tamk temp is around 78 and I just have a couple artificial plants.

Any clarification would help and I apologize if this is a stupid question! :help:

 

[ggrowney]

I will qualify this response with the fact that I am a real newbie. I have tried to do a fair amount of reading and I know a little, but please defer to any of these more experienced hands if there is a difference of opinion. Generally in the cycle process you are looking for trends rather than absolute values of your readings. Ammonia is produced by fish wastes and rotting food. It will eventually be consumed by bacteria that produce nitrite (you will see a spike as this process sets in). Then a colony of bacteria will grow which uses the nitrites and prodcues nitrates. Nitrates are either removed via water changes of live plants. (Water changes in your case). My guess, by your readings, is that a couple processes are at work and your tank is not fully "cycled." I would keep doing readings and watch for changes. Water changes will keep your ammonia and nitrite/nitrate levels in safe ranges for your fish (sounds like they may be feeling the effects of this). Good luck.

 

[Ryan32185]

So I guess I should just wait it out, check levels constantly, and when the tank is fully cycled my fishes behavior will improve?

 

[wannabefishguru]

you need to scrap those dip stick tester and get the liquid test kit, they are more acurate and you need to be testing for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. you want to make sure you are not cleaning the filter media in tap water and make sure to monitor the three levels of the cycle, nitrite is more harmfull to fish then ammonia. so test the three levels and keep an eye on the levels and make sure you do large water changes of 50%. your cycle should be moving along and looking like this 0 ammonia 0 nitrite low nitrate. tetras in my experience just hang out all day, not to seriosly active.

 

[Ryan32185]

I have the AP liquid drip test, not the dip stick tester so I think that those numbers are accurate. I will get a nitrite test kit though. Thanks!

 

[ggrowney]

Why shouldn't media be cleaned in tap water? genuinely curious. Never heard that before.

 

[ggrowney]

So I guess I should just wait it out, check levels constantly, and when the tank is fully cycled my fishes behavior will improve?

I think so. I hope a more experienced aquarist will post. I know that the cycling facts are as I read them, I don't know if there is something better to do for the fish.

 

[TheZoo]

Why shouldn't media be cleaned in tap water? genuinely curious. Never heard that before.

You want to keep as much of the good bacteria as possible, so you dont throw the tank into a mini-cycle. Using old tank water gives it a good rinse while not taking off too much.

 

[beatle]

Tap water contains chlorine (or chloramine) which kills the beneficial bacteria on your filter. Tank water (or treated tap water) doesn't have chlorine.

 

[fishpoor]

Maybe I missed it, but are you using a water conditioner? If you have a source of water that doesn't go through the water softner, it would be better. Either way use a conditioner. As long as you continue to do significant water changes daily you'll get where you need to be. We cycle tanks because we are too lazy to do the water changes necessary . I didn't see what size tank you have, but as long as its over 10 gallons, with the fish you have once a day should be adequate.