Starting Back Up Again...Questions About Using Seachem Stability

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

Kaskade10729

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
361
10
18
I'm sure you are doing the tests right. But you have 2 small goldfish in a 60 gallon. If the tank is not cycled, it will take some time for ammonia to show up. If the tank is cycled, it will take some time for nitrate to show up.
That's why I recommended first and foremost you use ammonia. It will show up on the test and you immediately know what is going on instead of wondering what is happening, like now.
So then what should I do...just wait and continue taking readings? When do I begin water changes?
 

the loach

AC Members
Aug 6, 2018
1,599
835
120
Yes you just have to wait. Or do you have another (empty) tank? You could dose that with stability and ammonia and see what happens.
Water changes start when you get a result. There is nothing to 'change' as it is.
 

Kaskade10729

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
361
10
18
Alright, so wait until there's some kind of ammonia or nitrate spike? In the meantime, can I top the surface level off with fresh (dechlorinated) water?
 

Kaskade10729

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
361
10
18
Let me ask you this, Loach -- what if we don't see the numbers change, at all? When do I begin water changes then?

SHOULD there be a spike of some kind, being that the fish are eating and creating waste product?
 

the loach

AC Members
Aug 6, 2018
1,599
835
120
Of course you can top off the tank. It is just an inevitable fact that without plants, you will eventually see ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Now if the tank is cycled, there won't be a nitrate 'spike' just a reading, eventually you will get a clear 5ppm or 10ppm reading. In a cycled tank, you do water changes to dilute waste products (nitrate is just the one we test for as an indicator). If you want to verify your ammonia test kit(s), fill a bucket with water, put 1 drop of ammonia in there, stir and test.
 

Adler

AC Members
Jan 15, 2020
233
16
18
31
Of course you can top off the tank. It is just an inevitable fact that without plants, you will eventually see ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Now if the tank is cycled, there won't be a nitrate 'spike' just a reading, eventually you will get a clear 5ppm or 10ppm reading. In a cycled tank, you do water changes to dilute waste products (nitrate is just the one we test for as an indicator). If you want to verify your ammonia test kit(s), fill a bucket with water, put 1 drop of ammonia in there, stir and test.
So a high nitrate water means there is a lot of fish poop or is fish poop one of the causes for high nitrate?
 

Kaskade10729

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
361
10
18
Of course you can top off the tank. It is just an inevitable fact that without plants, you will eventually see ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Now if the tank is cycled, there won't be a nitrate 'spike' just a reading, eventually you will get a clear 5ppm or 10ppm reading. In a cycled tank, you do water changes to dilute waste products (nitrate is just the one we test for as an indicator). If you want to verify your ammonia test kit(s), fill a bucket with water, put 1 drop of ammonia in there, stir and test.
Thanks.

Once I get those readings, begin the WCs?
 

Kaskade10729

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
361
10
18
Okay, just took some readings...if someone could guide me on what to do here, I'd appreciate it.

Ammonia and NitrAte are both still around 0ppm.
NitrIte seems to have climbed a little bit -- we're getting a slight PURPLE reading in the test tube, so around 0.25 on the chart.


Should I do a water change?
 

the loach

AC Members
Aug 6, 2018
1,599
835
120
Apart from a test/reading error, this could mean either the bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate aren't (at least sufficiently) present, or it takes some time before they come out of dormancy once they detect nitrite. Since I assume you still have Stability left, dose again, if anything, it doesn't hurt.
Because you have just goldfish and no plants or other fish, to prevent nitrite problems add 1 gram of salt per gallon.
No water changes yet... you can do plenty of water changes once it is cycled to remove the salt.

Ps... in another thread someone is using the praised Safe Start and having ammonia problems. FWIW

So a high nitrate water means there is a lot of fish poop or is fish poop one of the causes for high nitrate?
I don't understand the question, that is pretty much the same? But yes fish excrements turn up as ammonia->nitrite->nitrate
 

Kaskade10729

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
361
10
18
Apart from a test/reading error, this could mean either the bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate aren't (at least sufficiently) present, or it takes some time before they come out of dormancy once they detect nitrite. Since I assume you still have Stability left, dose again, if anything, it doesn't hurt.
Because you have just goldfish and no plants or other fish, to prevent nitrite problems add 1 gram of salt per gallon.
No water changes yet... you can do plenty of water changes once it is cycled to remove the salt.

Ps... in another thread someone is using the praised Safe Start and having ammonia problems. FWIW
You mean test reading/error for the NitrIte test? If so, I suppose that's possible, being that it was one of the only test bottles I DIDN'T replace when I bought separate new API bottles a couple of days ago -- so it is the older nitrIte bottle. But as for nitrAte and ammonia, these are brand new bottles just purchased -- unless the product was defective out of the box, I don't see how there could be a reading error (or user error in that I did everything to the letter).

So what should I do now...still no water changes? I just wanted to know being that our nitrIte seemed to go up a bit -- as I said, it's now reading in the LIGHT PURPLE box, which is about 0.25.

Why should I dose more Stability? What would this do?
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store