API Test Kit

[thang_bom]

Hi Karna68 & everyone,

This weird thing only happens in my new tank. When I test my cycled tank (29-gallon). The color in the tube is light blue (like the first color on the chart) from the beginning thru the end.

I think your test should be ok Karna68.


This weird thing has happened last 10 days. I had put my goldfish in there for four days. They were very good. One day, I brought a water sample to the local fish store. An employee tested for me. He said the nitrite was 2.0 ppm. I was worry about my fishes. I moved them back to the cycled tank.

Nitrite tests look different on both tank.

This is my first time to use the Fishless Method. :mad2:

Hmm, is there something wrong with my test then? I always start out light then get darker

 

[CaptnDan]

Yes, 2ppm is high, but certainly not out of range of the test kit. It goes up to 5ppm.

When you look at the water, looking through the tank from the side so you're looking through the most water possible, is it clear? I mean, crystal read a newspaper through it clear?

If you see haze, it could be that there is a bit of algae in the water. Not uncommon during cycling...

By the way, you have an established tank? So why are you doing a fishless cycle? All you have to do is run the filter in the established tank (with the established filter running too, of course). A heck of a lot easier, and faster too!

 

[SirWired]

Hi Karna68 & everyone,

This weird thing only happens in my new tank. When I test my cycled tank (29-gallon). The color in the tube is light blue (like the first color on the chart) from the beginning thru the end.

I think your test should be ok Karna68.


This weird thing has happened last 10 days. I had put my goldfish in there for four days. They were very good. One day, I brought a water sample to the local fish store. An employee tested for me. He said the nitrite was 2.0 ppm. I was worry about my fishes. I moved them back to the cycled tank.

Nitrite tests look different on both tank.

This is my first time to use the Fishless Method. :mad2:

Well, to determine what is actually going on, test your Nitrates, add some pre-determined amount of Ammonia to your tank, and see if the Nitrates rise by the same amount a day later. If your Nitrates are stable, then the NitrIte eating buggers aren't established yet, and your NitrItes are off the charts.

You could also do a 75% water change, and see if that makes the test work normally. This won't stall the cycle as long as you replace the lost Ammonia.

SirWired

 

[Star_Rider]

Hi Karna68 & everyone,

This weird thing only happens in my new tank. When I test my cycled tank (29-gallon). The color in the tube is light blue (like the first color on the chart) from the beginning thru the end.

I think your test should be ok Karna68.


This weird thing has happened last 10 days. I had put my goldfish in there for four days. They were very good. One day, I brought a water sample to the local fish store. An employee tested for me. He said the nitrite was 2.0 ppm. I was worry about my fishes. I moved them back to the cycled tank.

Nitrite tests look different on both tank.

This is my first time to use the Fishless Method. :mad2:

personally, I would rely on my own tests and not rely on the tests from the store.

a couple of thoughts here.

one I wonder how qualified the methodology of their testing it(many of the LFS's use strips and on one occassion I saw the tester at a more prominents lfs dip the tip of the test solution into the test tube.

how qualified the person doing the test is.


I personally rely on my testing. I mean lets say for instance the test showed up high on ammonia...what course of action do they recommend?
in a recent test I saw..the clerk recommended using something to 'lock' the ammonia up :thud:
some of the information they share is questionable at best.


I would suggest that you get your own test kit.

 

[thang_bom]

Last week,
I thought my tank was cycled because the color turned to light blue after five minutes. I changed 60% of water. The nitrate levels in my cycled tank and the new tank are approximately 5-6 ppm. I meant the nitrate levels in both tank are very stable.

I was using ammonia chloride to cycle my tank. Currently, I am out of it so that I use liquid ammonia. I just added ammonia into the big tank this morning.

My new tank is 125-gallon.


thanks all for your suggestions!

Well, to determine what is actually going on, test your Nitrates, add some pre-determined amount of Ammonia to your tank, and see if the Nitrates rise by the same amount a day later. If your Nitrates are stable, then the NitrIte eating buggers aren't established yet, and your NitrItes are off the charts.

You could also do a 75% water change, and see if that makes the test work normally. This won't stall the cycle as long as you replace the lost Ammonia.

SirWired

 

[Star_Rider]

how many tanks do you have?

have you ever thought about using bacteria from an established tank to start a new tank. when done right you can add fish immediately , add bacteria from the established tank and the tank cycles in 4-5 days(ave)

 

[thang_bom]

Hello all,
In May, my cousin gave me his 125-gallon tank. A month later, I started to build the tank for this tank. I also built two separate undergravel jet networks with two Maxi-Jet 1200. I learned how to do all these from different fish forum. If you like, you can go to the library from this forum to check it out. www.cichlid-forum.com . Then you go to the Library and select Do-it-youself link from the menu.


After I finished seting up my tank, I bought Ammonium Chloride (powder) to cycle it.

My tank seemed completely cycling after 12 days.

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 5
PH = 7.6

I changed water about 60%. After changing the water, I added another dose of Ammonium Chloride. Twelve hours later, Ammonia and nitrite were still 0 ppm again.

I thought it was ok. I moved six goldfish over. I didn't trust my test. I brought the water sample to the local fish store. Unfortunately, my result of the nitrite and the result from the LFS were different. All my fishes were OK in four days in the new tank. However, I was worry about my fishes so that I moved them back to the old tank (the old tank still has two more goldfish in there to keep the tank cycle).

The result of the nitrite has been the same last 10 days though. I think I will move all my fish over this weekend though.

My tank has an Eheim cannister 2235, a Whisper for 60 gallons, three Maxi-Jet powerhead 1200.

Here are some images of my tank, stand, undergravel jets and fishes.

my tank

undergravel jets

my tank with undergravel jets

undergravel jet with Maxi_jet 1200

2 jelly bean pearlscales

a pearscale and a red oranda

two pearlscales and two chocolate orandas

tank with fishes 1

tank with fishes 2

 

[Star_Rider]

ugj's are nice set ups.

I still wonder why you don't transfer any bacteria from the existing tank to the new tank.

does the existing tank have a filter with sponges or other media?

if you have a sponge just tank the sponge from the old tank and squeeze the gunk from it to the new tank..this will; be loaded with a lot of live bacteria.

get a test kit and test every 12 hrs for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

if i had to do it over again..I'd put ugj in my 75

btw, nice tank

 

[thang_bom]

hello star_rider,
I don't want to squeeze anything from the cycled tank because last month one of my goldfish got fin rot. The fish is healthy now. However, I still don't want to use anything from that tank. If the bateria/fungus is still there, my new tank will be seeded with the fungus. I can wait though.

ugj's are nice set ups.

I still wonder why you don't transfer any bacteria from the existing tank to the new tank.

does the existing tank have a filter with sponges or other media?

if you have a sponge just tank the sponge from the old tank and squeeze the gunk from it to the new tank..this will; be loaded with a lot of live bacteria.

get a test kit and test every 12 hrs for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

if i had to do it over again..I'd put ugj in my 75

btw, nice tank

 

[CaptnDan]

Dude, you built that? That is freakin' beautiful! You should really be proud of that. :thm: