cycling my new tank!!

[tessr]

Hi, i've finally bought the new tank to replace my corner tank and as usual i bought a completely different tank to the ones i was looking at, I ended up getting a fluval roma 90 litre tank (as after asking questions at 2 lfs they both said this was a really good set up), and added black and white fine gravel, after 2 days i had water readings of ph 7.6 hph 7.4 amonia .25 nitrite 0 and nitrate 5.0 so i added the rock and plants from the corner tank to help establish the filter etc. and have done regular water changes everyday and tested the water after a few hours each time,they now read ph 7.6 hph 7.4 amonia 1.0 nitrite 1.0 nitrate 5.0, yesterday ammonia was at 2.0. My question is at what point do i add hardy fish like tetras to the tank as i already have some rosie tetras in the other tank? i also noticed that when ammona was 2 it went all cloudy but has cleared is this normal?

 

[jm1212]

are you adding any source of ammoina to the tank?

ammoina of 2.0 is normal for a cycling tank. dont add any fish to the tank until the ammoina and nitrite remain 0.

 

[tessr]

I'm adding aquasafe after water changes and i used cycle when i set up the filter as well, not sure if either of these have ammonia in them!!

 

[jpappy789]

You shouldn't need to do water changes during a fishless cycle. Neither have ammonia in them, but your tap water might.

I agree with jm. No fish until the ammonia and nitrite are consistently at zero.

 

[SchizotypalVamp]

no fish until the ammonia and nitrite are zero

 

[KarlTh]

I'd ignore the high range pH result - high range pH kits are meant for when your pH is in the high range - 7.5 to 9. The normal pH test is more likely to be closer to the truth.

 

[tessr]

Thanks KarlTH i'll just do the normal ph from now on, it came in the api test kit i have so i thought there was a difference, I've also tested my tap water and the ammonia reads .25 so i think thats where the ammonia came from, I will wait for the ammonia and nitrite to get to 0 before adding any fish the lfs said to add them a week after setting up the tank but said nothing about what water readings should be before adding them!!, does anyone have any idea on how long it might take?

 

[KarlTh]

You're not the first person to be misled into thinking that pH and high range pH were two different water parameters.

 

[tessr]

Am i doing something wrong? i've just tested the tanks water as it has completely cleared now thinking things must be getting better and my ph is 7.6 nitrite 1 and nitrate 10 but the ammonias back at 2!!!!!!! nitrate also up but not the nitrite!!!!!
I've not done a water change yet today but could i have added the plants too early or is this what normally happens? i never had it with my other tank!!

 

[jpappy789]

I wouldn't worry. Cycling takes time so just keep monitoring the parameters and wait for ammonia and nitrite to consistently read zero.