BettaFishMommy
finkids make me happy :-)
ph is one test that so many tank keepers worry about, when it is the one test i honestly rarely do and never worry about. ph doesn't affect fish the way everyone thinks it does. as long as your ph is stable and not hugely fluctuating (and won't be likely to fluctuate much unless you are running co2 in a planted tank), then i would not worry about it at all. heck, i think the last time i pulled out my ph test from my API kit was well over 6 months ago, lol. for sensitive fish, specific breeding conditions, or if you are trying to recreate a biotope for a certain species, that is the only time i'd really worry about ph.
zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and zero nitrate means your tank is not cycled. either fishless cycle (preferred), or get a good amount of gravel and filter media from a healthy and established tank (one that has been running for at least a year IMO). with a good amount of bacteria laden gravel and media, you can put fish in right away, and watch parameters. do water changes if you see ammonia or nitrite spikes. start slow with your stocking, a few fish at a time, and then wait a week or so to add a few more fish. this will allow the bacteria to populate to an amount to match the bioload of the fish. too many fish too soon and you'll overtax the bacteria, resulting in an ammonia spike, which leads to a nitrite spike, along with a cloudy tank due to bacteria bloom.
if you have filter media in the tank, you want to have it in an area where water will flow past it. right under the output of your filter is a great place. bacteria need oxygen, and that water flow provides the oxygen. even better would be to put that media right into your filter, if it will fit.
today i am taking some established sand and filter sponges over to a friend's house where she has a brand new 10 gallon set up. the amount of bacteria in the sand and sponge i'm adding to this tank will far surpass the bioload of the 5 guppies we are buying today for the tank. i don't expect any spikes from initial setup, but i worry about the fact that there are 4 kids in the house, two of which are capable of overfeeding the fish.......
zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and zero nitrate means your tank is not cycled. either fishless cycle (preferred), or get a good amount of gravel and filter media from a healthy and established tank (one that has been running for at least a year IMO). with a good amount of bacteria laden gravel and media, you can put fish in right away, and watch parameters. do water changes if you see ammonia or nitrite spikes. start slow with your stocking, a few fish at a time, and then wait a week or so to add a few more fish. this will allow the bacteria to populate to an amount to match the bioload of the fish. too many fish too soon and you'll overtax the bacteria, resulting in an ammonia spike, which leads to a nitrite spike, along with a cloudy tank due to bacteria bloom.
if you have filter media in the tank, you want to have it in an area where water will flow past it. right under the output of your filter is a great place. bacteria need oxygen, and that water flow provides the oxygen. even better would be to put that media right into your filter, if it will fit.
today i am taking some established sand and filter sponges over to a friend's house where she has a brand new 10 gallon set up. the amount of bacteria in the sand and sponge i'm adding to this tank will far surpass the bioload of the 5 guppies we are buying today for the tank. i don't expect any spikes from initial setup, but i worry about the fact that there are 4 kids in the house, two of which are capable of overfeeding the fish.......
