Okay...it is not that bad, but you may lose a fish or two.
Most the bacteria that make a tank habitable, are not in the water. They live in the filter, the substrate (gravel), and on the decorations. They convert the ammonia wastes from fish to nitrites and others convert the nitrites to nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are very bad for fish, even at low levels. Nitrates are not good but can be handled at higher levels.
You need a good liquid water test kit that can give you readings for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. You are doing a fishey cycle, establidhing a tank with fish in it; VERY stressful for the fish. The test strips are very inaccurate.
The cycle stuff you bought today does not have the right bacteria in it to do the job. You will be doing a lot of water changes to keep things safe until the bacteria reestablish themselves.
Most the bacteria that make a tank habitable, are not in the water. They live in the filter, the substrate (gravel), and on the decorations. They convert the ammonia wastes from fish to nitrites and others convert the nitrites to nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are very bad for fish, even at low levels. Nitrates are not good but can be handled at higher levels.
You need a good liquid water test kit that can give you readings for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. You are doing a fishey cycle, establidhing a tank with fish in it; VERY stressful for the fish. The test strips are very inaccurate.
The cycle stuff you bought today does not have the right bacteria in it to do the job. You will be doing a lot of water changes to keep things safe until the bacteria reestablish themselves.
