I have started a moderately-planted (about 60% planted) 20 gal tank. The gravel and HOT filter media are new, but the plants came from established tanks (and pond). The substrate is laterite and then gravel. I let the plants settle in for a week.
Unsure how much the tank would cycle, I added 3 guppies (what was I thinking?....the lfs had a particularly pretty batch in and the kids were there.....) and a snail. The fish have been there 6 days and there has been no change in my ammonia or nitrite readings (both 0). The pH started at 7.5 out of the tap (well water with GH and KH at 5) and held there for the first four days, but then drifted upwards a bit. I was temporarily anchoring a plant with a marble rock, so I took the rock out yesterday and the plant seems to have rooted enough to stay put. Could the rock have increased the pH in just a few days? Does anyone expect that I will start to show ammonia readings, or is okay to add some more fish? I can add some pea gravel from an established pond if needed, but the pond is quite cold right now -would the bacteria be active once they come inside and warm up? I would like to add a school of neons (and eventually a few otos). Will they tolerate the higher pH?
Thanks
Unsure how much the tank would cycle, I added 3 guppies (what was I thinking?....the lfs had a particularly pretty batch in and the kids were there.....) and a snail. The fish have been there 6 days and there has been no change in my ammonia or nitrite readings (both 0). The pH started at 7.5 out of the tap (well water with GH and KH at 5) and held there for the first four days, but then drifted upwards a bit. I was temporarily anchoring a plant with a marble rock, so I took the rock out yesterday and the plant seems to have rooted enough to stay put. Could the rock have increased the pH in just a few days? Does anyone expect that I will start to show ammonia readings, or is okay to add some more fish? I can add some pea gravel from an established pond if needed, but the pond is quite cold right now -would the bacteria be active once they come inside and warm up? I would like to add a school of neons (and eventually a few otos). Will they tolerate the higher pH?
Thanks