What fish to add with SafeStart?

[irmuddled]

Alright, these mornings readings are:

PH 8.0
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20-40

Nitrates are getting pretty high there 0_0 I read to not change the water for a week, but since I started off with nitrates already, when should I do a water change?

 

[Belltrain]

I would do a waterchange to bring down that ammonia and nitrates.

 

[Wild West]

debri from the gravel was all over the place...

In my past, floating debris did not alter water testing too much. I might have removed some of the debris and til the cycle was complete and then add more slowly as the beneficial bacteria developed?

 

[myswtsins]

I have not experienced it personally because my city water uses chlorine, but I've read over the years where chloramine will show up as ammonia when treated with Seachem prime or safe.

Anubias63 just posted about this! Thought I would link to it for anyone interested.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/threads/seachem-prime-and-test-readings-and-other-info.283725/

 

[Kannan Fodder]

Prime and SafeStart are incompatible???

I just changed my filter media and poured some SafeStart directly into the new media as part of my regular tank maintenance, to help replenish the bio process and bacteria lost when I removed the old filter media. I always use Prime to treat my tank water, and this combo was something recommended by a LFS. My test readings are showing 0 ammonia and nitrite, high nitrate (40 ppm), and a tank pH around 6.6 (I have 3 pieces of mopani wood in the tank). My tap pH is around 8.0.

 

[irmuddled]

I've read some people use it online, but there's a Q&A with a Tetra employee in Fishlore of a person asking about using products that bind ammonia (like prime) with SafeStart and this is is what they said:

Question: Will conditioners that detox ammonia effect SafeStart?
If so, how and why?

In regards to ammonia products, yes, they kill TSS. Any type, whether a
chloramines remover or detoxifier, etc, anything that says it locks up
ammonia or removes ammonia. Do not add TSS for 24 hours after using
such a product, and do not add such a product for at least 7 days after
using TSS. The bacteria is housed in a special stabilized solution of
ammonia, so if you remove/lock up the ammonia, you remove all of the
food the bacteria require to live.

Source:
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/aquarium-nitrogen-cycle/58116-q-tetra-tetra-safestart.html

I really don't know how true that is though. If anyone shares their experience with prime and safestart that would be neat since I have a whole bottle I'm waiting to use, and I much prefer that over the water conditioner I'm using right now.

 

[Wild West]

Could you try using a different dechlorinator instead of prime and then the safestart plus? If the odd water test parameters are still there I might remove the debris, as beneficial bacteria live on substrate/filter media too.

 

[Kannan Fodder]

When I set up my tank, I used SafeStart Plus and Prime, and added fish immediately. Had no issues, but I'll be the first to admit gambusia are notoriously hardy. My BNs didn't seem affected by anything either, but I did monitor the tank and kept up maintainence as it cycled.

Anyway, good reading material for future consideration. I have never encountered this info before, and the SafeStart/water conditioner combo is something I've heard recommended many times.

 

[irmuddled]

Well, the water conditioner that I'm using right now that's recommended for SafeStart is Tetra AquaSafe. A bunch of people, including a Tetra rep over the phone, recommended that conditioner so I played it safe I guess. It's a lot more expensive that Prime and not as concentrated though.

The weird test readings were only like that after I added water to the tank for the first time. I did a small water change earlier this week and the gravel has a loooot of debris. Update on the water parameters:

PH 8.0
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

The ammonia in the tank is less than the ammonia in the tap water so that's improvement I guess... added a whole bunch of plants so they can hopefully help clear the water a bit. All the fish seem happy and the Black Skirt Tetras finally have their fins nice and dark.

 

[Kannan Fodder]

I set my 29g up with a couple massively bushy wisteria plants, plus some Christmas moss balls, a couple ferns, an anubias, and some crypts or small sword species. And 3 decent pieces of mopani. My tap water is 8.0, but my tank tests at 6.6. I don't add anything to adjust pH either. Ammonia and nitrite are zero, but nitrate is reading high.

One of the good things with these boards is the wealth of information and advice. I've used Prime for years, but on a recent trip to restock my SafeStart, I accidentally bought some AquaSafe instead.