What is an LFS? I setup my tank yesterday morning using the Doc wellfish 10gal setup kit. After adding the ammo lock, stresscoat, and stresszyme I tested the water for pH, Ammonia, and Nitrite. Everything tested fine. Tank temp is 78-80F, is this too hot? So last night I added my 4 fish, 2 black tetras and 2 danios. Tested the water again today and everything but the Nitrite is normal. The nitrite level is .25. I was wondering will this level fall as my tank cycles? And was also wondering what is a good way to do a water change? Would a 5gal bucket with room temp water be a good thing to hold the water in? Also, the ammolock is supposed to remove the chlorine and chloromine from the water and was wondering if this is a good product to use for such purpose. I am looking for a good line of chemicals to use in my tank from only 1 company, so im not mixing all different types of chemicals. Does Aquarium Pharmaceuticals make reputable chemicals? They are the makers of my startup kit. Ok well off to bed now. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Just starting up so please no flaming.
What is LFS? And other bothersome questions.
- Thread starter Napsterhaven
- Start date
Welcome to AqC 
!
Local Fish Stores are frequently called LFSs for short. Check ChilDawg's handy glossary -- it's the sticky at the top of this forum. Lots of good stuff.
Its always good to give actual numbers when reporting on water chemistry. Even when everything seems to be within "normal" ranges the numbers can give the chemists among us little clues about things (I am not one of the chemists, I am one of the terminally baffled). And yes the color charts are hard to read — do your best, sometimes its guesstimation.
With fishy cycling water changes are critical and temps should be kept a bit to the low side, especially if the pH is tending to the high side (chemistry already). I use 5 gallon buckets to transport my water. I try to match by feel, others use room temp, others try to match exactly using thermometers. I'm in the "small sudden temp fluctuations are normal in the wild camp" and don't think there's any harm in being off by a few degrees. There's also no harm in being cautious and using a thermometer. Wild fluctuations in any parameter can be harmful: be close. I let my buckets sit for an hour or so to let them outgas a bit, stirring them occasionally. I'm not really familiar with AmmoLock but I think it has a good reputation. I think it will screw up your Ammo test during the cycle, not 100% sure. I use Amquel and like it. You might want to look into whether or not your local water company uses Chloramines or just Chlorine and make sure your dechlorinator is suitable for your situation.
This is a good FAQ for beginners. Quick read, lots of good info. Especially check the info on cycling.
Cycling can be extremely bad for the fish, sometimes fatal, may do permanent damage, shortened lifespan etc. You can minimize the damage if you work at it. Regular water changes throughout the cycle (figure 4-8 weeks), daily if necessary, can help. Keeping things to the cool end of the range also good (80 is high, think mid 70s). Gills should be red not brown, watch for sickly behavior and keep on top of your testing. The Ammolock may be interfering with your Ammo test. The nitrite levels will rise for awhile and then fall to zero. In an established tank Ammonia and Nitrites should always be undetectable. The cycle is finished when they both fall to zero and stay there.
Many of us try to run fairly (fishstore-bought) chemical free tanks. I don't use any fishstore chemicals except for some plant fertilizers from SeaChem. I do use some DIY stuff like Crushed Coral to boost my KH, but thats about it. In general the consensus seems to be for stability over perfection. Pick fish that are suitable for your water and don't worry if the pH is 7.8 instead of 7.4. Within reson, most fish can adapt. Most of the sauces use the same or similar ingredients and you should know what they are before dosing with them. Tinkering can lead to fluctuations -- stability is important. AqPharm has a fairly good reputation, not bad, but I'd post some questions around here first and decide whether or not you really need them.
HTH
(Hope that Helps )
!Local Fish Stores are frequently called LFSs for short. Check ChilDawg's handy glossary -- it's the sticky at the top of this forum. Lots of good stuff.
Its always good to give actual numbers when reporting on water chemistry. Even when everything seems to be within "normal" ranges the numbers can give the chemists among us little clues about things (I am not one of the chemists, I am one of the terminally baffled). And yes the color charts are hard to read — do your best, sometimes its guesstimation.
With fishy cycling water changes are critical and temps should be kept a bit to the low side, especially if the pH is tending to the high side (chemistry already). I use 5 gallon buckets to transport my water. I try to match by feel, others use room temp, others try to match exactly using thermometers. I'm in the "small sudden temp fluctuations are normal in the wild camp" and don't think there's any harm in being off by a few degrees. There's also no harm in being cautious and using a thermometer. Wild fluctuations in any parameter can be harmful: be close. I let my buckets sit for an hour or so to let them outgas a bit, stirring them occasionally. I'm not really familiar with AmmoLock but I think it has a good reputation. I think it will screw up your Ammo test during the cycle, not 100% sure. I use Amquel and like it. You might want to look into whether or not your local water company uses Chloramines or just Chlorine and make sure your dechlorinator is suitable for your situation.
This is a good FAQ for beginners. Quick read, lots of good info. Especially check the info on cycling.
Cycling can be extremely bad for the fish, sometimes fatal, may do permanent damage, shortened lifespan etc. You can minimize the damage if you work at it. Regular water changes throughout the cycle (figure 4-8 weeks), daily if necessary, can help. Keeping things to the cool end of the range also good (80 is high, think mid 70s). Gills should be red not brown, watch for sickly behavior and keep on top of your testing. The Ammolock may be interfering with your Ammo test. The nitrite levels will rise for awhile and then fall to zero. In an established tank Ammonia and Nitrites should always be undetectable. The cycle is finished when they both fall to zero and stay there.
Many of us try to run fairly (fishstore-bought) chemical free tanks. I don't use any fishstore chemicals except for some plant fertilizers from SeaChem. I do use some DIY stuff like Crushed Coral to boost my KH, but thats about it. In general the consensus seems to be for stability over perfection. Pick fish that are suitable for your water and don't worry if the pH is 7.8 instead of 7.4. Within reson, most fish can adapt. Most of the sauces use the same or similar ingredients and you should know what they are before dosing with them. Tinkering can lead to fluctuations -- stability is important. AqPharm has a fairly good reputation, not bad, but I'd post some questions around here first and decide whether or not you really need them.
HTH
(Hope that Helps
)No flaming in the Newbie Forum, ever! carpguy gives a great condensed few paragraphs here, but I think you should have a guidebook: David Boruchowitz, The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums would be my choice. www.amazon.com will deliver it to your door!
