Okay I think I really hosed my tank trying to cycle it. I started off trying to "artifically" cycle it. I added pure ammonia to it. I think I added too much! Well after a couple of days I checked the ammonia and it was off the salciyte test. So I decided to change 50 % of the water (100 gallon tank). Tested it again and it was still of the charts. Did another 50% change and added ammonia removal chips. Got about 15 large danios in there now to do it the old fashioned way. Tested the water and the ammonia is again off the charts. I added 3 ounces of Bio Spira (marineland) which contains both bacteria. From what I read it supposed to overnight take care of the ammonia and the corresponding Nitrite spikes. Checked the water 24 hours later and the ()*#&$(*#&(*$ ammonia is still of the chart. I know it isn't the test kit as I tested my 25 gallon established tank as a control group and it was 0 ammonia. Anways what the heck am I going to do?
BTW the danios seem perfectly fine and happy... no "gulping" or redness around the gills.
Suggestions??
SH
BTW the Bio-spria from what I have read is great. It did wonders for my neighbours 40 gallon tank when he had a nitrite spike (he cleans his tank too much and it went through "new tank syndrome)
Cycling My Tank
In my opinion
Get a bunch of cheap, fast growing plants like hornwort and anacharis and drop them in there. Those two in particular are indestructible. I started a brand new tank with a few good wads of stem plants and never had an ammonia spike.
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Barbie
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If you have an established tank, there is no need to "cycle" another tank. Take established filter media from the existing tank and swish it out in the new tank every few days. Yes, it looks nasty, and yes, it will make all the difference in the world. You're adding live cultures to the tank to jump start the rate at which they can multiply. If you're using amquel, or any of the other products that remove chloramines from your tap water, they can give you false readings on your test kits also. Hope that helps. Ammonia off the charts would be stressing your danios, one would think.
Barbie
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Rusty
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Barbie is right. Amquel/Ammo-lock will make the tests act funny, and you won't get a good reading. One thing you could have done beforee you bought the tank (I guess you could still) is get an extra filter established on an old tank, and run that on the new tank. Old gravel also helps.
Don't worry, I'd think that the danios woud be dead by now if you had a serious problem.
Rusty
Don't worry, I'd think that the danios woud be dead by now if you had a serious problem.
Rusty
Thanks Team!
Appreciate the feedback. I did add rocks and driftwood from the other tank to the new one. I did not know that water conditioner would throw off the test. That would make sense now as I add a whole bunch when i did the water tests. I am going to continue to monitor it before I move my Blocchi's and Plecos from the 25 to the 100.
Thanks again
SH
Appreciate the feedback. I did add rocks and driftwood from the other tank to the new one. I did not know that water conditioner would throw off the test. That would make sense now as I add a whole bunch when i did the water tests. I am going to continue to monitor it before I move my Blocchi's and Plecos from the 25 to the 100.
Thanks again
SH