DuzMano's Leddy 60XL 72l

[DuzMano]

Double post, sorry

[DuzMano]

How hard is the water?
It may be that they put CO2 into the supply to keep down the limescale in the pipes....?

Very hard water, 15+ Deg German and about the same kh. So if they add co2 then I guess that degasses over time leaving me with a higher pH...

I'll get a tub of tap water, dechlorinate it, then leave it a day or two and test it and see what I get...

[DuzMano]

Didn't even take a day, just a few hours. 7.5 out of the tap, 8.5 when it's been left for a while...

Might have to look at some product such as alkaline down to convert some of that kh into acidity. Didn't want to become a chemist, but oh well hahah

[plankton]

Don't over-worry about the ph, just remember that it does change a lot for when you do water changes.
It's the hardness that matters more to the fish.

[DuzMano]

Daily ammonia tests from Tuesday to Thursday all sitting at 0-0.5 ppm, yesterday, Wednesday, was more like 0.2-0.5, today Thursday, it's back to more like 0 or between 0 and 0.2ppm. Did a nitrite and nitrate test today, nitrite is at 2-4ppm, nitrate at 40+ppm.

I'm guessing I should do a water change, about 50%?. But it's encouraging signs I guess that the cycle is going ok. But disappointed that there wasn't a bigger ammonia spike, but then I'm guessing the added bottle bacteria contains mostly if not solely the ammonia eating bacteria and it's doing its job well beings as I have a substantial nitrite spike today...

[fr499y]

Your fishless cycling right? don't do a water change, just top up the ammonia and wait until the nitrites drop.

[DuzMano]

Your fishless cycling right? don't do a water change, just top up the ammonia and wait until the nitrites drop.

Yes fishless cycling. So add some more fish food? It's getting really messy haha can I use something other than fish food that's not going to litter my tank lmao

I'm so wanting to get in there and give it a good hoover and clean up. I also have loads of this thick grey slime on my driftwood, which I assume is biofilm, need some shrimp in there, they'd love it if it weren't more than a little toxic in there for them right now lmao

[plankton]

Use ammonia. There's a chart in the Guides/resources to help calculate how much you need depending on the strength.
Use pure ammonia, not any with perfume or surfactants.

[DuzMano]

Have ordered some, but in the meantime have added more fish food. It says in the cycling guide here, that high nitrates slows the cycle which is why I thought I needed to water change...and I'm impatient

I have lots of plants, but they're too busy melting to be sucking up nitrates lmao

[fr499y]

It can, but you have nitrites, so the cycle hasn't slowed or come to a halt. It'll just need more ammonia dosing (at this stage, possibly every day), testing each day and waiting for the 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite to show.