Reply With Quotewhat test kits are you using?
Hi guys! Its my first time setting up a new shrimp tank! Planning to keep some hardy shrimps like cherries and sakura. Its about 1ft and its been cycling close to its 1st week. Did the following test and this are my results:
Ammonia: 5mg/l
Nitrite:0ppm
Nitrate: 20mg/l
Soil: H.E.L.P advanced Soil
Plants: Java moss, Marimo ball and Crypts (Lights are turned on for average 10-12Hours)
Filter: HOF Dymax 450
Water: Aged water treated with aqua stable
I am quite shocked by my test results and hope some shifus can give me some tips and advice!
what test kits are you using?
Using Waterlife test kit for ammonia and API test kit for nitrate and nitrite.
ok. 1st week of cycling and these results should be quite common. usually we cycle for about a month to be safe. depending on the type of soil used, some need shorter or longer period of cycling.
when your ammonia and nitrite reading is 0. you are done with your cycling.
you might want to test the pH value too as shrimps are sensitive to pH value also.
Thanks for your advice! will give an update in the later weeks! Welcome any other tips and advice! Still new and learning! Cannot wait to join the shrimp family!Originally Posted by huizhong
Like wat huizhong said, 1st week usually is the case. Because of the fact that your bacteria colony is building up. Test again at the 2nd week, you should see the level of nitrite increasing while ammonia decreasing as the first bacteria to pop up first would be those that remove ammonia first. Maybe during the 3rd week, you will start to see further decrease in both the Ammonia and Nitrite while an increase in the Nitrate as the de-nitrifying bacteria have started their job as well.
At this stage, your bacteria colony would have been more or less there already. Well then, either you may add some cheaper shrimps or some feeder fish to keep the Ammonia coming so that your bacteria has food to continue its lifespan or not, you can keep it that way for another about 1 week before adding the shrimps intended... Nitrate wise, not to worry too much. Small regular water changes will do just fine or you may go to the MarketPlace and see if anyone is selling/giving water lettuce or frogbits away. Floating plants make good nitrate sucker.
All in all, everyone here will have one advice for you... Just be patient when it comes to tank cycling. You will not regret when you reap good results!
“We know very little about what happens to Belugas in the wild, and it’s only through aquariums like this that we actually find out that information.” Clint Wright
Thanks for the advice! Will definitely wait for the tank to be fully cycled. Saw some of the examples of deaths due to improper cycling of tanks in this forum. Is it better to add in floating plants like frogbits now or add them when the bacteria starts to break down nitrite to nitrate?
If you ask me, you can choose to add them in now... But from my experience, they will not grow so well if there is no nitrate present unless they absorb the nutrients you provide... So be prepared to see some rotting leaves here and there. But on the other hand, they are quite hardy plants... Will not die so easily also. Haha... Or alternatively, check out http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...b-nitrate-most ... It also recommends a lot more choices!
Last edited by elwaynetan; 13th Sep 2012 at 10:03. Reason: additional information
Thanks for the advice! Did not know about frogbits dropping their roots! Think it will get them once the bb starts breaking down nitrite to nitrate!If you ask me, you can choose to add them in now... But from my experience, they will not grow so well if there is no nitrate present unless they absorb the nutrients you provide... So be prepared to see some rotting leaves here and there. But on the other hand, they are quite hardy plants... Will not die so easily also. Haha... Or alternatively, check out http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...b-nitrate-most ... It also recommends a lot more choices!
Hi just an update, did some test on my tank and this were my results,
Ammonia: 2mg/l
Nitrite: 0.25mg/l
Nitrate: 80mg/l
Ph: 5.3
Added some frogbits today to reduce the level of nitrate. However is the ph of my water too low? I am actually intending to rear Sakura shrimp and I am afraid they would not be able to take the ph of 5.3
Hello..
Looking from the first post till now, I am assuming ur tank has been cycled for about 2 weeks? 2 weeks cannot determine much too unless you are very confident. But to play safe and letting your water stabilize, let the tank cycle for about 2 months.
Did you inject CO2 into your tank? CO2 plays a part in your tank's pH as well. I will recommend agitating your water surface so as to allow more gas exchange. That might help. I found a useful article for you; http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/107
It explains more. You will know what I mean...
Anyway, sakura shrimps are morphs from the hardy cherry shrimps. Many experts mentioned that though morphs, they are still one of the easiest species to keep. So no worries on that. Do an experiment if you may when you go get your shrimps, espoeciallly those pre-packed shrimps. Test the water with your test kits. You will be surprised to know those shrimps in the packet are surviving fine in the packets with high ammonia and nitrite levels. Eventually, by acclimatizing the shrimps properly to your tank, you can be sure that you will be giving them the best time of their life. Haha!
Be patient! That's what a lot of them here will tell you once they see this. Water condition changes along the course of cycling. Learn from the process.
Hello..
Looking from the first post till now, I am assuming ur tank has been cycled for about 2 weeks? 2 weeks cannot determine much too unless you are very confident. But to play safe and letting your water stabilize, let the tank cycle for about 2 months.
Did you inject CO2 into your tank? CO2 plays a part in your tank's pH as well. I will recommend agitating your water surface so as to allow more gas exchange. That might help. I found a useful article for you; http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/107
It explains more. You will know what I mean...
Anyway, sakura shrimps are morphs from the hardy cherry shrimps. Many experts mentioned that though morphs, they are still one of the easiest species to keep. So no worries on that. Do an experiment if you may when you go get your shrimps, espoeciallly those pre-packed shrimps. Test the water with your test kits. You will be surprised to know those shrimps in the packet are surviving fine in the packets with high ammonia and nitrite levels. Eventually, by acclimatizing the shrimps properly to your tank, you can be sure that you will be giving them the best time of their life. Haha!
Be patient! That's what a lot of them here will tell you once they see this. Water condition changes along the course of cycling. Learn from the process.
Thanks for the great reading. I saw a point which mention that nitrification bacterial will die off below ph of 6, Would it affect the cycling if the ph is this low?
And I am not injecting CO2 into the tank, using an air pump as I read that beneficial bacterial activity will be at optimum when oxygen is more than 80% in the water
Honestly speaking, that's just one of the experiments and opinions of another auqarist. There are different schools of thought. Haha... This is also the first time I came across this too, I am also learning in progress! But as mentioned earlier, 2 weeks is way too short for cycling to be completed. Especially if your soil, rocks, plants or any other stuffs in your tank is new. I mean, brand new. It's just like a human in a new working environment. For the first 3 months during probation, there are bound to be ups and downs which you have to get used to. But after that 3 months usually, you will tend to settle down and get used to it... I guessed, same goes for the stuffs in your tank, they need time to settle down and stabilize if they are new. So I supposed water condition changes inevitably throughout the 2 months of cycling. And you just have to keep monitoring.
Well, if your nitrite starts increasing in these few days, probably that will prove the article. Then that brings you to another point written in the article that you may add in some rocks to increase the pH. Limestone helps too. But be careful with those addition. You don't want a sudden surge and have to decrease the pH again... What aquarist are trying to master are those pinpoint factors that will affect the water parameters. Once mastered, they will have no worries in maintaining what is required successfully each time they set up a new tank.
Good day all...
Need advice on my 2 weeks cycle tank. I have some plant in it and turning yellowish. Why is it happening? Due to lack of sun? Do I need to pump in co2 for the plant?
Thanks all....
What kind of plants are those?
What's is the temperature of the tank?
You don't have to worry about the lack of sun... A lot of plants are grown successfully inside aquariums. Haha... Any light for your tank? What is the light? Sometimes, too strong or too weak a light kills your plants. There are of course, a lot more factors that contributes. Will need to know more about your setup before more people can comment here.
Hi guys I am facing some problem here, just added some Sakura shrimps and two ottos in my tank on Sunday, all are doing fine and did a check on water parameters, found out that nitrate level was abit high despite having frogbits. I immediately did a water change of about 30% on Monday. However today one of the Sakura died while moments ago it was hanging on the frogbit root, refusing to roam around the ground. Similarly with two other sakura, they looked like they have problem balancing themselves as they walked, it's like they couldn't control their lower half of the body well and keep on swimming to the top to reach for the frogbit roots. I have since quarantined the two Sakura in a small tank hoping it will recover. Other two Sakura and ottos are doing well. Any shifu can enlighten me?
Just to add, both Sakura and ottos were acclimatised by drip method where I put in 1 scoop of tank water every 10mins for 4hours before adding them in. Water parameters were checked on Saturday where ammonia level and nitrite level were at it's minimum, carry out a water change on saturday before I purchased the Sakura and ottos on Sunday. And nitrate levels were 80mg/l on Monday when I took the readings
your nitrate level is too high..though nitrate is the least 'poisonous' but at high concentration it can be still harmful.. shrimps probably won't be able to tolerate even small amounts of ammonia or nitrite...coupled with such high levels of nitrate , it might be the cause of the shrimp's death..
Aspiring to be.
You can try conducting frequent water changes, e.g. 10 ~ 20% per time... probably every 2 ~ 3 days once. But try to use an air hose and guide it into the water instead of just scooping from the top... You will also be able to suck their excrements from the bottom as well.
Try testing your gH?
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks