first water test

[armymedic]

Greetings All,

My tank has been cycling for a little over a month now and i would like to do my first water test to see where it's at. I have the Instant Ocean "Ocean Master" test kit i just picked up. From what i have read (in my book!) I should be testing for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites at this point. It appears that i need them to all be negligible?

 

 

[iangibby]

What did you use to start the cycle? amonia shoulda been the first test and one thats present the cycle will begin.

[armymedic]

Well i have to say these "graduated chips" they put in here to read can be a bit difficult to those of us that are not use to reading this stuff. Well based on my numbers i have thus far :

 

ammonia = somewhere between .0 to .2. closer to .0 on the chip, very little green color in the vial.

 

nitrites = .2 on the chip

 

nitrates = 10 on the chip

 

all 3 were in their lowest range for testing purposes. How do those numbers fair at a 4 week cycling process?? thanks.

[CHUBAKAH]

What are some of the items in the system that are cycling in terms of rock, sand, and or any live stock? Specifics of the live or dead rock is very important. Also need to know what was used to start the cycle?

 

I'm pretty sure with those numbers you are fine to add a hardy fish or two a month in.

[Origami]

^^ agree with Chubakah. I think that you can probably add a hardy small fish at this point. Just watch your acclimation procedure, OK? Also, if you're able, get something from an LFS that has a quarantine procedure they use and that they've already re-acclimated the livestock to regular salinity levels (that is, that they're not still keeping it in hyposaline conditions). While you could do all of this yourself, having the LFS absorb this risk at this time is probably going to help your success.

[gwweber]

Get some I STRESS male mollies. They are brakish water fish. They will be freshwater when you buy them. Stick them in the water the come in in a 5 gal bucket. Start a slow drip out of your tank into the bucket. By the time the bucket fills they should be ready to put into the tank. Mollies do very well in salt water and are CHEAP. It should take at least three hours for the drip to complete, and you should start it very slow. They are also tough as nails in saltwater. I have several mollies that are already saltwater if you want to pick them up, but as i live in gaithersburg it would be far cheaper for you to go to the LFS and get them. NOTE DO NOT GET FEMALES because as soon as you put them in saltwater they give birth and darn if every one of the babies wont live and you will have a hard time catching them.

One strong point here is that if you get a freshwater fish that can be changed to saltwater any disease that they have most likely will not survive the change to saltwater so qt is not necessary.