The Puffer Forum

not even gonna have to cycle FW!!!! my tank is around a .15, it has really lowered!!! Also today I figured out that the BW tank is at a 1.008 or 1.009.. My tank is at a 1.005... What should I do?

also, when you read the ammonia and stuff, do you have to read of SW chart or FW? I got my water tested from LFS no nitrites just still a BIT high ammonia, but its lowering!

1. Brackish water is 1.003 - 1.018.
2. Your ammonia is lower because of water changes.
3. In order to cycle, ammonia will raise, THEN you will see the nitrites raise, then you will see the nitrates raise and the ammonia lower.
So, your tank is not cycled !
Why is your sg higher than when you started?

refractometer is more accurate my LFS used it and it was a little higher... And no! because its been one and a half weeks since the WC and my Nitrites HASNT gone up!

Then your initial test was wrong, or the test done today was wrong. Did they use strips?

no, api test kits

Ok, there is no .15 color anyway, .25 is the fist level, and it is difficult if not impossible to determine a .15 reading from a .25
It's still a moot point, your tank is not cycled with no nitrates unless you have a jungle of brackish plants consuming the nitrates in your tank, but even if that were the case, the ammonia would be at 0.

I'm taking the time to explain these things to you because bw made a very valid point that you'll probably get a figure 8 no matter what, and since you said it was hard to understand the reading material.

Without going back and reading all 9 pages of this thread ... how are you cycling the tank?

J-P wrote:Without going back and reading all 9 pages of this thread ... how are you cycling the tank?

Tank was at freshwater, it has tiger barbs, he raised the sg to 1.005, crashed the bacteria.
I'd go back a couple pages for the rest.

fish in?

Each water change you do with FW will lower the SG and that really isn't too much a problem since you have barbs in there.

Try to get some USED filter media from your LFS where you got the tests done / purchased the fish. That will kick start the process. Keep in mind that there are essentially 2 groups of bacteria that we are focusing on.

Group A) consumes the Ammonia and changes it to Nitrite. If your amonia level is dropping and you are not seeing the nitrate go up that is because:
Group B) the bacteria that consumes Nitrite and converts it to Nitrate is still developing.

Fish-in cycling is quicker but very unhealthy for the fish. Having a good substrate and filter media will help also. If you want to accelerate the process, anything that has been in an established tank will help. The more porus it is the more beneficial bacteria it will contain.

Plants = good
stones, and gravel = better
sponge and pours rock / bioballs = best. If you can get any of these you won't have to wait as long.

The entire process can take up to 4 weeks. Don't panic.. it will get there. Rushing things tends to cause problems.

I have my used filter pad, when it was fully cycled as FW and all my gravel from FW, and when i said .15 im aware, but it was in between 25 and 0, so i said a 15

My HD PVR wrote:I have my used filter pad, when it was fully cycled as FW and all my gravel from FW, and when i said .15 im aware, but it was in between 25 and 0, so i said a 15

But you do understand that the quick jump in sg has effectively killed off the bacteria colonies active in them?

Yea, but maybe I got lucky, i still had 50% of the bacteria, my filter pad, my gravel and everything... Don't complain for a possibly good thing... If ammonia lowers without my nitriates or nitrites going up... its a good thing isnt it?

yes a good thing your tank is going through a cycle, as if it was a new tank! just stick with it the end result will be a good tank

Water changes water changes water changes?