Please Help. Cycling drama
Lynx
Member Posts: 1
Hi
I’m just getting back into fish, it’s been a long time. But I want a Betta fish. I have an Aqua one 9L Betta tank for my little flat.
I started on May 1st using Aqua one Bio Starter. I followed the directions and waited. My ammonia sat at 4.0. Nothing else changed.
Then things started getting complicated..LFS said ad fish food..another one said no that’s wrong, go home and suck it all out and renew your water 75%. Then said get Fluval Bio Enhancer. Then I read that’s not the best idea it kills ‘real’ b.b..and once you start you have to keep using and it’s expensive. Then, use Seachem pH neutral..well, I stuck my arm in the tank to clear the inlet tube cover ringed in water out of the tank, and I kid you not, my sensitive skin was burning. Eventually I decided it was one big chemical mess, so I started all over.
I read an article that got me thinking when it said ‘don’t throw the kitchen sink at your tank’ so I wondered if it was better to keep my ammonia lower in a smaller tank, while the B.B get a chance to catch up?
So this is what I’ve got..
HOB filter, air pump with ball, rocks, ornament, silk plant, heater, thermometer.
HOB on full, air on high, temp 29.
Today my ammonia was 0.50, nitrite 0. I’m not expecting anything after 3 days, but would my theory about a smaller tank be feasible?
And I’m concerned my pH is alkaline at 7.6 to 8.2. Is this ok or should it be lower?
Does Bio Starter actually work? I really don’t know what I should or shouldn’t do?
Please help.
Thank you.
I’m just getting back into fish, it’s been a long time. But I want a Betta fish. I have an Aqua one 9L Betta tank for my little flat.
I started on May 1st using Aqua one Bio Starter. I followed the directions and waited. My ammonia sat at 4.0. Nothing else changed.
Then things started getting complicated..LFS said ad fish food..another one said no that’s wrong, go home and suck it all out and renew your water 75%. Then said get Fluval Bio Enhancer. Then I read that’s not the best idea it kills ‘real’ b.b..and once you start you have to keep using and it’s expensive. Then, use Seachem pH neutral..well, I stuck my arm in the tank to clear the inlet tube cover ringed in water out of the tank, and I kid you not, my sensitive skin was burning. Eventually I decided it was one big chemical mess, so I started all over.
I read an article that got me thinking when it said ‘don’t throw the kitchen sink at your tank’ so I wondered if it was better to keep my ammonia lower in a smaller tank, while the B.B get a chance to catch up?
So this is what I’ve got..
HOB filter, air pump with ball, rocks, ornament, silk plant, heater, thermometer.
HOB on full, air on high, temp 29.
Today my ammonia was 0.50, nitrite 0. I’m not expecting anything after 3 days, but would my theory about a smaller tank be feasible?
And I’m concerned my pH is alkaline at 7.6 to 8.2. Is this ok or should it be lower?
Does Bio Starter actually work? I really don’t know what I should or shouldn’t do?
Please help.
Thank you.
Comments
-
Hi Lynx,
Good to see you started over, bio starter still requires time to get the tank established patience is the key not always easy I know lol.
What's the size of your tank.
Why is the temp sitting 29c unless you want keep Discus keeping the tank around 25c is best for most Fish.
PH is a bit more difficult I tend to keep fish that more suites my PH which is 7.4 out of the tap.
Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes & dreams. -
A 9 litre tank ? Or is that a typo?
What fish deserves to live in such a confined space?
Hoping you meant 90 lt tank.
