[Trinket]

Sakura, were you able to match the pH and temperature of the 75% water change? The change itself is only good if the pH is exactly same (not lower anyway) and the temp (use a finger) is same...

These are big stressors if they are mismatched in so large a change and can cause immediate redness, yes really that fast.

Yes thats right on strip and drop tests. Stores usually run strip tests as they are more economical. Drops are more exact.

What is your pH doing? Have you checked gH and kH to determine buffering capacity and mineral content of the water?
For example a kH lower then 40 will mean a tap water of 7.3 may well go down to 6.5 within a day or so! The kH tells you the holding power of yur pH.

Good bac establish in less than 0.50 ammonia. They need a miniscule amount. Imagine how small bacteria are- there are 1000 bacteria can fit in one milimeter of water- their needs are very small but yes a trace of ammonia is nec. to cycle.

[AubreeMarie]

Others have touched upon this already, but as far as those in-tank ammonia sensors with live readings, they're CRAP!
In my much earlier days of gold keeping, I was like "Huh, thats REALLY clever!" I got one, popped it in the tank and all seemes pretty good.
Until my fish became quite unhappy, and I invariably found my way here, like MANY of us, and was instructed to get the drops kit for testing. So I ran on out and got the ammo, trite and trate drop kits by API, and like a mad little scientist rushed home and tested everything.....

I was QUITE unhappy to find that my little intake reader, which had been reading at ZERO the entire time was wrong, and in fact I had pretty high ammonia. I was LIVID!

So I took it out pronto. I even held it over an open bottle of ammonia to see if it would change. Oh sure, the color changed when faced with pure, 100% ammonia. It went straight into the recycling. Except the suction cup that is, at least THAT worked right!

[Sakura]

I got a test kit, and the water parameters seem to be doing much better, along with the fish. Thank you everyone :) I currently have a new fish in qt(!) and a new-to-me 55 gallon starting the process of a fishless cycle. Hope it works well for me!

Trinket, thanks for the tip about water temperature and pH matching. I usually try to add water that's slightly colder than the current tank temperature so that it stays nice and cool for them, but it sounds like I shouldn't do that anymore. I wonder how else I can keep the temp down though. It's probably alright just at room temp (about 73 degrees) but I thought they preferred it a little cooler than that (more like 65).

This post has been edited by Sakura: 08 November 2009 - 06:09 AM

[newbiefishgirl]

Yes you want to do temp matched like Trinket said. :) You are doing a good job! Keep up with the water changes daily until completely cycled. I do have a couple links in signature that should be helpful in that arena! As long as you are taking care of the water, your fish should be ok. Nice saying on Kokos about being water keepers not fish keepers...keep the water perfect and the water will take care of the fish.

Once you get the drop testers going post your parameters again, please! :heart

[amynmitchell]

Just to add 73 is a perfectly fine temp. Fancies will do fine with it a little warmer than commons prefer.

[Sakura]

I just tested the water today, and here's some results:

ammonia: 0.25
nitrite: 0
nitrate: somewhere right in-between 0 and 5.0

Honestly, I'm puzzled by these results. I've tested only a few times in the past week, but have yet to see any nitrites. Why would there be nitrates if I haven't even seen nitrites yet? I heard that there could be some in the tap, so I should probably test the tap to see about that. Is this ammonia level okay for the fish? I know it's not perfect, but is it alright? I still can't tell if there's any bacteria in there, but it seems to me that there should be. For the first 5 days or so I did 75% water changes, as suggested, then went down to about 50% changes about every-other day because the ammonia levels really weren't bad. Anyone have any insight into these readings though?!

Edit: I just tested pH as well, and it reads at about 7.6. I was a little afraid that my driftwood was altering it, but I think that's a pretty good reading, no?

This post has been edited by Sakura: 09 November 2009 - 02:16 PM

[Trinket]

Test your source water for nitrates. Some people have that.

Yes the amm level is fine since you are cycling.

[Sakura]

I just bought some API Stress Coat+ Fish and Tap Water Conditioner. It says it removes chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia in tap water. But if it removes ammonia, will this kill my biological filter? :(