# 9 Day old 6g tank, help with understanding readings



## breathingdust (Jan 4, 2015)

Hello! I hope you guys can help!

I got a Fluval Edge 6G for Xmas from my girlfriend. So on Boxing Day I went to Aquariums west and bought:

EcoComplete Substrate
API Master Test Kit
Edge Heater
1 Small Anubias Nana
1 square of Flame Moss on steel mesh
2x Clumps of Bacopa caroliniana
1 fairly large piece of driftwood that had been in one of their tanks for ages.
A couple of rocks from their tanks

5 neon tetras
2 amano shrimp

They advised that I could fill the tank with conditioned water, use the Nutrafin cycle and put the inhabitants in right away so I did so. I realize now this advice may have been a bit controversial. Anyway after 9 days the the shrimp, plants and fish all seem to be doing just fine.

I just wanted some help understanding my tank readings (I did a 20% water change on the 2nd):


DatepHAmmoniaNitriteNitrate28/12/20147.40.250530/12/20147.40.250001/01/20157.400001/03/20157.4000

Would this indicate that my fish/shrimp aren't generating enough ammonia load to really start a cycle? Or has my cycle finished extremely quickly?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Wow, that is NOT the advise I would have given a newbie. It is NOT a good idea to set up a brand new tank and drop fish and shrimp in right away, simply relying completely on a bottled product that may or may NOT work as marketed. This is normally a good way to kill all the livestock and crash the tank. Seriously, an LFS owner gave me the same bad advise when I was 8 years old, took all my money and sent me home with a five gallon, all the supplies and about 20+ fish. The guy was probably laughing all the way to the bank as soon as I left his store. 

Always set up the tank first, test and be patient. Adding a filter from an old tank or a good amount of filter media from an established tank is the only safe way to cycle a tank quickly. I have never trusted those bottled bacteria cultures. How old is the bottle? What have the bacteria in there been feeding on while on the shelf, perhaps for months or even over a year? In all likelihood, a bottle of "Cycle" is just adding dead bacteria and pollution into your new tank. 

You completely lucked out that 9 days in, your livestock is still alive. It was more likely that you would have a tank of death because shrimp, in particular, are sensitive to Ammonia and even low levels of Ammonia can kill off fish and shrimp.

Anthony


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## breathingdust (Jan 4, 2015)

Yeah after doing a lot of reading and research this week I realized I was probably very lucky. 

I kept the empty Cycle bottle, just checked it and it actually says expiry date November 2014!


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

I agree with Anthony. I'm surprised that the store told you all of that, I hope that your lucky streak continues. I have a friend who has big oscars and when I set up my newest tank, I started with some filter media from my old tank and added some feeder goldfish to get the tank going - I left it like that for 6 weeks, gave the feeders to my oscar friend and then started adding fish. 

I know nothing about shrimp, but I'm surprised that your neons are still alive. Just watch for neon tetra disease because I'm sure those little fish are totally stressed, physically. 

See how you go I guess….


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## breathingdust (Jan 4, 2015)

I wonder if the driftwood saved me. It had been in one of their tanks for ages, so probably acts like a big chunk of biological media.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

The plants are the life saver there. Stem plants (and others) can readily absorb ammonia and nitrate from the water column. I think all in all you may have lucked out with your plant choices and smaller bodied livestock.

JM2C.

Respectfully,

Stuart


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

I'm more surprised at the advice re: neon tetras in a 6G, but that's for another post. 

As far as your readings go - if your cycle was truly over and established you should register some nitrates.
My advice would be to keep monitoring your water every few days as you have been and not assume the cycle is over just yet.

Good luck!


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## mrbob (Aug 9, 2012)

Yes undersea is right you should be showing some Nitrate? make sure you are correctly checking the Nitrates there not as easy to check as the others! also make sure that test kit is not outdated!! and would be wise to start another thread and ask for someone to provide you with some bacteria/Media! Probably is the plants saving you!


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## breathingdust (Jan 4, 2015)

Just a little update for you helpful people: 

Been taking readings every other day and they have remained the same. I had one day where ammonia went up to 0.25, but it went right back down again. 

I checked the kit and its well within the expiry date.

All inhabitants/plants are doing fine. 

I think I'll buy some more moss, maybe some fissenden. If readings are still good in a couple weeks I'll probably get a few cherry red shrimp.


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## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

That's crazy. Luckily when I started it was with gold fish and I Gradually worked my way up.

Some stores really shouldn't be in service haha.


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## battmanh (Jan 7, 2014)

Aquariums West is actually a pretty good store. They have a great selection of fish (galaxy rasboras, emerald rasboras, discus, etc.) and shrimp (although rather expensive). Some of the workers don't seem to know what they're doing though... A couple days ago I went in and saw a worker planting anubias with its rhizome right in to the gravel.

I hope your tank ends up okay. I have fissidens available for sale if you're looking for any. A lot cheaper than Aquariums West as well!


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