Progress updates

[Varanus]

Now that I've gotten started thanks to all the help given in the old topic viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5761 I will use this topic to post updates to my supershrimp tank every week or so and get any advice others feel like giving.

So today I am a week into the tank cycling. It currently looks like this:

The snails are doing fine, indeed I think they have grown. I am worried about the supershrimp hitch-hiker though as I have not seen it in several days. Albeit I have only seen it a few times total. It seemed healthy though, going from dashing around the tank in a pale-bodied panic to sedately walking around and turning a fairly deep red.

I can't tell if the macroalgae is growing. It does seem like the fronds are more spread out and there are bits of them scattered near it but that may all be due to the activities of the snails.

No other changes to report. 12 hours of the light on the tank hood shining each day plus some indirect light from the window in the evening but no algae visible yet.

Current parameters:

PH: Somewhere between 7.5 and 8
KH: 40
GH: 120
Nitrate: Somewhere between 0 and 20
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: .5

[Mech]

whats your SG and whats producing the ammonia?

those rocks are awesome, that one in the middle looks about 15kg in weight

[Varanus]

whats your SG and whats producing the ammonia?

those rocks are awesome, that one in the middle looks about 15kg in weight

Specific gravity? It was at 1.012 a week ago and shouldn't have changed (no visible evaporation yet).

As for the ammonia, I have about ten snails in there plus the one shrimp that stowed away with them. I also gave into temptation and put one flake of food in there a few days into the cycling.

It is a nice holey rock isn't it? Should give ample hiding spaces if the females need it for breeding. It may not be as big as it looks to you though, this is a 6.6 gallon tank.

[Varanus]

It hasn't been a week yet but there has been a (relatively) large amount of activity in the tank so I decided to update.

Got some nice green biofilm developing on the surface that the snails are happily slurping down. Nothing visible growing anywhere else, though I have seen the snails burrowing and grazing on the glass so something is likely growing there. The macroalgae hasn't changed beyond getting unwound a bit more by the activities of the snails.

Still reading a small amount of ammonia as well as nitrate. Yet there is no nitrite, the in-between element. Should I be concerned?

I think that the supershrimp that hitchhiked into my tank must have died as I haven't seen it in over a week. Poor thing just came too early to the tank I guess...

[Nexus6]

When your tank cycles, you will usually see a noticable spike in ammonia, nitrite, then nitrates, in that order. You probably have another 4 weeks to go. Are you using anything to help boost the process?

[Varanus]

When your tank cycles, you will usually see a noticable spike in ammonia, nitrite, then nitrates, in that order. You probably have another 4 weeks to go. Are you using anything to help boost the process?

The snails and macroalgae, which the main site recommends to speed things up. My confusion comes from the tests detecting ammonia and nitrate but not nitrite, when nitrate comes from nitrite.

[Mech]

What water source have you used, have your tried testing the water you used before adding it to your tank?

Did you have seeded water added to your tank from anything? Just spit balling some ideas,

[Varanus]

What water source have you used, have your tried testing the water you used before adding it to your tank?

Did you have seeded water added to your tank from anything? Just spit balling some ideas,

Used nothing but distilled water (and the bit of water the snails and macroalgae came in).

[Mech]

are you using the test strips or liquid tests? The strips are notorious for being inaccurate.

[jonesinfershrimp]

are you using the test strips or liquid tests? The strips are notorious for being inaccurate.

a little inaccurate or enough for concern?

[Mech]

I'm a member on practical Fish Keeping forums and have been steered away from them when I first started. Go and have a read about them as their members can vouch for it.

I just use liquid tests for that reason, I'm just putting that out there as I'd hate for someone's tank to go wrong because I didn't mention it.

[jonesinfershrimp]

very good to know thank you. i use the strips because they are cheap, but i suppose you get what you pay for. i'll "bite the bullet" on cost and switch to liquids.

[Varanus]

I had a liquid test kit but it got old. It was also rather stressful to use with all the details you had to get right. I can get another if necessary, but the test strips I am using are by the same company (API) as the liquid test kit I had, and have proven accurate enough in my other tanks (in the sense that everyone has stayed healthy).

Not to mention I'd worry about having to repeatedly take water out of the tank to fill the test vials. I know its not a lot of water but I got the impression you're supposed to leave the Supershrimp water alone aside from adding more when it evaporates.

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Oh and look at that! I finally hatched into a larva!

[Mech]

I'll have to buy some and do some Comparisons, hey if it's working for you then no problem, just wanted to say

[jonesinfershrimp]

8.99 for 25 strips online :p and congrats on hatching Varanus!!