Tetra Safe Start Help? Fish will B here Friday

**BigPoppa** · 05-03-2012, 01:52 AM

Hi I decided to set up my 10 gallon tank and get some Guppies to teach my son about them as I had them as a child. ANYWAYS lol

I decided Id do the fishless cycle and started tank last Friday. I added a small amount of pure ammonia. Got test kit on Monday and test showed ph 7.2 amm 4.0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0. After reading many many sites and threads I decided I would buy Tetra Safe Start and add my Guppies that way. I tested water today(wed) before adding SS and the results were the same as above and they have been everyday. I added 2/3 of bottle of Tetra Safe Start(30 gal size bottle) at 9am I tested water just now 9pm and the results are still exactly the same ph 7.0 amm 4.0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0. I know you can add your fish with the safe start but I decided to have fish arrive Friday to give me a couple days to see how it goes.

My question is what am I looking for to happen? Should the ammonia levels fall and the nitrates raise? How fast will this happen and what is a safe level come Friday when I have no choice but to add the fish (3 Male guppys+ 9 Female guppys)
I know this is alot of fish for a 10 gallon but I plan on cycling my 55 gallon in a couple weeks and I plan on using this tank to breed and stock the 55 gallon + have a 30 gal I might be setting up in another room later so I need some fish plus the cost of shipping on them I had to get a good many to make it worth it. But being I only have Wally World around here to buy fish I decided to buy from liveaquaria.com.

So from now until Friday what am I looking for to happen? Should I add the other 1/3 bottle of Safe Start when I add the fish? I plan on spending a good hour transferring these fish into the tank with adding and removing water till well acclimated I hope.

**PhillipOrigami** · 05-03-2012, 01:59 AM

Safestart, won't work. As far as I have ever seen it.
Nitrifying bacteria will die in about 2 days w/o an ammonia source....
Common logic dictates the impossibility of such products. Idk....
You are up for a rough road...., hope you have a water changer... Someone else finish my post, typing on my phone sucks xd

**pjaldave** · 05-03-2012, 02:06 AM

If you planned to get on with fishless cycle, just continue doing so. Don't add any fish until you finish cycling.

Now go and read : Fishless cycle.

You don't really need to add any of that safe start or any bacteria booster as it only helps if you have fish in a cycling tank.

Plus do a large water change to get that ammonia down to 1-1.5ppm, 4.0ppm is too much for a 10G and will stall your cycle.

**BigPoppa** · 05-03-2012, 02:08 AM

If I buy Seachem Stability which seems to be a better product will it be safe to add it with the Safe Start in the tank?

I feel like if these products didnt work so mant people wouldnt report good results.

I just hope Im not about to kill 12 Guppies!

**BigPoppa** · 05-03-2012, 02:14 AM

WoW Im in trouble as figured! Damn Im dumb I started doin it the right way then got excited about the fish and Dumb Dumb Dumb!

Anyways I read the cycling with fish and Im goin to do a 80% water change. Crap! Its so dumb because I wanted to do this right this time and of course screwed that up!

**BigPoppa** · 05-03-2012, 02:58 AM

Just finished the 80% water change and ammonia is down to .50

**pjaldave** · 05-03-2012, 04:01 AM

You are gonna be cycling with fish, so 0.25ppm is still the ideal level of ammonia when you have the fish.

Lol sorry, I edited my post because at first i thought you already have fish, but read it the second time that you will have fish on friday. but its good that you're reading up.

**pjoo1120** · 05-03-2012, 04:03 AM

Is there any way to cancel it or hold your order? Or have the fish already been physically shipped? If possible I would try to hold off on the fish until you are done cycling.