Shidohari's Tank Journals

**Shidohari** · 11-11-2012, 12:28 AM

See fishmommie, this is why you were nominated for member of the month. I will definately NOT change the cart in my 4 gallon. Heck it may even finish cycling before the ten gallon at this rate. I think i've had it two weeks, and i start seeing a little brown on the carbon filter media.

Good thing you're telling me this, i may have changed it in a week or two in the four gallon. I will no longer be doing that.

**Shidohari** · 11-11-2012, 11:26 AM

11/11/12 Checked all four chemicals in the 10 gallon tank and came up with the following.

PH holding steady at 8.2
Ammonia ZERO
NitrItes Slightly darker than the ZERO color on the card, but less than .25
NitrAtes I'm reading this as 5.0 because it looks more orange than yellow

Will test the 4 gallon later today. Should i do a water change on the 10 gallon due to the NitrAtes?

**250Gimp** · 11-11-2012, 11:46 AM

Others will pipe in, but I think you can leave it for now if you want. Do a pwc once the nitrates get up around 20.

**fishmommie** · 11-11-2012, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Shidohari

11/11/12 Checked all four chemicals in the 10 gallon tank and came up with the following.

PH holding steady at 8.2
Ammonia ZERO
NitrItes Slightly darker than the ZERO color on the card, but less than .25
NitrAtes I'm reading this as 5.0 because it looks more orange than yellow

Will test the 4 gallon later today. Should i do a water change on the 10 gallon due to the NitrAtes?

Nope. you're looking good. you want a few nitrates. Just watch the perims. continue to test each day until A and Nitrites are both 0 and do a PWC any day they get higher than .25.
You're almost there!

**AllenIsbell** · 11-11-2012, 12:44 PM

I wouldn't do a water change until the nitrates were around 10ppm. Supposedly fish can handle up to 20ppm, but I don't see a need to let it get that high.

**Shidohari** · 11-11-2012, 12:54 PM

Thank you both. Roll on Ten gallon. And now that my cleaned test tubes have had time to dry out for a bit i'll check the four gallon.

I'll post results here when i have them.

Also i'd like to note i normally don't get any excercise outside of work. These WC have been beneficial for me and the fish. As with the ten gallon i've been having to haul multiple 2.5 gallon buckets of water back and forth to the kitchen sink LOL

**Shidohari** · 11-11-2012, 01:23 PM

4 gallon test results
PH holding steady at 8.2
Ammo .25
NitrItes ZERO
NitrAtes slightly darker than ZERO, i'm thinking close to maybe 1 or 1.5 as i only have my other Betta Fish in this Tank.

I got this tank about three weeks after the ten gallon...Just finished dosing both Tanks with Seachams Stability again today. Don't know where i am as the four gallon is smaller and less populated in regards to cycle.

Comments welcome

**fishmommie** · 11-11-2012, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Shidohari

4 gallon test results
PH holding steady at 8.2
Ammo .25
NitrItes ZERO
NitrAtes slightly darker than ZERO, i'm thinking close to maybe 1 or 1.5 as i only have my other Betta Fish in this Tank.

I got this tank about three weeks after the ten gallon...Just finished dosing both Tanks with Seachams Stability again today. Don't know where i am as the four gallon is smaller and less populated in regards to cycle.

Comments welcome

because this tank is smaller the toxins will build up faster and it might take it longer to cycle. since you're using stability you can probably skip the W/C today but check your perims ever am and as always, when either nitrites or ammonia pass that .25 range and approach .50 do a 50% W/C
you're doing fine.

**Shidohari** · 11-11-2012, 01:40 PM

During the work week, the normal one it will be afternoon before i check them as i never have enough time to do WC before work (unless i get up at three am instead of four and that's pushing it for me. Thursday and friday of this week i'll be able to do AM checks though as i'm off.

I always check my water daily now, it's so very important.

Also even though it says only dose for seven days or after a WC i like the insurance i get for adding stability daily to my water. But i won't add it again until next water change as today is the technical seventh day of the half doses (not including those from WC) after the first initial full dose from the bottle.

**Shidohari** · 11-11-2012, 06:35 PM

Got some freeze dried blood worms today. I don't have enough fish, nor would i use the frozen ones fast enough to make it worth me buying them, even if they are better for the fish.

Found out that Rose loves the blood worms, as i put a pinch of them in his tank today.

Jack prefers Betta pellets, he ate one of the two blood worms i put into his tank today, and just played with the other one.

So now i have marked the two containers and know who gets what food. Which is good because i want to try to get away from using feeders if i can.

Was looking at small stacking rocks (in the reptile section) and small pieces of grape wood (also in the reptile section) for the tank. I decided against getting them for right now, as I've noticed a lot of times algae grow faster on rocks and wood than the aquariums depending on light and temperature. also as my plants may fill out more, i may not have room for them in the long run.

The Cory cats are playing again. It's amusing watching the three of them swim around.

Have a great day.