Ok, I'm new to the hobby here so I'm gonna start from the beginning. I inherited a 50 gallon tank and wanted to start keeping peacock bass. Stupid me just ordered two and then I found this website... Yeah. I panicked & ran to petsmart 
the day before they came and added the correct amount of API Quick Start. No problems did 30% WC twice a week. Been using Jungle Ammonia strips. Then I ordered 2 more bass... Been doing the same ever sense. Its been about 4 weeks at this point. I got sick of running the gravel vac so I changed to half bare bottom and have changed out decor a couple times still no problems. Ordered 3 geos as dithers. Been still running ok ammonia according to the test strip got a little yellow (which was labeld as safe) every 3 days like normal and kept on with my water changes. its now about 6 weeks in. I Have only been using a topfin 60 ( I KNOW ) as filtration, and the other day after a water change I decided to remove only one of the filter cartrages and add sponges for BB because I want something to seed my new FX5 next month. So one side cartrage and one side loaded with scrubber. Changed decor again like a fool cause I thought it was the rock that was making my water cloudy. Heres where I think I messed up. I added half a dose of the quickstart again thinking it would help with the loss of the rock & filter pad. Water was still cloudy and ammonia is rising according to the test strip a bit quicker. Last night I did a 50% change and the water was crystal clear again. This morning back to kinda cloudy. Its not milky looking Its just not like it used to be. Fish eat like normal but they dont play anymore they kinda just hang. Going to do another 30-40% change tonight again and I have a real test kit arriving friday to give me a better idea of nitrites and nitrates. Am I having a mini cycle, Am I going through a bloom cause of the Quickstart I just added or is my main cycle about ending? Sorry for the novel I just wanted to include as much info as possible. Any thing you guys need to know please ask I just wanna make sure Im doing things alright.
the day before they came and added the correct amount of API Quick Start. No problems did 30% WC twice a week. Been using Jungle Ammonia strips. Then I ordered 2 more bass... Been doing the same ever sense. Its been about 4 weeks at this point. I got sick of running the gravel vac so I changed to half bare bottom and have changed out decor a couple times still no problems. Ordered 3 geos as dithers. Been still running ok ammonia according to the test strip got a little yellow (which was labeld as safe) every 3 days like normal and kept on with my water changes. its now about 6 weeks in. I Have only been using a topfin 60 ( I KNOW ) as filtration, and the other day after a water change I decided to remove only one of the filter cartrages and add sponges for BB because I want something to seed my new FX5 next month. So one side cartrage and one side loaded with scrubber. Changed decor again like a fool cause I thought it was the rock that was making my water cloudy. Heres where I think I messed up. I added half a dose of the quickstart again thinking it would help with the loss of the rock & filter pad. Water was still cloudy and ammonia is rising according to the test strip a bit quicker. Last night I did a 50% change and the water was crystal clear again. This morning back to kinda cloudy. Its not milky looking Its just not like it used to be. Fish eat like normal but they dont play anymore they kinda just hang. Going to do another 30-40% change tonight again and I have a real test kit arriving friday to give me a better idea of nitrites and nitrates. Am I having a mini cycle, Am I going through a bloom cause of the Quickstart I just added or is my main cycle about ending? Sorry for the novel I just wanted to include as much info as possible. Any thing you guys need to know please ask I just wanna make sure Im doing things alright.
