About to push tank over...

[shecky95]

Test strips aren't very accurate, take a water sample to a reputable LFS.
Note: Petco and Petsmarts are not reputable stores...for testing water
What are the Nitrites coming out of the tap?

Since you have a HOB and a UG filter add some "seachem matrix" to your gravel bed for a bio boost... good luck let's see pics of your tank

Out of tap readings are:

nitrate- 20 (safe)
nitrite- 0 (safe)
Alkalinity-120 (ideal)

Ill edit this post for a pic of my tank( it has changed since then My g-ma has my camera, and will get it back this week, hopefully).The water looks cloudy because the light was off when taking the picture. When I get the camera back Ill take one with flash. But the water looks clear IMHO.

This is the picture BEFORE I go tthe Aquatech 30-60 filter and the UGF.

 

[nfored]

On my 10 gallon breeder/QT tank I took out the silly filters from the HOB and filled teh basket with Matrix and topped it off with some polly. I have to change the polly often, I could use a more porous pad to avoid changing so much. That looks like my girl firends old tank, same rocks and fish, I always kidd her and say "Thanks for storing my fish food"

We had the worst time with our water level in our tank it would loose a gallon every 3 days, did you have any problems with evaporation.

 

[bluehairman]

dont do water changes... the bacteria needs the toxins to eat and reproduce, otherwise you'll find yourself doing 25% water changes forever!

however, after everything is cycled you should do water changes at least once a week to lower nitrates. (i cant really tell if those are live plants, but if so those help lower nitrates)

 

[Bderick67]

For the good of the fish, go buy a ammonia test kit. Do enough water chages to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels under .25ppm. There will still be more then enough ammonia and nitrite to feed the ever building colony of bacteria.

You can see with you past results, you do a 25% daily w/c which counters the daily .5ppm rise in nitrite levels. So if you go a week without a w/c your nitrite level will be at 4.0ppm. Not to mention what the ammonia could be at. At this point if not sooner your fish will look as if they are gasping for air. Do a searh on ammonia and nitrite poisoning and see if this is what you really want to put the fish through.

 

[dirtyblacksocks]

Not doing water changes is bad advice IMO - the lower you keep the ammonia and nitrite levels the faster the cycling process will complete. Once all three types of bacteria have established themselves you can cut back on water changes, and it will automatically balance itself in about 24-72 hours.

 

[shecky95]

We had the worst time with our water level in our tank it would loose a gallon every 3 days, did you have any problems with evaporation.

To answer your question yes I did, that was before I got the UGF and the bigger filter.Now Ill have not seen any type of evaparation thus far WITH the UGF but if I do Ill keep you posted

That tank was given to me by my supervisor( he didnt want to be in the hobby anymore) and gave it to me FREE! Along with the filter and hood for the tank you see in the picture.

 

[shecky95]

Not doing water changes is bad advice IMO - the lower you keep the ammonia and nitrite levels the faster the cycling process will complete. Once all three types of bacteria have established themselves you can cut back on water changes, and it will automatically balance itself in about 24-72 hours.

I am going to have to agree with you and the other posters with doing the water changes everyday ( 20-25%). I will be doing water changes for a week and will update you all on how well the process went(like a journal for me with this thread) when the levels steady out I will do wter changes less frequently( well see about that plan IF it works or not). I also think that vaccumming the gravel some when i change the wter will help too even though I have a UGF ( I heard some get plugged at times). AND this will give it a great head start so it wont get plugged up.

No offense bluehairman but I want my fish to LIVE not DIE. Even I read up on how dangerous the nitrates/nitrite levels are if some get out of control. You can still have good and bad bacteria in other places of the tank ( via the filter, gravel and such).

Bderick67: I will be investing in one of those I get paid on friday.