New tank & cycling parameters

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

I do want to rehome: had them 1 week & am attached to them already. Also don't know anyone to take them anyway. Also: guess what? I think that tank is about to cycle out! The live bio filters are working great.

Can you tell me this: why is a.p.i. test kit for nitrate so hard to interpret? To me (& I'm not colour blind or otherwise blind), the colour for 40 ppm & 80 ppm are the same. I even looked on web on apifishcare.com & that colour chart. All I know is my colour was not the darkest red. Mine is a medium to light clearing red.
If you can tell me what I'm doing wrong. Used to be a R.N. & did human urine test & read those! Help! (My ph is 7.2--7.4. Ammonia .25--.50 ppm
Nitrite 0. Nitrate is light red so either 40 or 80 ppm.

Really depends on type of goldfish, for 5 fancy adults you need 100 gallon, may be 75 would do but you will need lots of water changes. If they are comet then it would be better to build a pond (they will need 40 gallon per fish).

Really depends on type of goldfish, for 5 fancy adults you need 100 gallon, may be 75 would do but you will need lots of water changes. If they are comet then it would be better to build a pond (they will need 40 gallon per fish).

Hi! How big are those 5 comets gonna get?

 

[HybridFinatic]

I do want to rehome: had them 1 week & am attached to them already. Also don't know anyone to take them anyway. Also: guess what? I think that tank is about to cycle out! The live bio filters are working great.

Can you tell me this: why is a.p.i. test kit for nitrate so hard to interpret? To me (& I'm not colour blind or otherwise blind), the colour for 40 ppm & 80 ppm are the same. I even looked on web on apifishcare.com & that colour chart. All I know is my colour was not the darkest red. Mine is a medium to light clearing red.
If you can tell me what I'm doing wrong. Used to be a R.N. & did human urine test & read those! Help! (My ph is 7.2--7.4. Ammonia .25--.50 ppm
Nitrite 0. Nitrate is light red so either 40 or 80 ppm.


Hi! How big are those 5 comets gonna get?

Google says 8-12 inches in a large enough tank or pond. Most never reach that size and end up stunted in a smaller tank like yours. Probably best to rehome.

 

[tlindsey]

The good news is that you have a positive Nitrate reading. Continue to do water changes and it will help with the ammonia and also lower the nitrate. Light Orange color for Nitrate would be fine. Nitrate is high if color is red. Don't overfeed.

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

I do want to rehome: had them 1 week & am attached to them already. Also don't know anyone to take them anyway. Also: guess what? I think that tank is about to cycle out! The live bio filters are working great.

Can you tell me this: why is a.p.i. test kit for nitrate so hard to interpret? To me (& I'm not colour blind or otherwise blind), the colour for 40 ppm & 80 ppm are the same. I even looked on web on apifishcare.com & that colour chart. All I know is my colour was not the darkest red. Mine is a medium to light clearing red.
If you can tell me what I'm doing wrong. Used to be a R.N. & did human urine test & read those! Help! (My ph is 7.2--7.4. Ammonia .25--.50 ppm
Nitrite 0. Nitrate is light red so either 40 or 80 ppm.


Hi! How big are those 5 comets gonna get?

OMG

The good news is that you have a positive Nitrate reading. Continue to do water changes and it will help with the ammonia and also lower the nitrate. Light Orange color for Nitrate would be fine. Nitrate is high if color is red. Don't overfeed.

I do need to continue Prime also don't I? And the light orange would be nitrate 20-30 ppm right?
Definitely disappointed about goldfish & feel torn by the ethics of it. Don't I need 0 ammonia plus nitrite 0 & Nitrate below 40 ppm?

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

OMG

I do need to continue Prime also don't I? And the light orange would be nitrate 20-30 ppm right?
Definitely disappointed about goldfish & feel torn by the ethics of it. Don't I need 0 ammonia plus nitrite 0 & Nitrate below 40 ppm?

I do not want to rehome so guess I'll be figuring something out. That's not right to sell some poor sap (even though it was my neighbor) 5fish to give someone for a gift knowing this would happen. And no store where I'm from would ever take them back!

 

[tlindsey]

OMG

I do need to continue Prime also don't I? And the light orange would be nitrate 20-30 ppm right?
Definitely disappointed about goldfish & feel torn by the ethics of it. Don't I need 0 ammonia plus nitrite 0 & Nitrate below 40 ppm?

Yes your correct but keep in mind your aquarium is still cycling but it's close to stabilize.

 

[HybridFinatic]

OMG

I do need to continue Prime also don't I? And the light orange would be nitrate 20-30 ppm right?
Definitely disappointed about goldfish & feel torn by the ethics of it. Don't I need 0 ammonia plus nitrite 0 & Nitrate below 40 ppm?

Yeah you should be using Prime or any water conditioner every time you do a water change but if it hasn’t already been touched on you should be dosing prime to the whole tank not just to the amount of water your replacing when using a python water changer.

 

[tlindsey]

Yes your correct but keep in mind your aquarium is still cycling but it's close to stabilize.

Oh forgot but yes continue to use prime every time you do a water change because Chlorine will kill off your Live Bio Bacteria.

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

Yes am dosing for whole tank (55 G). I need to have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite I know. Isn't acceptable nitrate about 20 ppm or lower? Does it need to be that for certain amount of time?
By the way, my friend couldn't bring me the used filters. I was able to order some from an online company he told me about. It delivered to my door a live active filter for $10! The name is AngelsPlus & it even had a YouTube video to show how to set it up.(add .com to the name for web address) I put 2 of them in the cycling tank & it has brought it to the last parameters I posted in 3 days time.
I know I'm new, but I'd recommend trying it. The package was complete with active bacteria inside the package. Only expensive if you do super rush shipping. (Hate autofill on this site!)
Thanks again for the advice everyone. : ))))

 

[tlindsey]

Yes am dosing for whole tank (55 G). I need to have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite I know. Isn't acceptable nitrate about 20 ppm or lower? Does it need to be that for certain amount of time?
By the way, my friend couldn't bring me the used filters. I was able to order some from an online company he told me about. It delivered to my door a live active filter for $10! The name is AngelsPlus & it even had a YouTube video to show how to set it up.(add .com to the name for web address) I put 2 of them in the cycling tank & it has brought it to the last parameters I posted in 3 days time.
I know I'm new, but I'd recommend trying it. The package was complete with active bacteria inside the package. Only expensive if you do super rush shipping. (Hate autofill on this site!)
Thanks again for the advice everyone. : ))))

I
In most Rivers and Lakes the Nitrate level will be 0 ppm but in the home aquarium keeping it maintained at 10 ppm or less is ideal but depends on the specie of fish . Some species of fish from parts of the Amazon for example would have health issues at a reading of 15 ppm.