Water Parameters

[RTCfan86]

I have had a 15 gallon up and running for 12 days now and just tested my water. The parameters are as follows:

Ammonia - 0.5 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm
PH - 7.4
Temp - 76 degrees


Are my nitrite and nitrate levels at 0 because the tank is becoming cycled, or because there isn’t enough beneficial bacteria to convert the ammonia yet?
Am I safe to add 3 more neons, or do I need to wait for ammonia to be 0?

 

[tlindsey]

Yes give bacteria time to increase and no hold off on adding the Neon's. Wouldn't add anything until parameters stabilize and a positive reading of Nitrate.

 

[RTCfan86]

Ok, thank you for the advice.

 

[esoxlucius]

I'm doing a bit of an experiment on a new 10g at the minute. I've loads of seeded media in other tanks but i'm in no rush to cycle this little tank so i haven't seeded it at all, i'm just using fish food as the catalyst to start the cycle.

It's been running for around the same time as yours and my ammonia is currently around 2ppm, other readings obviously zero. At this point if I added a load of seeded media my tank would cycle pretty quick but i'm not going to do this.

If you are in more of a rush than me, and you have a source of seeded media at hand, then you could speed your cycle up considerably.

If not, just play the waiting game, and like Tom said, don't add any stock yet, it would be stressful, if not fatal for them at this point.

Good luck.

 

[Raka]

I have had a 15 gallon up and running for 12 days now and just tested my water. The parameters are as follows:

Ammonia - 0.5 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm
PH - 7.4
Temp - 76 degrees


Are my nitrite and nitrate levels at 0 because the tank is becoming cycled, or because there isn’t enough beneficial bacteria to convert the ammonia yet?
Am I safe to add 3 more neons, or do I need to wait for ammonia to be 0?

Neons are very sensitive to poor water quality. Side note if you like Neons check out Cardinal Tetras.

 

[RTCfan86]

I'm doing a bit of an experiment on a new 10g at the minute. I've loads of seeded media in other tanks but i'm in no rush to cycle this little tank so i haven't seeded it at all, i'm just using fish food as the catalyst to start the cycle.

It's been running for around the same time as yours and my ammonia is currently around 2ppm, other readings obviously zero. At this point if I added a load of seeded media my tank would cycle pretty quick but i'm not going to do this.

If you are in more of a rush than me, and you have a source of seeded media at hand, then you could speed your cycle up considerably.

If not, just play the waiting game, and like Tom said, don't add any stock yet, it would be stressful, if not fatal for them at this point.

Good luck.

Unfortunately, I don’t have anything at home handy to seed the tank with. I did put a moss ball in to help, since that should have some bacteria on it from the tank it was previously in, and I do actually already have 2 neons in. I did research on cycling with fish and got the idea from Aquarium Co-Op. I am feeding them just small amounts each day, but will not add anymore until my ammonia is 0 and have that positive nitrate reading.