Jason Blake
Member
- Joined
- 1 Sep 2014
- Messages
- 58
Hi Guys,
I am hoping for a bit of advice / reassurance.
I have just setup a 240 litre aquarium, this tank was setup on Saturday., 3 days ago I am aiming for the lower tech end of the spectrum.
I am using eco complete substrate in my planted areas, natural gravel in the none planted parts (very few of them). Fluval led lights set to just 50% for just 6 hours a day. Neutro plus carbon. no presurised co2 and tmc lite for frets.
I am using an aquel unimax 700 filter with eheim bio mech, subtrat pro and sachem matrix. temp is 27 just for the initial setup. will be reduced later.
I have got various crypts, amazon swords, mosses, anubias as well as hair grass. I also have redmoor root in there as wells samurai rock.some of the crypts have melted but I was told this can be normal for more sensitive ones.
When I first filled the tank it was crystal clear, then over night it turned somewhat milky and hasn't really cleared as yet which I wasn't expecting it to not until the cycle had really got going or even completed.
However my test results seem a little strange and don't know what make of them. I know we don't like hobby test kits but I do like to have a very rough idea of what's going on. As expected my ammonia level was up to 0.25ppm nitrite was 0.25ppm and my nitrate was 5ppm (tap water has 20ppm have no idea how it's got down to 5ppm overnight) those levels stayed the same for Sunday and Monday night. But tonight ammonia is 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm and my nitrate barely changed colour at all so somewhere around 0.5 to 1ppm. How is this possible? I redid the tests 3 times as I couldn't believe the results but they were the same Everytime.
Has my cycle really completed in just 3 days or has it stalled or something? If my cycle has completed, which I doubt how come my water is still milky?
Thanks in advance.
I am hoping for a bit of advice / reassurance.
I have just setup a 240 litre aquarium, this tank was setup on Saturday., 3 days ago I am aiming for the lower tech end of the spectrum.
I am using eco complete substrate in my planted areas, natural gravel in the none planted parts (very few of them). Fluval led lights set to just 50% for just 6 hours a day. Neutro plus carbon. no presurised co2 and tmc lite for frets.
I am using an aquel unimax 700 filter with eheim bio mech, subtrat pro and sachem matrix. temp is 27 just for the initial setup. will be reduced later.
I have got various crypts, amazon swords, mosses, anubias as well as hair grass. I also have redmoor root in there as wells samurai rock.some of the crypts have melted but I was told this can be normal for more sensitive ones.
When I first filled the tank it was crystal clear, then over night it turned somewhat milky and hasn't really cleared as yet which I wasn't expecting it to not until the cycle had really got going or even completed.
However my test results seem a little strange and don't know what make of them. I know we don't like hobby test kits but I do like to have a very rough idea of what's going on. As expected my ammonia level was up to 0.25ppm nitrite was 0.25ppm and my nitrate was 5ppm (tap water has 20ppm have no idea how it's got down to 5ppm overnight) those levels stayed the same for Sunday and Monday night. But tonight ammonia is 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm and my nitrate barely changed colour at all so somewhere around 0.5 to 1ppm. How is this possible? I redid the tests 3 times as I couldn't believe the results but they were the same Everytime.
Has my cycle really completed in just 3 days or has it stalled or something? If my cycle has completed, which I doubt how come my water is still milky?
Thanks in advance.
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