Which substrate

[FrozenShivers]

I've been gone a while, are people back to using test kits? 😂🤪

I use them on new setups and then…..don’t touch them 🙂

 

[Bradders]

I use them on new setups and then…..don’t touch them 🙂

Same here. Using mine to get a 'feel' of where I am on my new tank. My fish only (well, fish with two plants!) never gets tested.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Stuck on the nitrite part at the moment after 22 days.

It is more likely to be an issue with the test kits, rather than a genuine reading.

I hope so, because if not, I am trying to cycle a new aquarium on air!

You don't have an ammonium (NH4) source, and during microbial nitrification your fixed nitrogen ion goes from <"NH3/4 > N02- > N03-">, or possibly directly from NH3/4 > N03- via <"COMAMMOX Nitrospira">.

I definitely have a lot of plants in there!

So that is the reason why it is likely to be a problem with test kit. We know that plants take up all forms of <"fixed nitrogen"> and we have a situation where:

• we aren't adding any ammonia and
• we have plants that will deplete the NO2- reservoir.

Now we are just back to probability, and what is the more likely option? That is the advantage of <"plant and wait">, the only test kit you need is the plant mass and then <"grown in = fish safe">.

are people back to using test kits?

Decisions based on test kits and also "cycling" with ammonia seems to have a made a bit of a come-back. I'm not that surprised, during the last 15 years it has really been two steps forward and one step backwards.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bradders]

You don't have an ammonium (NH4) source, and during microbial nitrification your fixed nitrogen ion goes from <"NH3/4 > N02- > N03-"> or possibly directly from NH3/4 > N03- via <"COMAMMOX Nitrospira">.

Won't my Tropica Aqua Soil released Ammonia during the first couple of weeks?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Won't my Tropica Aqua Soil released Ammonia

If it does? It is your ammonia source - <"Aquarium Soil - a perfect, complete bottom layer for aquariums - Tropica Aquarium Plants">. It isn't a product I've ever used.

If it is an ammonia source? I would want to deplete those ammonia levels as rapidly as possible.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Won't my Tropica Aqua Soil released Ammonia during the first couple of weeks?

@Wookii says it will <"Tropica soil on top of sand">, so that is probably your nitrite (NO2-) source, via the oxidation of ammonia.

The advice is still the same, keep changing some water, ensure plant growth is good and keep dissolved oxygen levels high and after six weeks you should be fine <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee">.

... In some lab tests we found that adding previous material from a running biofilter could reduce ammonia oxidation start-up time from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 days. We also tested a commercial product of nitrifiers & it did decrease the time to ammonia oxidation start-up. It was slower than our biofilter material transfer, but much quicker than doing nothing. However, the microbes present in the system from the commercial product disappeared over a few weeks and were replaced by those more common to our system. So, it seems some products could help “jump-start” the process, but it will be a lot less predictable and ultimately may not determine what microbe succeed in the long run.......

cheers Darrel