Female fin discoloration

[shellieca]

It should sit 5 minutes not 5 seconds. You're adding 10 drops from both ammonia bottles correct?

[jessp118]

Just did the test again. Pulled out the instruction book and followed it to the point. still 0 on everything. This is now not user error. I am tempted to empty the whole tank and start over. The male on the other side of the tank is starting to show completely different symptoms. I often find him sitting verticly near the surface. He is not breathing heavily or struggling to swim. Both are now starting to get clamped a little. I have increased the water changes to 20% everyday.

[jessp118]

Originally Posted by shellieca

It should sit 5 minutes not 5 seconds. You're adding 10 drops from both ammonia bottles correct?

Ammonia is 8 drops from each of the 2 bottles. You might be thinking of nitrate. Nitrate has 10 drops for each of the 2 bottles.

[shellieca]

Originally Posted by jessp118

Ammonia is 8 drops from each of the 2 bottles. You might be thinking of nitrate. Nitrate has 10 drops for each of the 2 bottles.

You are very correct, sorry.

I would take a sample of the water to an LFS or LPS to have it tested. If they get the same results as you then you know your test kit is good, if they are different then you probably have a bad test kit.

[jessp118]

Originally Posted by shellieca

You are very correct, sorry.

I would take a sample of the water to an LFS or LPS to have it tested. If they get the same results as you then you know your test kit is good, if they are different then you probably have a bad test kit.

Only one is petco and they use strips and not the liquid tests. They also don't tell you what the numbers are, just if its safe or not for the fish.

[jessp118]

Just did a huge water change of around 70%. I took all the decorations out and washed them in hot water. I stirred up the gravel and tested the water again. It was 0 on everything before i stirred up the gravel. I got a reading of 1 ppm in ammonia after I stirred the gravel. I hope that it will start to cycle now. I don't know why it didn't yet. The female has started biting the male's fins through the divider. I have watched her do it. His fins are all tattered but have white tips. I will be putting the fish back in shortly after letting the filter suck up any poo still floating around.

[jessp118]

Anyone know why the Ammonia settled to the bottom in the gravel so badly and didn't show in the tests at all until i stirred the gravel?

[callistra]

The gravel contains your poop. It was maybe sitting there kinda half broken down.. you stirred it.. .it accellerated the break down and spread it all through the tank. That's another reason cleaning the gravel is important with a water change. Rocks could have been trapping pockets.. or user error in testing kit.

[jessp118]

Originally Posted by callistra

The gravel contains your poop. It was maybe sitting there kinda half broken down.. you stirred it.. .it accellerated the break down and spread it all through the tank. That's another reason cleaning the gravel is important with a water change. Rocks could have been trapping pockets.. or user error in testing kit.

I vacuum the gravel every time i do a water change being careful not to disturb it too much since I have heard that it might ruin a cycle. should I be stirring up the gravel more often during a water change? Will stirring the gravel more often ruin the partial cycle I've started?

[callistra]

Stirring up your gravel will not hurt your cycle.