Newbie looking to understand my water parameters

[Penny]

Hi, I set up three nano tanks last Wednesday and everything seems to be going really well. My plants are all growing nicely.. lots of new leaves and dangly root sprouts. My two hitchhiker snails are about 300x bigger than when I found them. 

I have the tetra 6in1 dip tests for now. I decided to test my water every 3 days to see what's going on with it. I keep reading about the cycle.. I'm just not sure what's going on at the moment! I'm collecting my data and making a spreadsheet. Things got even more confusing when I downloaded the app and it gave me different readings. So now I have two spreadsheets.. one by eye, and one by the app.

Which one should I trust? I know already I don't trust the KH on the app.. the colour my camera captured was nothing like  I saw on the strip! Which also kept changing before my eyes.

If anyone could look at my numbers and explain to me what's going on I'd be super grateful ☺️ also, if there's anything I could do to improve my setup. Also.. any idea how the app gave me a co2 reading? 

Thank you so much 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Penny
Typo

[AtomCatMatt]

i wouldnt worry so much about the numbers on everything. just worry about getting ammonia and nitrites to zero. When it comes to GH KH test i find the liquid test is alot easier to read. each drop is 1 degree until it changes color. 12 drops 12 degress.

[Alesha]

What is this app you speak of???

lol! Seriously, though, I've not heard of an app that will do water parameter readings for you. 

And I'm thinking I would trust my eyes more than I would an app, just like you mentioned. 

I do always try to read the parameters with good light hitting the strips. I wouldn't try to read in a dark room or even in the evening, unless I had super good lighting.

As far as the readings, I don't see any reading for Ammonia. That's a really important level to watch when cycling a tank. So I'd get some of those strips as well. They don't come on the 6-in-1 due to the chemicals used on them would somehow mess up the other readings on the strips.

Hope that helps a little. 😉

[Fonske]

1 hour ago, Penny said:

 I decided to test my water every 3 days to see what's going on with it.

 I would suggest to test your tap water to get a baseline for the measurements of the tanks. 

[AtomCatMatt]

50 minutes ago, akconklin said:

What is this app you speak of???

lol! Seriously, though, I've not heard of an app that will do water parameter readings for you. 

And I'm thinking I would trust my eyes more than I would an app, just like you mentioned. 

I do always try to read the parameters with good light hitting the strips. I wouldn't try to read in a dark room or even in the evening, unless I had super good lighting.

As far as the readings, I don't see any reading for Ammonia. That's a really important level to watch when cycling a tank. So I'd get some of those strips as well. They don't come on the 6-in-1 due to the chemicals used on them would somehow mess up the other readings on the strips.

Hope that helps a little. 😉

i think the app is by tetra it just uses the camera to see the colors and give you a reading, its probably highly unaccurate cause light can effect how its seen.

[Penny]

@akconklin The app was advertised on the box for the tetra strips.. downloaded from the app store, its for android and apple.  I will get the ammonia strips really soon, I kinda maxed out my spending this month, but I will have them real soon. I took a reading of my tap water

NO2 25-50 (Somewhere inbetween)

NO3 0

GH 8

KH 8

pH 7.2

Cl2 0.8

 

[AtomCatMatt]

1 minute ago, Penny said:

@akconklin The app was advertised on the box for the tetra strips.. downloaded from the app store, its for android and apple.  I will get the ammonia strips really soon, I kinda maxed out my spending this month, but I will have them real soon. I took a reading of my tap water

NO2 25-50 (Somewhere inbetween)

NO3 0

GH 8

KH 8

pH 7.2

Cl2 0.8

 

understandable. i would just buy the liquid ammonia by api when your funds replenish, its alot cheaper for the amount of test you get out of it.

[Alesha]

I see you'll need to be using a water conditioner, for sure, with the Chlorine showing from your tap. Also...really high nitrites! So...yeah...definitely use the conditioner. Most people use Prime. Cory sells Fritz Water Conditioner too. 

The KH and GH are over my head. I still can't get a handle on understanding those, even though I've googled and studied it and everything. LoL! 

I understand about maxing out the budget. I had a friend who used to say they "bought the hammer one week and the nails the next". Ha! Yeah, it'll be good to have that reading on Ammonia.

Until then, keep watching the plants and snails for growth. Also, watch to see if the snails are reproducing. Those are all good signs!

[Penny]

2 minutes ago, AtomCatMatt said:

understandable. i would just buy the liquid ammonia by api when your funds replenish, its alot cheaper for the amount of test you get out of it.

That's the one I have in my basket ready 😃

[AtomCatMatt]

4 minutes ago, akconklin said:

I see you'll need to be using a water conditioner, for sure, with the Chlorine showing from your tap. Also...really high nitrites! So...yeah...definitely use the conditioner. Most people use Prime. Cory sells Fritz Water Conditioner too. 

The KH and GH are over my head. I still can't get a handle on understanding those, even though I've googled and studied it and everything. LoL! 

I understand about maxing out the budget. I had a friend who used to say they "bought the hammer one week and the nails the next". Ha! Yeah, it'll be good to have that reading on Ammonia.

Until then, keep watching the plants and snails for growth. Also, watch to see if the snails are reproducing. Those are all good signs!

yeah it goes over my head too cause the test dont tell you whats actually making your water hard. i find it best just to go online to my local water company site and find out what the public water tests show.

 

[AtomCatMatt]

https://www.amwater.com/twq/greaterjeffersonvillearea_twq.pdf

this is for my local area, something like this from your local water company will help you get a understanding of whats coming from your tap.

 

[Aubrey]

For some insight on what's in your tap water I've found this website helpful.

EWG's Tap Water Database: What's in Your Drinking Water? | @ewg | #WaterSafety

WWW.EWG.ORG

---

Look up your local water system to find out which pollutants might be of concern, and find suggestions on the best kinds of home filters to remove those chemicals.

 

[Jessica.]

Based on your nitrite readings and the fact that they haven't dropped, you tank isn't cycled yet. It's probably well on it's way, but we'd need to see ammonia to test that. 

Do you have fish, or are you adding ammonia? It's helpful to have an ammonia source when cycling a tank. This could eve be just adding a pinch of fish food on day 1. 

Here's what you're looking for to tell you it's cycling- 

1.  Have some kind of ammonia/bio load source (could be a fish, could be pure ammonia dropped in, could be fish food.)
2. See ammonia decrease, then see nitrite levels increase. This shows you've growing the colonies of bacteria that will process ammonia into nitrite
3. Next, see nitrite decrease and nitrates increase. This means you're growing the bacteria that process nitrites into nitrates. 
4. Finally, see a read of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites, and some nitrates. This means all colonies of bacteria have reached grown a large enough population to process the waste in your tank. This is a "cycled" tank. A freshly cycled tank is vulnerable to crashed for the first few month. 

A note on the ammonia source. You need to continue to feed the ammonia comsuming bacteria throughout the whole process. If you dose liquid ammonia on day one but not again, you'll grow some bacteria to process it, but they will starve and die off when there no longer ammonia present. Fish product a constant source of waste for these bacteria, so if you want to cycle a tank without fish, you need to simulate the waste production of a fish.  

So, all that said, here what I see in your tests: 

• GH/KH both fine. Any variations in these I'm chocking up to some test inaccuracy with color reading. 
• PH fine. Looks like about 7.6. Maybe higher in the one tank, if you have seriyu stone in it that can raise PH, or maybe you have driftwood in a tank which can lower PH. Again, looks fine and nothing I'd pay much attention to besides saying, yup, that didn't crash (but you have 6KH so a PH crash is unlikely).
• Nirite is not decreasing, it's reading 5 every time. This is the biggest tell right now that your tanks are not cycled completely yet. A cycled tank should not have a nitrite reading. But I also see your tap has very high nitrites, so maybe your tank is very close to cycled and just needs a few more days to process that final bit of nitrite into nitrates. I'd keep monitoring and looking for this number to drop. 

Are you looking to add fish soon? I'd love to see pictures of the tanks 🙂

 

[Penny]

18 minutes ago, Jessica. said:

Based on your nitrite readings and the fact that they haven't dropped, you tank isn't cycled yet. It's probably well on it's way, but we'd need to see ammonia to test that. 

Do you have fish, or are you adding ammonia? It's helpful to have an ammonia source when cycling a tank. This could eve be just adding a pinch of fish food on day 1. 

Here's what you're looking for to tell you it's cycling- 

1.  Have some kind of ammonia/bio load source (could be a fish, could be pure ammonia dropped in, could be fish food.)
2. See ammonia decrease, then see nitrite levels increase. This shows you've growing the colonies of bacteria that will process ammonia into nitrite
3. Next, see nitrite decrease and nitrates increase. This means you're growing the bacteria that process nitrites into nitrates. 
4. Finally, see a read of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites, and some nitrates. This means all colonies of bacteria have reached grown a large enough population to process the waste in your tank. This is a "cycled" tank. A freshly cycled tank is vulnerable to crashed for the first few month. 

A note on the ammonia source. You need to continue to feed the ammonia comsuming bacteria throughout the whole process. If you dose liquid ammonia on day one but not again, you'll grow some bacteria to process it, but they will starve and die off when there no longer ammonia present. Fish product a constant source of waste for these bacteria, so if you want to cycle a tank without fish, you need to simulate the waste production of a fish.  

So, all that said, here what I see in your tests: 

• GH/KH both fine. Any variations in these I'm chocking up to some test inaccuracy with color reading. 
• PH fine. Looks like about 7.6. Maybe higher in the one tank, if you have seriyu stone in it that can raise PH, or maybe you have driftwood in a tank which can lower PH. Again, looks fine and nothing I'd pay much attention to besides saying, yup, that didn't crash (but you have 6KH so a PH crash is unlikely).
• Nirite is not decreasing, it's reading 5 every time. This is the biggest tell right now that your tanks are not cycled completely yet. A cycled tank should not have a nitrite reading. But I also see your tap has very high nitrites, so maybe your tank is very close to cycled and just needs a few more days to process that final bit of nitrite into nitrates. I'd keep monitoring and looking for this number to drop. 

Are you looking to add fish soon? I'd love to see pictures of the tanks 🙂

 

Thank you so much @Jessica.  And everyone for taking the time to reply. I'll be sure to get the ammonia test asap.

So.. I have no fish, I'm not planning on adding anything for quite a while. (I'm thinking months. Eventually a Betta and some shrimps) 

I've not added any ammonia, but I did add a pinch of fish food to each tank on day one. I haven't added any fertiliser since day one (we're day 6 now)

I also have a good bit of water evaporate every day. I tested before topping up. I add tapsafe and age my water for days.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Penny
More info

[Jessica.]

@PennyWow, those tanks are gorgeous!! Beautiful work, love the drift wood centerpiece in each, and how they all work together as a set. The mossballs and the round rocks work well together. Very very nice. I wouldn't be able to resist stock them, I'd do one color of shrimp in each - like red, blue and yellow neos, with a matching colored beta in each. Your willpower to hold off for a few months is impressive. 

[DaveSamsell]

On the contrary, I think "water parameters" try to understand "Newbies" in what they do or should have done, lol.  Science & nature can be pretty cut & dry (at times), but being a proud NERM and somewhat of a  "Newbie" myself,  I look for growing plants, as a good sign.  

It shows the tank is starting to process the ammonia/nitrite.  I like the liquid test kits better.  Takes a bit longer to test, but they are easier to read, IMO, compared to the test strips or apps.  

But, everyone has their personal preference.  Lots of good input here.

 

[Penny]

5 minutes ago, Jessica. said:

@PennyWow, those tanks are gorgeous!! Beautiful work, love the drift wood centerpiece in each, and how they all work together as a set. The mossballs and the round rocks work well together. Very very nice. I wouldn't be able to resist stock them, I'd do one color of shrimp in each - like red, blue and yellow neos, with a matching colored beta in each. Your willpower to hold off for a few months is impressive. 

Well... funny you should say that, because that's exactly what I'm planning on doing!😄  

[Sleepy]

Very nice tanks like the look and flow a lot!

[AtomCatMatt]

tanks look great, just keep up the patience. you dont have any fish to worry about time will balance your problem. ive seen videos with no ferts no filters and guy didnt add fish until month 2.

 

[AtomCatMatt]

 

[Ben Ellison]

@PennyThe tanks are really coming along nicely. Atm I think the ammonia test really only tells you what you know. If you are making nitrates and nitrates then ammonia has to be present. Until you have fish/shrimp the levels of ammonia and nitrites is a bit unimportant. I think I'd avoid water changes to keep the food for the bacteria in the water. Once they all the ammonia and nitrites are staying at near 0 then I'd say start keeping the nitrates >40.

 

Also I agree with @Jessica. On the matching of the betta and shrimp colors or at least complimentary.

 

The first step I might start with is bladder snails and maybe one of the more fancy snail types. The longer you wait to add fish and shrimp the easier the process will be. You are totally going at this the right way for minimum stress on you and your fishy friends.

[Penny]

Thanks @Ben Ellison thats good to know. My plants actually came with two stowaway bladder snails that I've just been watching make sweet love for the third time today! 😆 Hopefully I'll have snail babies soon! I attached a pic of them doing their thing 😏

[Ben Ellison]

I'm sure you will have plenty soon.