We needed to add ammonia to get the tank to start to deal with fish pee. We put 4 dead prawns in but that was too much, because it made too much ammonia. It made my bedroom stink! It stunk so bad I had to sleep in my brothers room. So we took 2 prawns out.
We had to take half of the water out and get fresh water to put it in, now the ammonia is at 4ppm. That is the right amount to make the bacteria grow that turns the ammonia into nitrite. Then bacteria grows to turn the nitrite into nitrate.
Here is a picture of the cycle, from www.thegab.org which is a very useful fish keeping site.
We can put fish in the tank when ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and nitrate is starting to grow. We stop having too much nitrate with partial water changes.
I keep a notebook for all the tests I do of the water so I know where I am up to.
I also put the heater in the tank and turned it on to speed up the cycle and we measured GH and KH.
Wow Mia, we will make a scientist out of you yet!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is fantastic Mia. Just make sure you don't take the fish out of the water to pet them like my Jude did. Lol!! Well done Mia.
ReplyDeleteGeez Mia, perhaps when we get a fish tank started for my daughter, Summer, you could fly to Texas and teach us all of this! I'm very impressed!
ReplyDeleteI really like your graph :) I'm sorry your room smelt so bad - that must have been awful - can't wait to see the fish!
ReplyDeleteWell done Mia. The graph is really impressive. Did your brother's bedroom smell nearly as bad as the fish tank??
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