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645 Posts
I have had something really strange happen and i haven't figured out the cause, would like to see if anyone else has this problem come up.
Here are specs:
20gal
96watts light t5 HO
Florabase / flourite dark substrate
No wood, lots of granite
Loaded with fast growing stems
I started slow and didn't add fish until week 5, barely any plants. Tank seemed to have finished cycling by week 8. Nitrite finally dropped to 0. and plants started pearling (Low pearling seems to be a sign of high Nitrite IME).
Now all of a sudden i started notice a tiny bit of diatom and a small amount of thread algae, no big deal. I bought 2 ottos and they kept the diatoms from spreading but were not eliminating it. I bought 2 more... the next day some weird stuff happened (I also hacked my plants back the day prior and did 2x30% water changes but used declorinated within minutes of adding tapwater). My plants aren't pearling as much (I have kept ferts constant) So to me this means somehow my nitrite went back up, tested it and sure enough 1ppm nitrite. My tank already cycled... what gives? Could the water that the ottos came in have been so high in nitrite that is boosted mine up? I cycle my tanks with very few plants so that i actually build the bacteria in the filter and dont just rely on my plants (I run very very quick tanks. very high co2 and very high lighting). I only add full plant load once tank cycled on its own.
Anyone have any input? I know my fish wont die because i cycled with them, but i wanted to get some rare fish but i obviously wont do that until the tank is fully stable. I have ideas but i am not a fish guy, i wanted to see what the people who know more about cycling have to say.
Here are specs:
20gal
96watts light t5 HO
Florabase / flourite dark substrate
No wood, lots of granite
Loaded with fast growing stems
I started slow and didn't add fish until week 5, barely any plants. Tank seemed to have finished cycling by week 8. Nitrite finally dropped to 0. and plants started pearling (Low pearling seems to be a sign of high Nitrite IME).
Now all of a sudden i started notice a tiny bit of diatom and a small amount of thread algae, no big deal. I bought 2 ottos and they kept the diatoms from spreading but were not eliminating it. I bought 2 more... the next day some weird stuff happened (I also hacked my plants back the day prior and did 2x30% water changes but used declorinated within minutes of adding tapwater). My plants aren't pearling as much (I have kept ferts constant) So to me this means somehow my nitrite went back up, tested it and sure enough 1ppm nitrite. My tank already cycled... what gives? Could the water that the ottos came in have been so high in nitrite that is boosted mine up? I cycle my tanks with very few plants so that i actually build the bacteria in the filter and dont just rely on my plants (I run very very quick tanks. very high co2 and very high lighting). I only add full plant load once tank cycled on its own.
Anyone have any input? I know my fish wont die because i cycled with them, but i wanted to get some rare fish but i obviously wont do that until the tank is fully stable. I have ideas but i am not a fish guy, i wanted to see what the people who know more about cycling have to say.
