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Horse Freak! asked in PetsFish · 1 decade ago

is it safe to put fish in now?

ok my tank has been cycling and i tested it today and it read

Nitrate-0

Nitrite-0

Hardness-0

Chlorine-0

Alkalinity- 40 (low)

Ph- 6.8 (Neutral)

if it helps my testing kit is called Quick Dip in one strip by Jungle

* Currently i have no fish in my aquarium*

any other facts/ tips/ or info would be great :) thanks

4 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Your ph is fine, leave it.

    I don't think your tank is cycled. A cycle takes on average of 6-12 weeks to complete. You need to have an ammonia source to start the cycle. Fish is one way, but it's not recommended anymore because it's cruel and the fish usually don't make it. Do a search on how to fishless cycle a tank, I don't have any links saved. But, one thing you can do, and probably the easiest, is a frozen cocktail shrimp. Put one or two in a mesh filter media bag or a pair of nylons with the leg cut off, knot closed, and toss in the tank to rot. This will eventually produce ammonia. Your ammonia will spike, then fall. Nitrites will show up and spike, then fall. When you have ammonia and nitrites reading 0 ppm after first spiking, and there's nitrates present, the tank is considered cycled. Remove the shrimp, do a water change to get the nitrates down under 20 ppm(this is the level you want to keep them below), then add your fish soon after since the beneficial bacteria that developed during the cycle needs a constant ammonia source.

    That way is easiest, because you don't have to do anything, just top off water as it evaporates, and monitor the levels periodically. Another option, you can add fish food to the tank everyday. But, you have add the right amount to keep ammonia levels up, and remember to do it daily.

    You really only need to keep an eye on ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, and ph. For the ph, just make sure it's not fluctuating around too badly, which can shock and kill the fish. Otherwise, yours is fine, so don't alter it like some recommended. There's more involved to it then just altering the ph with drops. Here's a good link that explains the cycle more in depth:

    http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/...

  • 1 decade ago

    i think its fine but get the Ph up to 7 like Snowy said. Most fish have the Ph range between 6 and 8

  • 1 decade ago

    what is the ammonia...and did you add any ammonia to cycle the tank as cycling take about 4-6 weeks....and having no nitrates makes me think its not fully cycled yet..and don't use chemicals to raise the ph...it temporary and stressful on the fish

  • 1 decade ago

    yes it is now safe but I recommend getting the pH up to 7 because most fish have a pH between 6 and 8

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