Hello From York

Still have 4ppm of ammonia.

Need to test for nitrates tonight.

Hi Peter,

Please remind me of the method you are following. And what are you using as your supply of nitrifying bacteria? Is it gravel or mature biological media from another tank? Or, perhaps a bottled bacteria product such as Tetra SafeStart? Do you have plenty of aeration? What is the water temperature? That's enough questions for now!

JPC

You said that your ammonia reading was 4 ppm - did you add ammonia or is that in the Fluval product? I know that some bacterial products used to contain ammonia but don't know if they still do.

Just wanted to check, you didn't mention it a couple of posts ago 

The IAL won't do much for the hardness or pH I'm afraid. The only way to reduce hardness is by removing calcium from the water, and adding things, even IAL, doesn't do this. The only way to remove calcium is by diluting it with 'pure' water. And hard water goes with high KH. When there is a lot of carbonate (ie KH) in the water it is virtually impossible to lower the pH as the carbonate prevents it.
However, going back through the thread, I see you intend using RO water. The cycle will go faster in hard water with high pH so the time to introduce RO is once the cycle has finished.

You also mentioned apistogrammas a few pots ago - look in MA in Poppleton.

Tannins cannot remove calcium so it can't soften water. They can reduce pH but only in water with low KH. They use up all the KH so the pH can then fall.
With hard water, there is no effect, you have to use RO water or similar to lower both GH and KH for the tannins

Just tested my water.  Ammonia is 0.5ppm. Ph is 7.6. Nitrite is 5ppm. Kh is 7.

So I have added some more ammonium chloride.

Picked up other tank this morning. Its a 90cm x 38cm x 30cm - 95ltr.  Just need to sort out a stand for it and start buying the substrate etc to get it going.

Just tested my water.  Ammonia is 0.0ppm.  Nitrite is 1.0ppm.

Thank Sue.

Been following your guide in the cycle section.

Looking forward to getting my first fish or two. But still cannot put my finger on the ones I want.

I am hoping my tank will be cycled on Saturday. Then I can do big water change (down to substrate) with RO water. Then think about getting fish on Sunday.

Plants are growing nicely. Lots of fresh green shoots and the roots are growing on the surface plants.

Sorry should have said, I will be getting remineralised RO.

I was wondering how many Cory's can I get to start my tank off with.  I am looking at either Julii or salt and pepper. I intend to have atleast 6 but do not want to overload my tank in the first month.

I know you haven't been sure about which fish to get but, if you were still swaying between a type of tetra (or harlequin or other mid-level fish) or a type of cory, best to opt for the tetra (or other mid-level fish I mention) as they're less sensitive than cories. 

The type you opt for depends on what you'd like in the tank.  There are advantages of different types e.g. strong colouring (green neon tetras, cardinal tetras, ember tetras if in planted tank for contrast against greenery, red phantom tetras), patterning (harlequin rasboras or espei or hengeli rasboras), strong finnage colouring to contrast with a neutral-coloured body (e.g. x-ray tetras).  I also value being able to make eye contact with each of my fish, so that rules out some with a horizontal stripe that 'hides' the eye to some extent (e.g. cherry barbs) but this is less important to most folk.

If you decided to keep the larger tank for a community of mid-level fish and cories and possibly a couple of feature fish such as honey gourami or even surface dwellers such as hatchetfish, then an alternative for your smaller tank might be some dwarf puffers which might suit your water without you having to use RO water in that tank (if you were prepared to feed them snails, etc, as required).

Thanks guys. You have given me even more of a headache. Suggesting fish I had not even considered. I am thinking Cory's and rams. I do like the look of the Electric Blue - ust get a couple and a shoal 6+ salt pepper Cory's.