Aug 2, 2006
Major update on the way - and the news is (almost) all good!
First, here are the results of tonight's parameter tests:
Ammonia 0.3 ppm
Nitrite 0.3 ppm
Nitrate 7.0 ppm (somewhere between 5.0 and 10.0)
pH 7.8-8.0
KH 85
GH 120
Phosphate 0.25-0.50 ppm
Calcium 60 ppm
Iron: Non-Chelated 0.0 ppm; Chelated 0.5 ppm
I'm a little unnerved by the small ammonia/nitrite spikes, though I suppose this could be because I introduced new fish into the tank last night and the bacteria haven't had a chance to catch up. I'll keep an eye on that for sure, as well as the pH (I think I'm going to start using RO water to bring that down some).
Now, on to the good news: my fish seem very happy and healthy, and after much uncertainty on my part, so do my plants! Take a look:
Crypts - Back from the dead (even the little rootlets I pulled off the main clump)
Rotala - New Growth!
And look - the moss/algae on my driftwood is pearling!
Now, on to tonight's activities. After testing my parameters, I moved my powerhead to the middle of my tank to improve circulation, and I was able to get rid of the "backwater" area on the left side of my tank.
Apparently, my pristellas love the new current - they were playing in it for a good 15 minutes.
After moving the powerhead, I did some gravel vacuuming and a small water change, and scrubbed my tank on the inside and brillianized the outside. Then, I fed my fish bloodworms for the first time - and they loved it. I think they're getting a little chubby, though, so they're fasting tomorrow
Here are some more shots, including the requested full tank view:
Full Tank (forgive the water level - this was pre-refilling)
Keyhole Cichlid (he's camera shy)
My playful little Zebras:
