Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2015 4:20:09 GMT
Hello again!
I've got three snails in a ten gallon tank. And I have some more questions...
1) My water readings are zeroes for ammonia, nitrite AND nitrate. Every single time. Shouldn't I have some kind of nitrate reading? Something pretty low? I use the API Master Kit and the expiry date isn't for quite some time. I was so excited because after eight weeks I thought my tank had finally cycled. (
) Everything is fine except for my murky water...which turned green...and now is looking sort of white.
And that leads me to my next question...
2) What else can I do to make my water clear? The snails are, well, being snails. Like I said in a previous post - they mate and poop and eat and lay eggs. And now my water is looking white! I bought plants (which I was ridiculously excited about and still am) as suggested to help clear my water and I love my plants, but my water is being a jerk. I'm at a loss. I added a product that is "safe for invertebrates" that is supposed to help clear the water, but it didn't work.
3) Is tank water supposed to have a swampy sort of smell to it? It isn't unpleasant, but there are times when I can smell it without even going into the room where the snails are. It just smells like walking by a lake. It doesn't bother me, but I didn't notice it before my water turned weird colors....
4)What else can I do to raise the water's pH? The water comes out of the tap at about 7.4. After an hour sitting in a bucket it is still 7.4. The pH has dropped to 6.4 in the last couple of weeks and I have added calcium pills (about one a day or every other day) to help raise it. I have noticed some changes to two of the snails' shells. They look less shiny and healthy than before. It's really bothering me. I also have a piece of cuttle bone floating around the tank. (I didn't bury it because I read that it could rot, so it just floats around where I can see it). And the calcium tablets are not responsible for my water being a weird color.
The water was being wonky before I had issues with pH. Sigh.
And finally....
5) My son really would like some fish and the woman at the pet store recommended little guys called julii cory or pleco because they eat algae. My questions are pretty obvious: Am I going to overstock if I get fish? (I know snails need 2.5 gallons each and with substrate, decorations and plants, and a 2 inch allowance for egg-laying, there aren't 10 gallons in there). And is my tank even safe to put them in since I have a zero nitrate reading? And is there a better kind of fish to get? And should I just not bother with fish at all right now? The snails are my priority and always will be and I don't want to add anything that might make them unhappy. (I'll buy my son a video game and he'll forget all about fish).
As always, thank you so much for any insight or guidance you offer. I spend a lot of time at night reading through posts on this site and I really don't know what I'd do without you guys. I appreciate your time.
I've got three snails in a ten gallon tank. And I have some more questions...
1) My water readings are zeroes for ammonia, nitrite AND nitrate. Every single time. Shouldn't I have some kind of nitrate reading? Something pretty low? I use the API Master Kit and the expiry date isn't for quite some time. I was so excited because after eight weeks I thought my tank had finally cycled. (
) Everything is fine except for my murky water...which turned green...and now is looking sort of white. And that leads me to my next question...
2) What else can I do to make my water clear? The snails are, well, being snails. Like I said in a previous post - they mate and poop and eat and lay eggs. And now my water is looking white! I bought plants (which I was ridiculously excited about and still am) as suggested to help clear my water and I love my plants, but my water is being a jerk. I'm at a loss. I added a product that is "safe for invertebrates" that is supposed to help clear the water, but it didn't work.
3) Is tank water supposed to have a swampy sort of smell to it? It isn't unpleasant, but there are times when I can smell it without even going into the room where the snails are. It just smells like walking by a lake. It doesn't bother me, but I didn't notice it before my water turned weird colors....
4)What else can I do to raise the water's pH? The water comes out of the tap at about 7.4. After an hour sitting in a bucket it is still 7.4. The pH has dropped to 6.4 in the last couple of weeks and I have added calcium pills (about one a day or every other day) to help raise it. I have noticed some changes to two of the snails' shells. They look less shiny and healthy than before. It's really bothering me. I also have a piece of cuttle bone floating around the tank. (I didn't bury it because I read that it could rot, so it just floats around where I can see it). And the calcium tablets are not responsible for my water being a weird color.
The water was being wonky before I had issues with pH. Sigh.And finally....
5) My son really would like some fish and the woman at the pet store recommended little guys called julii cory or pleco because they eat algae. My questions are pretty obvious: Am I going to overstock if I get fish? (I know snails need 2.5 gallons each and with substrate, decorations and plants, and a 2 inch allowance for egg-laying, there aren't 10 gallons in there). And is my tank even safe to put them in since I have a zero nitrate reading? And is there a better kind of fish to get? And should I just not bother with fish at all right now? The snails are my priority and always will be and I don't want to add anything that might make them unhappy. (I'll buy my son a video game and he'll forget all about fish).
As always, thank you so much for any insight or guidance you offer. I spend a lot of time at night reading through posts on this site and I really don't know what I'd do without you guys. I appreciate your time.
