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Ah, thank you very much for the help. All this water chemistry is quite confusing.
I think it's a good idea to buy a water softner, especially since the water is hard right from the tap, and aging doesn't help much. So, whenever I would do a waterchange, I'd have to start over. However, I did read somewhere that softeners only work temporarilly, is this true?

I also got a plant last friday and it seemed to help softening the water more, however I did a partial water change (3/10) yesterday after glueing the cork to the aquarium. This obviously raised my hardness again, but it did lower the nitrites.

Parameters:
14/02 (12 hours after introduction of the plant)
Nitrate: 50-100
Nitrite: Yes and rising
dGH: 7-14
dKH: 10-15
PH: 7.2

Week old water:
Nitrate: 25
Nitrite: 0
dGH: 14-21
dKH: 10-15
PH: 7.2-7.6

15/02 (>12 hours after waterchange)
Nitrate: 50-100
Nitrite: yes, but less
dGH: 14-21
dKH: 15
PH: 7.2-7.6


This is what the tank looks like now.


The plant is the Cryptocoryne Undulatus, a lowlight plant from Sri Lanka.
I think I'm going to try to place a bike lamp in the hood as light. It's one of the only things I can think of that will fit.
What amazes me is that after a week I have yet to develop algea in that tank. Maybe it's because I still have no heater and the tank is only 18°C at it's warmest.
I was also recomended these fish by the Cichlid fantic petstore:


Sadly the lady will only sell them as a couple, and the price is a bit above budget. €12.50

I think some random forum or tutorial. I don't know, I've been reading quite a few lately, but after a while the information gets blurred in my mind.
If I remember correctly it had something to do with forcing the PH or GH down when there was no natural balance yet, and thus making it likely to spring back on it's own. Then again, maybe the specific author had certain types of high mineral stones like limestone or something in his tank.

Hmm, I don't really want my water to be yellow'er then it is now ^^; Is there any clear water softner?

Edit: Fixed the broken links sweatdrop

Parameters of the day:
Nitrate: 25-50
Nitrite: yes, but less
dGH: 7-14
dKH: 10-15
PH: 7.2-7.6

I'm very content that the hardness managed to drop back to it's previous level in 3 days time. It gives me hope. smile
I will buy the softner later today if I get the chance, but I prefer having the tank as stable as possible on it's own.

I also found a way around the light issue: bycicle 'lamp'! It doesn't give much light, but it's angled right upon the plant, which I was worried about most.


I thought that decaying plants would provide those nutrients. Oh well. I asume amano shrimp like cooked peas then? Because that will be their vegetables untill some algea grows.

Nope, the PH is quite stubborn indeed. But I guess I need to get down that KH before I can get the PH to coöperate.
I got the sofner today, so I'm curious what the effect will be tomorrow. But mostly next week. I'll be gone for the weekend, so the last dose I can give will be tomorrow.

Hmm, how about cooked? I usually just boil my veggies in water only, so no problem with salts and stuff. That's how I used to share my dinner with the goldfish. I had a thread on that, um some long time ago. I'll dig it up. I always wanted to sticky it, but I don't know if it's sticky caliber.
On freezing... um that will be a problem. I don't have a freezer ^^;

That's what I love most about aquariums, the do it yourself part! With a little creativity you can go a long way to great effects.
The lamp isn't that bright at all; when the lights in my room are on you don't even notice it. But since I have fluorecent lamps in here it doesn't matter. In a dark room it looks very pretty though.

Thank you, biggrin
I thought I was overdoing it with posting near daily parameters here, but if I don't post them somewhere I know I'll slack on taking measurements. I'll be making a graph of them once the cycling period is over.

I saw new honey gouramis in the store today, and unlike I usually see, not a color variant! They were all silver grey, and the largest had a brouwn stripe on the side. Some had a tinge of pink/red along the fins. I guess they are eighter very stressed, or young, or both. I think they'll color up beautifully if well cared for. The good news is they look healthy, assertive and brighteyed! The bad news is they placed them in a tank that's infested by ich crying
I nearly bought them if it wasn't for the fear that it would probably kill them anyway.
I'm going to check the other shop if they bought them too.

Parameters of the day:
Nitrate: 25
Nitrite: 0 biggrin
dGH: 14
dKH: 10-15
PH: 7.6

Hope the nitrite stays like that.

found some honey info i thought was interesting...didnt know there was a man made variety...that red one is usually called a sunset gourami...i like the natural look better (its what i have...they both looked exactly like the image when i first got them)


im confused when you say gray honeys...only "gray" gouramis i know of are the female neon blue, dwarf, and flame gourami

Nope, no freezer ^^;
Hmm, never thought about the nutrients part. How about 'steamed' veggies? They are softer, but not that soft, but they are supposed to have more nutrients? Not all the nutriernts can be gone from cooking right? Other wise what's the point in me religiously eating my veggies?

I didn't know that my amonia and nitrite were in good range when I was in the store. The drop happened quite fast and sudden actually. I didn't have my heater yet, it just arived this morning, and my room temperature is often under 15°C. I can't expose tropical fish to that.
The biggest reason why I dare not take fish yet is because I will be going to a training camp for 3 days. And with no heat running in my appartment my room will probably be under 10°C when I come back. And if anything happens to the tank, I won't know. eek

And yeah, that petstore isn't the best. It's Tom&Co, the reason why I come there a lot is because it's close to my house, it's 'part' of the suppermarkt I shop at and they have a decent stash of supplies. I just hope they're not a european version of Petco. The birds and rodents look ok, though I hardly ever go there. They just slack much too much on the fish. I've seen quite a few dead fish there.
The only redeeming fact they have going for them is that they house their bettas in large comunity tanks.

When I said grey I meant that the color you see on the 'face' and belly/chin of the male was dominant over the whole of the body.
They kind of looked like these:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/Colisa_chuna_2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/ckyeo/Fish/_MG_7676s.jpg
But with a light shade of gray more dominant.
They were being sold as Colisa Chuna though.
All the diffent names for the honey is really starting to irk me. Chuna vs Sota, Trichogaster vs Colisa, when will people make up thier minds -_-;

I never had the natural one. I had the 'sunset', or Blood Honey as my pet store called it. I posted it in the picture thread, but here's a nice pic of what the man made variety looks like. Under yet another name: http://www.apetinc.com/site/largepics/748/62851/253482/351836/Copperfire_Gourami.jpg

Oh! That's a very very nice fish! I never knew that one existed. I wonder, it's probably wild caught?

cooked food might have more nutrients to people but i think all other animals work differently but cooked ones wouldnt be bad :3 especially if thats all you've got
better than nothing XD

i cant see the first image : (

colisa is for dwarf gourami (honey, powder blue, neon blue...the small ones...sparkling, licorice, and chocolate have all different genus too)
trichogaster is for the big ones (three spot, golden, moon light, pearl, and the other pretty big more aggressive ones...kissing and true giant gourami have their own different genus)

i went NUTS researching this because i didnt want the big aggressive grouamis and learned that the dwarf are ALWAYS more peaceful and small.
so the second image is wrong in calling that trichogaster chuan (its a dwarf gourami and should be called colisa)

now chuan and sota....i have ONLY ever seen chuan in any store i have been to

the sparkling gourami i do not think is wild caught because he eats flakes like WOAH and most wild caught fish have issues eating flakes (like puffers....its why they WONT eat flakes and pellets because they are wild caught and chocolates wont eat flakes either because they too are wild caught)

your parameters really smoothed out : O that stuff worked fast! i had no idea it would do that XD thats what i get for not monitoring everyday hehe again thanks for posting all this stuff : ) i learned something

yeah chuan might be the newer name. that make sense :3
and yay for the fishies! mine were timid too for a while (the honey and the pearl)...i think most gouramis are when they get into a new home but after that they perk up XD

blood worms and food with red in it. this stuff is great for that. and since they are orange the red food will color them up even more. some of my fish are completely different colors from when i first got them XD they just got even more pretty!

and mix the foods up too. i think that helps. i fed mine flakes, granules, dried blood worms (frozen too sometimes), these "crisps" and some dried shrimp.
i have one of these things but its got a blue lid. 3 different kinds of food in one container. they LOVE it and they look great and its easy to give em variety without having 20 different containers XD


OH almost forgot
the shrimp
try a few at first (maybe 3) see how they do and if you arent satisfied get a few more.