Ammonia Issue

[NYgiantsRP]

OK, well your tank is stocked ok, and your fish are healthy. I would just take a few chill pills. Test the water every other day, and if the ammonia goes up more then change 50% of the water. It should level out soon. Dont stress, as long as the fish arent gasping for air, or sitting on the bottom lifeless you should be fine.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Water changes (as long as the water is conditioned) wont effect the benifical bacteria. The bacteria lives in the filter media and on the surface of decor and substrate of the tank. Do replace or rinse your media, and do no disurb your decor, and that will help.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Would changing the water everyday stress the fish too much? Or take the bacteria out of the water? The last water change was Tuesday andWednesday at 50% and 40% respectively.

No, your bacteria cling to objects in your tank and very very few are floating freely in the water. The filter and your substrate are far larger sources of bacteria. I would change water, but not vacuum the substrate heavily while you are cycling. Getting excess poop off the top is fine, but there shouldn't be much detritus in your gravel to bother with in a new tank. Focus on changing the water. You shouldn't use any chemicals except a water conditioner for your tap water during changes.

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[gilpi]

Would changing the water everyday stress the fish too much? Or take the bacteria out of the water? The last water change was Tuesday andWednesday at 50% and 40% respectively.

The bacteria will eventually grow in your filter media. You will basically be cycling the filter, not the water. At this point, I think you have no beneficial bacteria anywhere in your tank and this is what you need to strive for. Also never change your filter media, only carbon if you use it which I would not recommend using while your cycling process is going on.
As others mentioned here, bacteria clings to stuff as water runs through them oxygenating and feeding it, this is where your filter comes in. Eventually this bacteria will flourish in your filter and you need to take care of it just as much as your fish and this is why you never change it or over clean it.

 

[abw0004]

Thank you to everyone to has helped me. As of today (Sunday) here are the readings I have:

Ammonia: .5-1 ppm
Nitrite: .25 ppm (finally I get a reading)
Nitrate: 0

As suggested, I have not moved any of the decor, only a plant or two that one of my snails knocked loose. I also have not done a water change, although I am planning on doing one tomorrow (Monday). Now that I am beginning to have Nitrite readings, do I need to do anything different? As in, is the water more dangerous? The ammonia has stayed the same. All of the fish ate today but one neon tetra is staying in one place up near the top of the tank but is not gasping for air. When another fish gets near he chases him off. I am praying he is not sick.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

You really need to start doing water changes, ammonia will cause stress to your fish and make them susceptible to disease and parasites. You want to keep your ammonia closer to .25ppm. Now that you have nitrite, your ammonia should drop off and nitrite will rise. Nitrite can be just as deadly and you should perform water changes to keep the levels down just like ammonia

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[abw0004]

I have done water changes before, I am sorry for the confusion. My last one was Wednesday but I will do one now. What percentage of water changed do you recommend?

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I would change 50% and check levels afterward. The cycling process requires very frequent, sometimes daily water changes. You do the to dilute the toxins in your tank with fresh water.

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[abw0004]

Okay I just did a 50% water change and here are my results:

Ammonia: 0-.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

I guess this is a good thing? Is wiping out the Nitrite good? It might be a dumb question but with no nitrite, then it cannot be converted into nitrate. So in theory, the process is stalled?

 

[Fresh2o]

Okay I just did a 50% water change and here are my results:

Ammonia: 0-.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

I guess this is a good thing? Is wiping out the Nitrite good? It might be a dumb question but with no nitrite, then it cannot be converted into nitrate. So in theory, the process is stalled?

When it comes down to the health of the fish versus feeding the cycle, the fish come first, so that is a good thing.
Actually, there should be some nitrite present but at levels below the 0.25 reading. In theory the 50% WC should have changed it to 0.125 ppm. Plus, nitrites will still be created from the ammonia conversion.
There may be nitrite conversion going on a very small scale as well. I would not say it is stalled, just going slowly which is normal. I think that is one of the perks of a fishless cycle is that you are not performing WCs for the sake of the fish.

 

[abw0004]

When it comes down to the health of the fish versus feeding the cycle, the fish come first, so that is a good thing.
Actually, there should be some nitrite present but at levels below the 0.25 reading. In theory the 50% WC should have changed it to 0.125 ppm. Plus, nitrites will still be created from the ammonia conversion.
There may be nitrite conversion going on a very small scale as well. I would not say it is stalled, just going slowly which is normal. I think that is one of the perks of a fishless cycle is that you are not performing WCs for the sake of the fish.

Yeah for the next tank I do I will do a fish-less or 2 fish max. It will be less stress for me as I am always currently concerned about the fish. I was just so excited about getting fish. Haha

 

[enrgizerbunny]

The fishless cycle is definitely the easy, patient way to go, and you don't have to do water changes every 5 minutes, lol. Just keep up the water changes and eventually you'll make it through. There's no magic speed up to this process, just nature slowly at work.

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[HeatherW]

sounds like you are on track. keep doing the water changes. I always do 50% changes. your fish will like you better if you do. the tank will still cycle. You are NOT slowing it down by doing water changes. you are only making your fish happy. the two types of bacteria are still there and still growing. they just need time. have you read the articles on cycling?
you get the first good bacteria by having fish poop aka ammonia (that was easy!) they will gobble that all up and then will produce nitrites.
here come good bacteria #2. they will gobble up the nitrites and produce nitrates.
you get rid of nitrates by doing water changes.

both of your good bacteria are still there and still gobbling up all the stuff. when your tank is cycled you will not see ammonia or nitrites but they are still there doing their thing.
I have done both ways and I will tell you the fishless is the easiest way by far, but this way you will get to have fish. I would say to check your water daily and when your numbers start to climb do 50% WC. the easy way to figure this out is like this: if you have ammonia at 1.0 and do a 50% WC then you should now have ammonia at .50. make sense? same with the nitrites. you don't want them to get too high. Treat your water with the Prime and it will help neutralize those guys for you for a few days - that is all. they will still read on your test kit but they will not be harming your fish (as long as you are not too high). stay with it. It took me a long time to do my fish in cycle.

 

[abw0004]

sounds like you are on track. keep doing the water changes. I always do 50% changes. your fish will like you better if you do. the tank will still cycle. You are NOT slowing it down by doing water changes. you are only making your fish happy. the two types of bacteria are still there and still growing. they just need time. have you read the articles on cycling?
you get the first good bacteria by having fish poop aka ammonia (that was easy!) they will gobble that all up and then will produce nitrites.
here come good bacteria #2. they will gobble up the nitrites and produce nitrates.
you get rid of nitrates by doing water changes.

both of your good bacteria are still there and still gobbling up all the stuff. when your tank is cycled you will not see ammonia or nitrites but they are still there doing their thing.
I have done both ways and I will tell you the fishless is the easiest way by far, but this way you will get to have fish. I would say to check your water daily and when your numbers start to climb do 50% WC. the easy way to figure this out is like this: if you have ammonia at 1.0 and do a 50% WC then you should now have ammonia at .50. make sense? same with the nitrites. you don't want them to get too high. Treat your water with the Prime and it will help neutralize those guys for you for a few days - that is all. they will still read on your test kit but they will not be harming your fish (as long as you are not too high). stay with it. It took me a long time to do my fish in cycle.

How long did it take yours to cycle? I have ordered fish and they should be here Wednesday so I am trying to see where I will be at.

 

[HeatherW]

OK, so I checked my notes... I got my tank for Christmas in 2011. started the fish in cycle (the next day I think), added an angels plus active filter on feb 9 and by Feb 29 my tank was finally cycled. It is a long, hard process, but it will work.

have you heard of the angels plus filters? that really helped alot! I am sure it would have been much longer without it. I saw a big change almost immediately with it.

 

[abw0004]

OK, so I checked my notes... I got my tank for Christmas in 2011. started the fish in cycle (the next day I think), added an angels plus active filter on feb 9 and by Feb 29 my tank was finally cycled. It is a long, hard process, but it will work.

have you heard of the angels plus filters? that really helped alot! I am sure it would have been much longer without it. I saw a big change almost immediately with it.

No I haven't heard of that. Was it your 20 or 90 gallon tank that took so long?

 

[Fresh2o]

Existing media does help. I used media from an existing tank and completed cycling in about two weeks.

Angels Plus offers biologically active sponge media. Here is the link:
http://www.angelsplus.com/FiltersSponge.htm

They appear to be air driven sponge filters; perhaps they can be modified/cut up to fit into your existing filter. I have not used the product, however, here is a link of results of its use by an AA member on another forum:
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/a...58-angels-plus-active-sponge-filter-test.html

 

[HeatherW]

that was for my 20 gallon. on the 90 gallon I did a fishless cycle. and all the info on the angels plus filter is correct. I just cut it up and stuffed it in there. worked great!

 

[abw0004]

Oh gotcha. Well today the water readings were:

Ammonia: .25-.50 ppm
Nitrites: 0- .25 ppm
Nitrates: 0 ppm

I sure hope my tank does not take 2 months to cycle! I am about to wrap up week 4.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Oh gotcha. Well today the water readings were:

Ammonia: .25-.50 ppm
Nitrites: 0- .25 ppm
Nitrates: 0 ppm

I sure hope my tank does not take 2 months to cycle! I am about to wrap up week 4.

You're definitely cycling. Be patient, you'll make it through, whether you think so or not.

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