Confuseld with no fish cycle

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

paulr

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
142
I did try to do some damsels at the suggestion of my fish store and that didn't seem to work out too well. Looking at maybe doing an ammonia cycle but I am confused. I have a 29 gal tank. I understand you add pure ammonia. But are you adding it then waiting till it drops then doing it again. Eventually the ammonia will level out to 0 even after adding? Any help is appreciated! I have about 27lbs live rock and 3 in the back for filtering.
 
cycling takes a long time did your damsels die? i waited about 2 weeks to add one zebra damsel to my tank after i added 20lbs live sand and 85lbs live rock. they are about $3 and hard to kill u can always add another and see how that works plus i have a fuge/sump and run a skimmer useing kents reef salt
 
I had it going to about 2 weeks. See if it died tomorrow I guess and dig him out. Ammonia seems like it might be a faster way. Just feel like I am doing something wrong. Think I just need to be more patient. But the Ammonia is a little confusing.
 
This thread AND your other thread on both the same topics are very confusing.. try starting from the beginning and explaining exactly what it is you did.. were u testing parameters everyday? Using rodi water? How long has it been since you started the cycle?? Be patient if you don't get answers in the blink of an eye, people will help you as long as you explain your situation thoroughly. Don't keep opening up random threads about the same problem.
 
This thread AND your other thread on both the same topics are very confusing.. try starting from the beginning and explaining exactly what it is you did.. were u testing parameters everyday? Using rodi water? How long has it been since you started the cycle?? Be patient if you don't get answers in the blink of an eye, people will help you as long as you explain your situation thoroughly. Don't keep opening up random threads about the same problem.
+1 please start from the beginning
 
1. Sorry for my post. Just had surgery and on the happy drugs;-)

2. Biocube 29 with 30lbs of live rock from an established tank

3. Attached levels. Ammonia is about .50

4. Tank has been running for 2 weeks

5. Put in 2 damsels. One died and the other no clue. Cant find him.

Should i just let it go or is an ammonia cycle the better way to go?
 

Attachments

  • image-3110701873.jpg
    image-3110701873.jpg
    145.5 KB · Views: 61
I found out the fish might have died because i had so much live rock???
 
Fish don't die bc of the amount of LR. That's just ridiculous lol... from what I'm understanding.. you started the cycle with fish, correct?

I'm no expert on doing a cycle with fish but doing it fishless I can help. Basically, with a fishless cycle, I found its easiest to get a piece of raw uncooked shrimp and just toss it in the tank in a filter sock or net, let it rott and decay and in this time process, your ammonia is gonna spike and then you'll start to see nitrites and eventually nitrates... your cycle is essentially done when ammo and nitrites come back reading 0 on their own.

Its a little hard to read your results considering they're all separate test cards. Usually its 1 big card with all of the test results on it.

It almost looks like you have 0 nitrates and 0 nitrites and fairly lil amount of ammonia so you're at the very beginning of the cycle.
 
Where did you get the live rock an established tank or pet store?and by the looks of it yes you are at the beginning of your cycle. I cycled with zebra damsel and I fed him also
 
Yes. 2 weeks. It came from a big 200gal tank. Well the little damsel that did a disappearing act just showed up. I took all the rock out and there he is!!!
 
+1 for the raw uncooked shrimp.

I tossed one in my tank and let it rot. My ammonia spiked at 4.0, trites spiked at 5.0, trates got as high as 40. after 2 weeks ammonia and trites were at 0, trates @ 40. I did a 90% water change, waited a few hours then tested. ammonia and trites @ 0, trates @ 5.

it was very simple, as in all I had to do was test the water params daily. worked well for me.
 
+1 for the raw uncooked shrimp.

I tossed one in my tank and let it rot. My ammonia spiked at 4.0, trites spiked at 5.0, trates got as high as 40. after 2 weeks ammonia and trites were at 0, trates @ 40. I did a 90% water change, waited a few hours then tested. ammonia and trites @ 0, trates @ 5.

it was very simple, as in all I had to do was test the water params daily. worked well for me.

+1 it really is THAT simple.. just have to have patience and test daily :)
 
Yes. 2 weeks. It came from a big 200gal tank. Well the little damsel that did a disappearing act just showed up. I took all the rock out and there he is!!!

That's good just keep testing your water ammonia will be limited with a fish if your rock came from an established tank so you won't have much die off
 
Back
Top Bottom