Water cycle

[Elmo1287]

Theirs the colors I'm sure you know by now what color is what?

 

[YzfGraeme]

Yeah I am cycling the tank but with fish in what I don't agree with is that you have to do it without fish.... My ammonia and nitrates/nitrites are fine with the fish in, just do a 20% water change every two weeks and they never climb quickly... I do tests every day for the first 2 months when setting up and nothing ever goes abnormal, a fish less cycle takes so much longer and is pointless get some fish in there and just test and water change other wise you are wasting time and money on salt for a slow process and the fish don't get stressed as long as you keep onto of the paras

 

[Elmo1287]

Yeah I've been waiting forever for fish but unfortunely it's two hours away and I work all night so by the time I get home I'm really not wantin to drive all that way

 

[Schism]

Yeah I am cycling the tank but with fish in what I don't agree with is that you have to do it without fish.... My ammonia and nitrates/nitrites are fine with the fish in, just do a 20% water change every two weeks and they never climb quickly... I do tests every day for the first 2 months when setting up and nothing ever goes abnormal, a fish less cycle takes so much longer and is pointless get some fish in there and just test and water change other wise you are wasting time and money on salt for a slow process and the fish don't get stressed as long as you keep onto of the paras

Unsure why you believe a fish in cycle is faster. Also unsure why you believe fishless cycles are a waste of time and pointless. And i guarantee that with only 20% PWC during a fishin cycle that your fish are suffering whether you believe so or not, its called ammonia. And a 20% PWC every 2 is not going to detoxify ammonia pal. 1 ppm ammonia with a 20% water change means you reduced levels to .80 ppm, which is still very toxic.

 

[YzfGraeme]

Unsure why you believe a fish in cycle is faster. Also unsure why you believe fishless cycles are a waste of time and pointless. And i guarantee that with only 20% PWC during a fishin cycle that your fish are suffering whether you believe so or not, its called ammonia. And a 20% PWC every 2 is not going to detoxify ammonia pal. 1 ppm ammonia with a 20% water change means you reduced levels to .80 ppm, which is still very toxic.

[mod edit] I keep my ammonia levels at 0 and when they get to 0.25 pwc and back down to 0 on the tests, look you can do what you want but I'm just saying how I do it, it works and I have set up 8 tanks like this over the years. It's advice forum and I'm giving my advice I what I have done over the years. [mod edit]its how I do it and I have never lost a fish! Maybe you just don't test your water properly and keep onto of stuff in a fish cycle, once you have done a fish less cycle then you add your fish the tank will cycle again so just go streight to the fish cycle simple.
So I will stick to that and you stick to what you want to do

 

[MrPillow]

An unorthodox approach compared to the general consensus of the forum, but I am sure we all wish you the best of luck either way

What are your observable nitrite and nitrate levels?

 

[paytertot]

once you have done a fish less cycle then you add your fish the tank will cycle again so just go streight to the fish cycle simple.
So I will stick to that and you stick to what you want to do

Totally false, I'd like to know where you're getting your information, or if that's just what you think. I think you need to research it more.

 

[Convict2161]

Totally false, I'd like to know where you're getting your information, or if that's just what you think. I think you need to research it more.

I'd have to agree here. Once your cycled your cycled. You add fish to your tank once it's properly cycled. Not sure where that poster read/heard that but it's not true.

 

[Sniperhank]

Theirs the colors I'm sure you know by now what color is what?

I'm not sure as to what those exact colors mean. Those looks like colors from a freshwater kit to me, but I could be wrong. Could you put the color card behind it for reference? I don't want to make an assumption and be wrong.

 

[Ingy]

Elmo.

As for your colours, from left to right it looks like it might be;
1 Idk. Something clear tho
2 amm around 4. Very good
3 nitrate 0. Not cycled at all yet
4 pH around 8ish. That's fine

So if I'm correct on my colours, you can tell better, you have a nice ammonia level to start the cycle, but it's not into the final stages yet. Stop testing daily as the kits cost money. Wait a week and check your nitrates then.

Good luck

 

[fort384]

ALL:

This thread has been edited extensively.

Disagreements, debates, and opinions are fine - Off topic posting, personal attacks, trolling, insults, etc. are not. Please keep the thread on topic.

 

[Elmo1287]

ALL:

This thread has been edited extensively.

Disagreements, debates, and opinions are fine - Off topic posting, personal attacks, trolling, insults, etc. are not. Please keep the thread on topic.

Thanks lol

 

[Elmo1287]

I'm not sure as to what those exact colors mean. Those looks like colors from a freshwater kit to me, but I could be wrong. Could you put the color card behind it for reference? I don't want to make an assumption and be wrong.

The first one is phosphate idk if I even need to test for that?

 

[Elmo1287]

Elmo.

As for your colours, from left to right it looks like it might be;
1 Idk. Something clear tho
2 amm around 4. Very good
3 nitrate 0. Not cycled at all yet
4 pH around 8ish. That's fine

So if I'm correct on my colours, you can tell better, you have a nice ammonia level to start the cycle, but it's not into the final stages yet. Stop testing daily as the kits cost money. Wait a week and check your nitrates then.

Good luck

I believe that's the order I did it in but with the correct bottles first