Hobgob
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I think they missed the part where you said your tank was cycled
Now do you think we missed the cycled part?
35 gallon
- Thread starter namllots
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Now do you think we missed the cycled part?
Khuligirl93
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A tank can not be cycled in 8 days. Unless media from an established tank was added to the filter.
What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? Letting us know what these are will help us give you guidance on when to add more fish, and how to keep them healthy
Your tank looks great by the way!
What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? Letting us know what these are will help us give you guidance on when to add more fish, and how to keep them healthy
Your tank looks great by the way!
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
Alright, we are going in circles right now...
1 - when exactly did you first add water in the tank?
2 - what steps did you take to cycle the tank?
With those two questions answered we can finally figure out what is going on to help give you correct advice.
Also, what are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate at right now?
Hobgob
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Exactly what we need to know.
Fishperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just for clarification, the OP said the tank has been cycled for 8 days, not that it took 8 days to cycle. I think we all jumped the gun a bit here!
Fishperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Namllots:
Parameters are the level of certain chemicals and substances in your water. The most commonly tested are Ammonia, NitrIte, and nitrAte (we often capitalize the I and the A in the respective names because the names are alike but the substances themselves are not in the slightest). pH is also an important factor. pH stands for potential hydrogen, and it's pretty confusing but basically the scale is from 1-14 with 7 in the middle. The lower the number, the more acidic the substance. Lemon juice, I believe, is around a 3, whereas ammonia is around 9 (not too sure on that). Water pH varies, and it can effect fish. Some fish are not very hardy, or are more delicate, like Discus. These kind of fish often require a specific pH that is most like their natural habitat. But for most fish, the most important thing is the the pH remains stable, because fluctuation can cause stress, which may lead to disease, or death. Ammonia and nitrite are fairly different but the deadliness is fairly similar. The general rule is that neither should be allowed to exceed .25 parts per million, or ppm. Nitrate is far less toxic, and for most fish less than 30 ppm is perfectly fine, but for some, especially saltwater fish, they require far lower concentrations, like 10 or 20. Below is a post that I wrote a while ago explaining the cycling process. If it seems out of context, that is because it was originally meant for someone else, but I got tired of typing it over and over again!
Here, read these links:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html
Tips and Tricks For Your Fastest Fishless Cycle! - Aquarium Advice
The first one is about fish in cycling, the second is about fishless cycling. To cycle a tank you need to get some level of ammonia, and have bacteria in the tank (that get there through the air) to "eat" the ammonia, and make nitrites, which is "eaten" by another type of bacteria that produces nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are very bad for fish, and levels over .25 ppm of those are bad and can cause permanent damage (given enough time in that water). Nitrates are much less toxic. Nitrates should be under 40 ppm, but under 20 ppm is best. Nitrates are removed through water changes.
A fish's waster produces ammonia, which is the source for fish in cycling. For fish in, you just add fish, test daily, and do a 25 % water change when water gets above .25 ppm for ammonia or nitrites, until you consistently get 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and x nitrates. Then, you are cycled (you have built up enough bacteria to "consume" the amount of waste produced by your current stock of fish. This is known as a bioload, the amount of waste a fish produces), and can add more fish, a few at a time.
Fishless cycling uses a source of ammonia (pure ammonia [bottled], a raw shrimp [the kind we eat], or fish food), try to get ammonia up to 4 ppm (but less is okay), and then just add more ammonia when it drops under 4, and do a water change when ammonia or nitrites somehow get over 5 ppm. Once you consistently get 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and x nitrates, you are cycled, and can add your whole stock at once. If you don't add your whole stock at once, say add only 5 fish, and then wait a week, you cannot add your whole stock then, as the bacteria will die off until there is just enough ammonia produced for all of the bacteria to eat. While fishless cycling you should test at least every other day.
Hope this helps, and welcome to AA!
Parameters are the level of certain chemicals and substances in your water. The most commonly tested are Ammonia, NitrIte, and nitrAte (we often capitalize the I and the A in the respective names because the names are alike but the substances themselves are not in the slightest). pH is also an important factor. pH stands for potential hydrogen, and it's pretty confusing but basically the scale is from 1-14 with 7 in the middle. The lower the number, the more acidic the substance. Lemon juice, I believe, is around a 3, whereas ammonia is around 9 (not too sure on that). Water pH varies, and it can effect fish. Some fish are not very hardy, or are more delicate, like Discus. These kind of fish often require a specific pH that is most like their natural habitat. But for most fish, the most important thing is the the pH remains stable, because fluctuation can cause stress, which may lead to disease, or death. Ammonia and nitrite are fairly different but the deadliness is fairly similar. The general rule is that neither should be allowed to exceed .25 parts per million, or ppm. Nitrate is far less toxic, and for most fish less than 30 ppm is perfectly fine, but for some, especially saltwater fish, they require far lower concentrations, like 10 or 20. Below is a post that I wrote a while ago explaining the cycling process. If it seems out of context, that is because it was originally meant for someone else, but I got tired of typing it over and over again!
Here, read these links:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html
Tips and Tricks For Your Fastest Fishless Cycle! - Aquarium Advice
The first one is about fish in cycling, the second is about fishless cycling. To cycle a tank you need to get some level of ammonia, and have bacteria in the tank (that get there through the air) to "eat" the ammonia, and make nitrites, which is "eaten" by another type of bacteria that produces nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are very bad for fish, and levels over .25 ppm of those are bad and can cause permanent damage (given enough time in that water). Nitrates are much less toxic. Nitrates should be under 40 ppm, but under 20 ppm is best. Nitrates are removed through water changes.
A fish's waster produces ammonia, which is the source for fish in cycling. For fish in, you just add fish, test daily, and do a 25 % water change when water gets above .25 ppm for ammonia or nitrites, until you consistently get 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and x nitrates. Then, you are cycled (you have built up enough bacteria to "consume" the amount of waste produced by your current stock of fish. This is known as a bioload, the amount of waste a fish produces), and can add more fish, a few at a time.
Fishless cycling uses a source of ammonia (pure ammonia [bottled], a raw shrimp [the kind we eat], or fish food), try to get ammonia up to 4 ppm (but less is okay), and then just add more ammonia when it drops under 4, and do a water change when ammonia or nitrites somehow get over 5 ppm. Once you consistently get 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and x nitrates, you are cycled, and can add your whole stock at once. If you don't add your whole stock at once, say add only 5 fish, and then wait a week, you cannot add your whole stock then, as the bacteria will die off until there is just enough ammonia produced for all of the bacteria to eat. While fishless cycling you should test at least every other day.
Hope this helps, and welcome to AA!
Hobgob
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This is exactly what I was asking for. Thanks for listening and thanks for educating me. This is information I truly appreciate. Will print this out and use as a guide.
It's was mentioned before in the sticky!!!!
Hobgob
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On the 6th post the URL link was giving all you had to do was click on it and you would have read all this stuff. That's why I kept saying you need to read the sticky!
Fishperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
The problem with the sticky is that it has 6 links to loooooonnng pages of information. I wrote that post in 3 paragraphs, and that's really all you need to know. The links were for reference or further information. Guys, the OP has a cycled tank, and I'm pretty sure he/she knows how to cycle it. The real issue is just defining parameters! That's what I was trying to say really!
Fishperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
No problem!
Hobgob
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So did you cycle your tank already? What is your plan of attack?
Hobgob
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Well that is good to hear. I stock my community tank until my nitrates are a little over 20ppm by the end of the week. If your more deligated to doing waterchanges you could do more. Just make sure you allow enough space for the territories of fish.
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