Another cycle prob/question

[brad15]

Hello everyone as im new to the site. Just started a new 38 gallon community tank. Im upgrading from a 26 gallon. I set up the new tank this past Friday night 12/2. New Fluval 305, new artificial plants and new sand. Everything new. Used water conditioner and some Tropical Science Nitromax which is live nitrifying bacteria. I dumped some but not much water from the 26 gallon which is cycled and currently has some fish in it. Now after readinf post after post and different info regarding cycling i decided to add 4 of my tetras. dont know what kind they are. I added them Sunday morning 12/4. now Monday night 12/5 my api test reads a PH of 7. 0 ammonia. 0 nitrites. 20-30 nitrates. Now am i correct to assume its cycled already? Isnt that what you aim for? Now still have fish in the 26 gallon as i try to wait patiently to add them and rid the 26.

 

[blert]

Hello and welcome!

If every thing in the tank is new I wouldn't count on it being cycled yet. What is the nitrate reading from your tap water?

Those bottles of bacteria can be tricky. Most are bacteria strains that are different then the ones you actually want in the tank and may or may not work. I suggest not to use it as they can actually crash your tank if your not careful.

Since you put fish in already just do tests once or twice a day and be prepared to do many large water changes as needed. Don't let ammonia or nitrites get above 0.25 with fish in.

Can you take some old filter material from your old tank to help seed the new? That will help greatly.

 

[brad15]

Thanks for responding. I never tested tap water straight from the sink. However I did test water right from the beginning and got 0's across the board. Except ph naturally which is now leveled at 7.

 

[brad15]

I did use some water from cycled tank. As far as the bacteria additive I only used two doses as the directions said to use until ammonia settles down which is at 0.

 

[librarygirl]

Personally I wouldnt' bother with the bacteria stuff. The water doesn't have much bacteria in it, so the water alone probably isn't doing much to seed the tank. Since you're upgrading everything from the old tank to the new one, why not take your filter media from the 26 and put it into the new filter? Or run the old filter onto the new tank with the new filter for a month or so? Either way should pretty much cycle it instantly and you can move all of your fish over. I'd keep testing daily for a while just to keep an eye on things but you shouldn't have any problems doing it that way.

 

[brad15]

Ok thanks. I used some water to fill the new tank. Any idea on how those #'s are possible? I mean the tank looks clean and the fish look hearty. There was a period when the tank was cloudy but cleared up. Assuming a bacteria bloom? Is it in your opinion cycled or healthy based on test #'s?

 

[librarygirl]

Ok thanks. I used some water to fill the new tank. Any idea on how those #'s are possible? I mean the tank looks clean and the fish look hearty. There was a period when the tank was cloudy but cleared up. Assuming a bacteria bloom? Is it in your opinion cycled or healthy based on test #'s?

It's hard to say since a few danios in a tank that size may need some time to build up ammonia if it were going to. One day wouldn't be long enough I don't think. I'd do a water change though to get nitrate down <20 regardless. If the water came from your main tank that may need a water change as well if nitrates are over 20.

 

[ashleynicole]

I think you need to test the water everyday, nitrates at 20-30 ppm is very high for just one day. It used to take my tanks at least a week to get that high. Now in my planted tanks my nitrate levels stay under 20.

Also, taking water from your already established tank doesn't do anything to help the cycle. Bacteria are not free floating in the water. It is most likely that the nitrate readings came from the water out of the old tank.