I think my tank is ready

[ilikefish_]

I know your supposed to cycle your tank before adding fish and everything and all you parameters are supposed to spike and mine did they spiked from
Ammonia-0
Nitrates-0
Nitrites-0
Ph-7.6
To
Ammonia-2.0
Nitrates-5
Nitrites-unknown
Ph-7.6
And now everything has dropped down to
Ammonia-.25
Nitrates-.5
Nitrites-0
Ph-7.6
And I added the tetra safe start, my tank had been up for about a week 1/2 to 2 weeks and I was gunna add fish this Friday but idk if it's cycled? For 3 straight days my parameters have been the same (the last one^)
So what's your guys opinion? (Oh to kick start the cycle I added gravel from my other tank)



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[Fresh2o]

What did you add to get the ammonia to 2.0 ppm?
You could probably add fish in a few days but you should start slowly.

 

[ilikefish_]

All I put in the tank was the tetra safe start a little bit of fish flakes and gravel from my other tank


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[Britty]

Tetra safe start has a pretty good reputation but you should do a final check before populating.

Put 1ppm ammonia into your tank. Retest after 24 hours. The ammonia and nitrites tests will be zero if the tank has completed its cycle. If they arent zero, it hasnt finished yet.

If you dont have ammonia throw in a large pinch of fish food and let it sit for a few days. Test ammonia and nitrite every 24 hours after the dose. They should both read zero everyday with each test if the tank is cycled.

0.5ppm nitrite doesnt sound like the cycle is completed yet, but sounds close

 

[ilikefish_]

Which do you think is faster the ammonia or the pinch of fish food? I'm trying to be fast cause my girlfriend is moving away so I'm trying to get it set up before she leaves which is Friday I know I'm not supposed to rush it fish keeping takes patience I know but if I half to wait I will lol


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[Britty]

Ammonia is the faster method. You can dose to 1ppm within the hour and you test 24 hours later. If the ammo/nitrite tests are zero the tank is ready. Simple go / no go test. Mind you this is not cleaning ammonia. They contain detergents which is big no for tanks.

Pure ammonia will not froth or stay frothy when you shake it. If you cant get any, fish food is the alternative.

The fish food takes longer as you have to wait for it to decay and not accurate to know how much ammonia it will create.

 

[ilikefish_]

Where could I get ammonia?


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[Fresh2o]

Fishless cycling is something you definitely do not want to rush, especially if you plan on adding fish in the next day or two. If you add ammonia, plan on monitoring it daily. Even with a source of BB (from the gravel from an established tank) it still can take several days to a few weeks for it to be able to convert 2-4 ppm ammonia in 24 hours (that includes zero nitrites).
Pure ammonia can be found at Ace Hardware. I also found it at Harris Teeter groceries for about $2. As mentioned in the previous post, it must be free of dyes, perfumes, and surfactants (that's what makes it froth up when you shake it).
If you are set on adding fish, skip the ammonia (and make sure that your tank is reading zero ammonia & nitrite) and only add a few fish at a time. This would followed by regular testing and water changes.