My 30 gallon tank has been set up for three weeks. I have 6 small cichlids in it. I have been getting a steady reading of 1ppm ammonia for the past week. I did a partial water change (5gal) a week ago. My nitrites is 0. Should the ammonia be rising at a faster rate? Should I be getting a nitrite reading by now? I add prime conditioner to the water before putting it in the tank. The fish seem healthy. They are eating and swimming around the tank freely. Should I do another water change?
New Aquarium Ammonia Level
- Thread starter kmacc99
- Start date
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mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
Since you're cycling with fish, you need to do lots of water changes. You'll need to test at least once a day and do a big enough water change to keep the ammonia at or below .5ppm. There's a link in my signature to a thread HN1 started in regards to cycling with fish
I have been checking my tank, doing water changes for the past 3 weeks. My ammonia levels during the three weeks have ranged from 0.5 to 2 ppm. I keep checking my nitrites and keep getting 0. When is my ammonia supposed to convert to nitrites? It seems my cycling hasn't progressed over the past 3 weeks. I have 6 small cichlids and use a reagent test kit.
Smitty
Aquarium Advice Addict
Cycling can take a while, that is just the way it is. You can speed it up if you can get media from another source (like a friend with an established tank) or something. At this point, with fish, you just need to test every day and keep up with water changes very frequently.
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
I wouldn't get anything from an LFS, since they usually have all sorts of nasty stuff floating around in there.
As previously advised, your best bet will be to get hold of some well established media. That or reduce your bioload by rehoming some / all of the fish. What type of cichlids are they?
LFS media can be suspect, but if they have a healthy looking, free standing display tank that they would be willing to remove some media from it should be fine.
You can't do too many water changes right now. The solution to pollution is dilution....
LFS media can be suspect, but if they have a healthy looking, free standing display tank that they would be willing to remove some media from it should be fine.
You can't do too many water changes right now. The solution to pollution is dilution....
True live rock is actually for saltwater tanks. Maybe you were referring to something else though. Just wanted to be sure.
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
+1 Meegosh.
Do as many water changes a day as you need to, to keep the levels down.
Do as many water changes a day as you need to, to keep the levels down.
I am still getting no nitrites. My ammonia is still high around 1-2ppm. I am doing 25% water changes every other day. The cichlids don't appear to be in distress, growing and eating as normal.
I am testing the water using the masters test kit. I tested my tap water and found no ammonia. Should I keep using Prime in my tap water? Should I buy another test kit to determine accuracy?
I am testing the water using the masters test kit. I tested my tap water and found no ammonia. Should I keep using Prime in my tap water? Should I buy another test kit to determine accuracy?
It sounds like you are still cycling, which is expected. I would do some 50% water changes to get the ammonia down to below .25ppm if possible. You are only four weeks into a cycle with fish, mine took closer to 7 weeks. This is why people HIGHLY recommend fishless cycling.. you can dose ammonia to lethal levels since there is no fish and you don't have to do water changes (which slow down the process). I bet your test kit is right, you should have no detectable ammonia from your tap. Yes, keep using prime - it helps remove chlorine from your tap water.
Right now there is no reason to suspect anything is wrong. Cycling a tank with fish in it can take a lot longer, because you need to keep ammonia levels a lot lower.
Do you have any "mom & pop" aquarium shops anywhere near you? If so, go there and explain that you are just setting up a new tank and working on cycling it and would be super appreciative if they could give you a little bit of their filter gunk from one of their tanks. If you can get some from them, then dump a little bit of it into the tank itself and put the rest of the gunk in your filter (on the media in your filter). You'll be seeing nitrites, and nitrates, in no time.
Do you have any "mom & pop" aquarium shops anywhere near you? If so, go there and explain that you are just setting up a new tank and working on cycling it and would be super appreciative if they could give you a little bit of their filter gunk from one of their tanks. If you can get some from them, then dump a little bit of it into the tank itself and put the rest of the gunk in your filter (on the media in your filter). You'll be seeing nitrites, and nitrates, in no time.
I would agree with getting some filter "gunk." My local pet shop was able to give me some. I put it in a filter "stocking" and sat it in the tank. I also purchased another filter because my tank was severly overstocked (7 big fish) and I seemed to be watching a pot boil. I did 25% daily water changes and finally I saw nitrites. (29 gal tank). I actually stopped using the chemicals to put in the water (from the pet store) and just did the water changes. I didn't have a liquid tester (I checked the water on the weekends at the pet store) so I was winging it. Once I got a .0 Ammonia reading I had nitrites but now...8 weeks later I am still in the nitrite stage (1.0). My problem is I keep adding fish so I pay the piper and have to keep changing my water and doing daily checks.
I am now cycling two tanks. Both are in the nitrites stage. One 29 gal (5 small cichlids, 8 weeks old) and a 55 gal (14 large african cichlids, 2 weeks old). I now have my own liquid tester kits for Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. I now only change water based on daily test readings.
Wish I had known about fishless cycling. Would have made my life easier. Good luck. You can do it. I would test the ammonia daily and change the water based on the reading. The experts here will walk you through. You won't get nitrites until the ammonia is .0
I am now cycling two tanks. Both are in the nitrites stage. One 29 gal (5 small cichlids, 8 weeks old) and a 55 gal (14 large african cichlids, 2 weeks old). I now have my own liquid tester kits for Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. I now only change water based on daily test readings.
Wish I had known about fishless cycling. Would have made my life easier. Good luck. You can do it. I would test the ammonia daily and change the water based on the reading. The experts here will walk you through. You won't get nitrites until the ammonia is .0
