220g Cycle

[Bo-Gee]

Hi - I hope to find some advice regarding cycling a 220g tank. We transferred tons of seeded media from our 55g into the canister filters for the 220g, plus we added a heavily seeded sponge filter. In the tank, we introduced 13 gold barbs. We tested daily for about 7 days, 0 readings for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. So, we then added 12 Denison barbs two days ago (along with some "Colony" nitrifying bacteria), and still nothing with regard to water readings. I am confused as I would assume if all was well, we would have at least some nitrates present by now. So, I am left wondering if there is just not a big enough bio-load to keep things going in this size tank (i.e. a full cycle may occur?)? We are hoping to add some bottom dwellers, but would like to know that the water is good before doing so! Any advice or thoughts are appreciated

 

[Aquarium advice master]

Buy start up or a tank start up that will help get it started.

 

[Bo-Gee]

Buy start up or a tank start up that will help get it started.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by 'start up' or 'tank start up'...perhaps I am a bit daft!

 

[flitabout]

You have 2 issues the fish you put in there don't have huge bio loads on top of a really big tank. It sounds to me like it may just be that they haven't built up much ammonia to get it going.
I think he was talking about benifical bacteria in a bottle. After what I went through using it in my last tank that I cycled I don't suggest it. It gave me the weirdest readings ammo levels rising on their own. Nitrates through the roof and about a week into it I finally got a nitrite readings. Backwards and messed up! Now I seem to be having a mini cycle or maybe it's the actual cycle happening. Either way it isn't your best bet for a stable cycled tank. I would just wait and keep testing. Something should start happening soon. Keep us posted.

 

[Aquarium advice master]

Ya that's what I mean tetra calls it start up

 

[Fishperson]

Since you have 25 fish in there, I would assume you have enough to produce something. There are three possibilities that I can think of:

- not enough fish to produce enough of a bioload
- if there are any plants, they are sucking up any nitrite/ammonia/nitrate
- you are doing the test wrong/the test is being read wrong/the test is crap

What test kit are you using?

Welcome to Aquarium Advice!

 

[Bo-Gee]

I am using an API test kit (I am confident in my testing abilities as I did numerous tests on the 55g in the beginning, and many more on our 10g and 5.5g snail tank...our readings always match the master at our lfs). As for live plants, in the tank we have 10 Jungle Val (all very full and tall), and 2 moss balls.

Edit: Thought I might add that we are using two Rena XP3s and one sponge filter. There are three huge pieces of driftwood, several large rocks, and a bunch of slate (creating a high cave).

 

[Bo-Gee]

Tested again today...all 0. Thanks all thus far...keep any more ideas coming. Is it possible to have a cycle occur without a reading of nitrates? Or, do you think we are in for another full cycle here?

 

[Rivercats]

I have a 220g and you need a lot more fish to do an in fish cycle. What's happening is you put in so much seeded media and not many fish considering the amount of water so there is already enough BB provided from the seeded media to take care of the low bioload. Then the plants even tho there aren't many are just helping mop things up. Which equals 0 readings on everything.

 

[Bo-Gee]

I have a 220g and you need a lot more fish to do an in fish cycle. What's happening is you put in so much seeded media and not many fish considering the amount of water so there is already enough BB provided from the seeded media to take care of the low bioload. Then the plants even tho there aren't many are just helping mop things up. Which equals 0 readings on everything.

So, would you say that we could go ahead and add some bottom dwellers? Or, do we wait this out?

 

[Oohitsae]

+1 to rivercats! She definitely knows what she's talking about



If you do add anything, add it slowly.

Your filter media was seeded when you started out so you could have added a lot more at the beginning, but after 1-2 weeks of having such a low bioload (for that size tank and filtration) some of the BB on the seeded media has probably died off and will have to build back up when you add more fish

You could probably go ahead and add another whole group of bottom feeders right away, since you are keeping such a close eye on levels and aren't seeing anything yet I bet you'd be okay, but after that maybe only 4 at a time, depending on what you are getting. From the sounds of it you'll be doing a community tank with smaller schooling fish, correct?

 

[Bo-Gee]

I agree, it does sound like there is just not a big enough bio-load going on in here - I would just hate to get an ammonia spike after adding the bottom dwellers as I am guessing they will be more sensitive.

 

[Bo-Gee]

From the sounds of it you'll be doing a community tank with smaller schooling fish, correct?

Our plan is to introduce 7 weather loaches, and then the community will be complete. We have three weather loaches that have been on hold for us at our lfs for about a month (very kind of them!), and one more at another pet shop (hopefully he will still be there - they said he has been there for the last 6 months). We will likely have to wait a little longer for the other three, as we are getting them from a man who lives about a 2 hours drive away.

 

[Oohitsae]

Our plan is to introduce 7 weather loaches, and then the community will be complete. We have three weather loaches that have been on hold for us at our lfs for about a month (very kind of them!), and one more at another pet shop (hopefully he will still be there - they said he has been there for the last 6 months). We will likely have to wait a little longer for the other three, as we are getting them from a man who lives about a 2 hours drive away.

If you only add 4 right now I doubt you'll have an ammonia spike, your tank isn't stocked enough yet IMO. Now say you added like 12 of those all at once then you might, but loaches are known for pretty low bioloads as well.
If your stock is complete with only those 3 types of fish, then I bet you won't see your levels change hardly at all if you are doing weekly water changes.

 

[Bo-Gee]

If your stock is complete with only those 3 types of fish, then I bet you won't see your levels change hardly at all if you are doing weekly water changes.

That would be amazing - I hope you have a winning bet there!

 

[Oohitsae]

That would be amazing - I hope you have a winning bet there!

Well, in that large of a tank, with so few low bioload fish, I have a feeling not much will show up. You're going on 2 weeks with no change already lol. I think your plants are taking care of what little does show up, and they'll continue to do so for existing bioload and maybe even a bit more

 

[Rivercats]

In a 220g tank even adding the 6 loaches all at once isn't going to give you an ammonia spike. I added 14 adult angels and several other fish right after my 220g was cycled which was at day 10 without seeded media (I did a silent cycle with plants) and even with adding a ton of fish I didn't get a ammonia spike. I did have a ton of plants but still with the volume of water your taking about 6 loaches unless they were huge won't do anything.

 

[Bo-Gee]

In a 220g tank even adding the 6 loaches all at once isn't going to give you an ammonia spike. I added 14 adult angels and several other fish right after my 220g was cycled which was at day 10 without seeded media (I did a silent cycle with plants) and even with adding a ton of fish I didn't get a ammonia spike. I did have a ton of plants but still with the volume of water your taking about 6 loaches unless they were huge won't do anything.

The loaches we are picking up are about 5 inches long, so not babies, but also not full grown. We are going to pick the first four up tonight...I'll let you all know how it goes!

 

[Bo-Gee]

All four loaches have been happy as can be since introducing them! As predicted by all, no change in water readings over the last few days...

 

[Rivercats]

After having a 220g for a few years I can tell you unless you are dealing with large, heavy bodied fish, and I mean large, even had you added all 8 loaches at once you would not have seen a difference. That is the one really nice thing about large tanks, they usually always have very stable water readings. It takes something really major to change them.