Cycling My New Fish Tank

[vanimal]

If I add a dead fish would that make ammonia?

 

[Steelhawke]

Yes, but how are you going to adjust the lv up if it's not enough? The reading you have been posting is your nitrAtes, have you checked those? That is the reading that will tell you if it's completed it's cycle.

 

[Steelhawke]

Oops, meant to say on the last post is have NOT been tell us your NitrAtes reading, what is that one.

 

[vanimal]

Idk I lost my liquid test for that ill look when I get home and update if I find it.

 

[vanimal]

Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-20 is that bad??

 

[rotorhead22]

ACE ammonia is 10% ammonium hydroxide. Find the concentration on the bottle then use this calculator to determine how much ammonia to add to your tank to reach your 4 ppm target. Use a syringe from Walgreens or CVS (pharmacy) as mentioned above to measure out the required amount.

http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm

Hope this helps

 

[vanimal]

Thanks guys!

 

[rotorhead22]

20 ppm in a fishless cycle is not bad. Even if you had fish in a fully cycled tank, Nitrates can be 40 ppm with no harm although it is recommended not to let them go above 20 ppm. Plants will help get rid of some Nitrates. You will control Nitrates by doing weekly PWC.

 

[vanimal]

Yeah I have live plants to add when I add fish.

 

[hcourts]

You should be good to go ahead and put your plants in.

 

[vanimal]

Well I currently have a 45 with fish and I have them in there.

 

[Steelhawke]

Ok, good luck

 

[vanimal]

Well once I add fish into my tank I will be adding my filter to the 150 from my 45.(the filter is fully cycled with a biowheel full of bacteria) I heard this can instantly cycle your tank but you have to add fish very slowly because the bacteria will be establishing on other things in the tank besides the filter. Is this true or do you still have to do a full cycle?

 

[Steelhawke]

No, it aids in the cycling, you will not have to go thru a complete cycle, but, still add the fish slowly and watch all your readings, including your ph, make sure you don't have any spikes. Take your time, you don't want to rush things and loss all your little friends. Add as many as 5 at a time then wait a day before adding the next batch.

 

[vanimal]

Lol right now I only have 5 fish to add Would you say I could add more fish to my 45 gallon this is my current stock
Rainbow Shark
Bristlenose Pleco
Eclipse Catfish
5 Guppies
I was thinking about adding fish because the middle and top of the tank are kind of empty. I wad thinking 5 Silver Dollars or 3 Bala Sharks. Most of my current fish are bottom dwellers and I have a 45 tall so much of it is empty.

 

[Steelhawke]

Ok, first thing you need to figure out is the size of your tank, not the gallons, but the square inches of water surface. The easiest way to figure how many fish is one inch per square inch of water surface. That is cut in stone, but it makes it easier to help out. Some fish have a bigger bio load then other but as a general rule it workout rather well. You are talking about adding Bala Sharks, those end up being around 14 inches each, if you add 5 of those, that's 70 square inches of water. So you can figure it out from there.

 

[vanimal]

I added fish last night! They all seem happy and healthy so far. Want any pictures?

 

[Steelhawke]

Pictures are always great....let's see 'em.

 

[vanimal]

Water params are still good and fish healthy and eating again

 

[Steelhawke]

What fish do you have in there, they must be a little small right now, but the tank is looking good bud