New tank

[Renogaw]

We got a 10 gallon Aqueon setup for Christmas and I am in the middle of setting it up for planted freshwater. I purchased CaribSea eco complete for the substrate reading that it should help with the cycle, have a couple plants from my old betta bowl and some other plants from the lfs. I am using the HOB that came with the tank but instead of cartridges I have modded it a tiny. I have a piece of Mopani wood in there as well.
My initial water tests from my well water were 103kh, 163 gh, 7.6 ish ph. After the initial fill I put a raw shrimp in over night and got to about 50ppm ammonia. Over the past week my ammonia doesn't seem to be moving and I started getting a film on the water. I put in an air stone and the surface scum is gone but a slime has grown on the wood. My last night's test results are attached. Also, a picture of the opaque slime as well should get attached.

My thoughts on the test results is that the cycle really hasn't started since I test zero trites and my ammonia doesn't seem to go down, or the cycle is going since the plants are rapidly growing new leaves. The zero trites and the no movement in ammonia makes me think the cycle is not going though, unless the leaf decomposition (older leaves are turning brown as new leaves are growing) is keeping the ammonia up.

Thank you for reading!

 

[Renogaw]

Plants

The plants from the LFS were just all mixed together so I'm not sure what they are

 

[Alan26]

For a fishless cycle (like it sounds like you're doing)....stop testing and just keep "feeding" the tank on a daily basis...do some small water changes here and there (skimming off top to help control that biofilm). At 4 weeks, do a large water change 40% -ish. Test it, then feed it, and test again the next day. I you read 0,0, and some nitrates...you're done. If you read ammonia or nitrates, then continue "feeding for another week. Just keep going until it's done. 6-8 weeks should be expected.


For fish in cycling, no need to test for first month either, just do 30-40% water changes daily for the first two weeks, then every other day for the next two weeks...then test it...if fish are acting funny before time for water change (swimming frantically or whatever) then increase the frequency of your water changes. Same time frame but generally not as well "beefed up" in the bacteria department as with fishless, so keeping a close eye on it for a few extra weeks is a good idea.


Both of these work without the neurotic testing (I stopped testing a long time ago). If I have to do a cycle without old media from an established tank, then I do one of these or start fishless and change to fish in and call it good at 2 months and never have had an issue. And I don't vacuum the substrate until at least the 3 month mark and I haven't had to do any mid week water changes due to the fish looking stressed or anything.


Also, wait to add any decorations that you will want to keep clean or will be rinsing off until you are done/close to done with cycling...this will keep from getting a population of your good bacteria growing on it, which could cause problems early on when you rinse it off if it's holding too much of that bacteria your cycled tank is depending on.


The biggest thing is to watch the fish...pretty easy to tell with most if there's something off.

 

[Barliman]

The slime on the mopani is normal, some sort of bacteria or fungus, can't recall which. It should gradually vanish over time.

 

[Renogaw]

Thank you both