No ammonia, no nitrites or nitrates?

[Bobrummel]

Hi all! I've had my new 29 gallon tank set up for a week with fish in (I know. Don't start with the cruelty!). I used Quick Start (I know. Not the chemicals!) and added 3 Lemon Tetras.

I have been testing using my API Master Test Kit and I haven't seen any of my readings over 0. Is this the way of things? How long until something happens and I can either change the water or add more fish?

Speaking of, should I do a partial water change even though my readings are all still 0? I don't want to throw away what goodness came out of that Quick Start bottle but I don't want to deprive my fish of oxygen either!

Thanks!

Equipment:
29 gallon tank
Aquaclear 70
2 bubblers
Heater set at 76F
Fake plants and decor

 

[dcutl002]

Hi all! I've had my new 29 gallon tank set up for a week with fish in (I know. Don't start with the cruelty!). I used Quick Start (I know. Not the chemicals!) and added 3 Lemon Tetras.

I have been testing using my API Master Test Kit and I haven't seen any of my readings over 0. Is this the way of things? How long until something happens and I can either change the water or add more fish?

Speaking of, should I do a partial water change even though my readings are all still 0? I don't want to throw away what goodness came out of that Quick Start bottle but I don't want to deprive my fish of oxygen either!

Thanks!

Equipment:
29 gallon tank
Aquaclear 70
2 bubblers
Heater set at 76F
Fake plants and decor

I like the fact that you are cycling with only a few fish because of the small bioload. I would keep a close eye on the water parameters because sooner or later you will get an ammonia spike. If everything is presently "0" I would just remain calm concerning the PWCs, but I would re-test to ensure the readings are correct. I would cycle the tank for 6 weeks before adding more fish, but I am very conservative. A couple of recommendations that I would like to make is:
1. once the tank is cycled, I would add at least 3 more Lemon Tetras so that they can school together.
2. I would like to stress the "Planted Aquarium". Even Lo-Tech is fine. I feel like the fish are healthier and live longer with plants.
A "natural aquarium" is a balanced aquarium because the fish and plants complement each other. This occurs in two ways, first the natural plants consume the nitrogenous waste produced by the fish and convert these waste products to nutrients for their growth. Thus helping to reduce a build-up of nitrogen toxicity. (Google "Nitrogen Cycle"). Secondly, the plants take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for the fish.

 

[jrc0528]

Live or fishless cycled, it still takes around 3-4 week to get the bacteria up and colonized the first time around. Your light bio-load is great as the spikes should be much smaller and less stressful. I wouldn't do a WC just yet, wait for the spike to start. Once the spikes are over (or 4-5 weeks) go ahead and add another fish or two. You'll need to add fish at a slow rate, say 20% per week or two increase, so that the bacteria can adjust without causing a mini spike/cycle. A mature tank also can accept new fish better due to more bacteria, your new tank may be a bit sensitive cycle wise for a couple months. Just test your A, nI, & nA levels every 2-3 days when adding fish or every week for the first couple months.

 

[Linwood]

And save yourself some trouble, don't test nitrates until nitrites first show up, then vanish. Don't test nitrites until ammonia shows up and gets to more than a trace (don't wait for it to go to zero as you can get dangerous nitrites without dangerous ammonia).

Unless you are real remiss in testing you won't miss either one of those two, it will take days for each peak.

That's assuming you are using the liquid tests (separate tests), if you are dipping a stick ignore this note.

I'm cycling a 30 gallon quarantine tank now (fishless). I dosed 5ppm ammonia at the beginning (which you will take a long time to get), and it still took 2 weeks before the first signs of nitrites. Patience is the biggest thing you need to find, it seems endless the first times, but it isn't. Not rushing it through (more fish, more chemicals, tricks and such) is the best thing you can do.

 

[Bobrummel]

Thanks all for the advice! It seems this hobby is going to teach me patience, which I don't always have!

I do plan on adding 3 more Lemons once I get my tank cycled. I think that they and I will appreciate the community atmosphere

Yes, I am testing daily with my API master kit. Thanks for the hint on the testing. It saves on time and testing supplies!

I'll think about some easy plants. I don't have a lot of time for plants and I don't know what I can get with my LED lights, but I will try and research that.
Thanks again!

 

[ScotJudd]

I've just put 10 Lemon Tetras into my QT and they are shoaling well. I think shoaling fish need to be in groups.
My main tank has several varieties of Tetras, but min of 5 each. They sort of shoal, sort of mix, but they are all active.


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[KevinB]

I recently got some results like yours even after several months of fish in cycling on a 40 gal tank and realized that the new Nitrate test I was doing was not correct. I didn't realize you had to shake the heck out of the #2 nitrate test solution, and once I did, I realized I didn't have .1 ppm nitrite and 0 nitrate, but rather 40 ppm of nitrate. So did a WC.

So, I would recheck your nitrate.