HELP! Is new 20g tank Still Cycling?

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doefangs

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
May 26, 2023
Messages
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I am a complete newbie and have had my tank for 5 1/2 weeks now. For a good amount of it in the beginning, I had lots of ammonia and was told by my lfs that if I do a water change, it should get rid of it. So I listened to them and did a 75% water change. That drastically cut down my ammonia. They also told me I could do another 20% water change, which I did this past weekend. Now, I don't know if I was supposed to do all of that?
I'm aware of the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate cycle, but now I don't know if my tank is even cycled/was ever cycled due to seeing ammonia still (in a smaller amount compared to 8pm before). My lfs is telling me these would be good parameters for me to start putting fish in, but is that the case?? My lfs was even telling me it should be "a little bit more orange, but it's fine" for my nitrate and "0.25 is a level fish can handle" when I know I should be aiming for no ammonia. I'm just feeling so confused!

I attached a picture of my most recent test I did today.

Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y5V2L-rirHLz1MS2dClT4LgEWl1D4AOV/view?usp=sharing
 
I dont think you are cycled.

Even though you say you had ammonia it doesnt sound like you was dosing ammonia regularly through the 5 week you mention. If you was dosing ammonia, how did you do this? The ammonia you originally had was probably coming out of the substrate or some other source, and once it was gone through your water changes there was no more going into the tank to cycle it. In a cycled tank you should see nitrate.

Yes, its safe for you to get some fish and cycle the tank through a fish in cycle. Or you need to introduce ammonia artificially and do a fishless cycle. Just letting a tank run for a period of time with no ammonia in it wont do anything to cycle a tank.

Let is know if you want to do a fish in cycle or a fishless cycle and we can help with a safe process to do this.
 
I was thinking I'm not cycled either based on what you're saying and what I've been reading. During the 5 weeks, I was using bottle bacteria and actual ammonia to dose my tank to start up the ammonia. I was also thinking I should be seeing nitrate.

How can I do the fish in cycle and fishless cycle? I'm sort of turning towards fishless only cause I'm scared of harming the fish if I mess it up.
 
How much ammonia have you been dosing and how often?

If you have been dosing ammonia then its more likely that there is something wrong with your nitrate testing.

The nitrate test is the most difficult test to get right. You really have to shake the heck out of bottle #2. The reagents get stuck to the inside of the bottle, if you dont shake the bottle enough you wont get a positive result. You might want to bang the bottle on the countertop, squeeze and twist the bottle to make sure you get the reagents onto the liquid. If you still see no nitrate in the test get a 2nd opinion.

Dose 2ppm of ammonia. Test daily. If it drops below 1ppm then redose back to 2ppm. When you can dose 2ppm and 24 hours later your ammonia and nitrite are both zero your fishless cycle is complete.
 
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I haven't done any ammonia dosing in a week after my lfs advised me not to. Before, in the first week of the 5 weeks, I was using Dr. Tim's ammonia chloride and using roughly 2.5mL for a week. What I'm hearing is that I should start dosing 2ppm again? (probably right now if my next nitrate test doesn't show up any results?)

I tried my best with banging the nitrate bottle #2 on my palm and chair, but I will try a 2nd time. The last time I tested at my lfs (which was on Thursday), even they got no nitrates.

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding, by "if it drops below 1ppm then redose by 2ppm", do you mean one day dose it with 2ppm and then 24 hours later, test, then see if the ammonia level is below 1ppm and then add 2ppm?
 
A. Dose ammonia to 2ppm.

B. Test 24 hours later.

C. If your ammonia is above 1ppm then go back to B.

D. If your ammonia drops below 1ppm but is above zero then redose enough ammonia to bring it back to 2ppm. Go to B.

E. If your ammonia is zero but you have nitrite, redose ammonia to 2ppm. Go to B.

6. If you have no ammonia or nitrate 24 hours after dosing 2ppm ammonia you are cycled.
 
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And I should be testing for my ammonia, nitrite, pH, and nitrate, if I'm correct. What should my nitrates be looking like once my ammonia and nitrite are 0?

Also, if I'm currently at 0.25ppm, basically right now dose to 2ppm? Just to make sure, how do I do that conversion to mL or drops?
 
It's 4 drops per gallon I just saw. So for 20 gallon, 80 drops? It says 5 mL for 100 drops, so what would be the right conversion you'd say? Sorry for the dumb question, just don't wanna mess up.
 
4 drops per gallon/ 1 drop per litre of Dr Tims ammonium chloride raises the ammonia by 2ppm. The last time i used the product the dosage was correct.

20 drops per ml. So 80 drops or 4ml for 20 gallons/ 80 litres.

Check it through testing. It doesnt need to be bang on, somewhere in the region of 2ppm. As long as its between 1 and 3ppm it will be fine, dont go above 4ppm.

Dont test for nitrate until you are cycled. It will just confuse things.
 
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Ohh, gotcha.
And would I use a different dose if it is above 2? Could you please explain what you mean by " If your ammonia is above 1ppm then go back to 2" or redosing it when it's low?
 
If your ammonia is above 1ppm then dont add any more, there is enough.

If 4 drops per gallon raises ammonia by 2ppm, then 2 drops per gallon raises it by 1ppm. 1 drop per gallon raises ammonia by 0.5ppm.

So if you start out with 1ppm ammonia and want to raise it to 2ppm by adding an additional 1ppm then you add 2 drops per gallon.

If you start out with 0.5ppm ammonia and want to raise it to 2ppm by adding an additional 1.5ppm then you add 3 on drops per gallon.
 
I'm now seeing my ammonia is 4ppm after waiting 24 hours. What should be my next step? I'm assuming I don't need to add any more ammonia.
 
No. Leave it be.

Next time you redose ammonia only dose half the amount you added, then check it an hour later, then add more if you need to.
 
When should I redose the ammonia? After another 24 hours? When I redose with half the amount, what level of ammonia should I check/expect an hour later? Should I be checking to see if my ammonia and nitrites are getting to 0?
 
Test daily. If ammonia is below 1ppm then redose it back to 2ppm.

Read through post #6. I think the numbered points are confusing you with water parameters. Im going to relabel them see if it makes it clearer.

You are currently at B.
 
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Do I redose with half the amount, like you said in post #13 to get it back 2ppm? If my ammonia also is 4ppm right now, should I wait another 24 hours to redose to 2ppm or I can add half dose today? Sorry for asking so many questions, the last thing I want is to go above 5ppm of ammonia.
 
You only have to redose ammonia if the ammonia you have already dosed is being cycled out. If you added ammonia yesterday, and its still there today dont do anything.

You have ammonia at 4ppm today. Dont do anything. Retest tomorrow. If the ammonia has dropped to below 1ppm then redose it back to 2ppm. If ammonia hasnt dropped to below 1ppm then do nothing and wait another 24 hours. Retest then. If the ammonia has dropped to below 1ppm then redose it back to 2ppm. If ammonia hasnt dropped to below 1ppm then do nothing and wait another 24 hours. Etc etc etc etc etc etc.

When you can dose 2ppm ammonia and 24 hours later you see no ammonia or nitrite you are cycled.

Im really not sure that a fishless cycle is the right thing for you to do. Personally, do a 100% water change, get 2 or 3 small hardy fish and do a fish in cycle.
 
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