Thoughts on cycle

[Sum22]

I set up a 10g QT tank on 5-12 in preparation for an upcoming fish purchase.

On Thursday, 5-13 I dosed the tank with ammonia, bringing the ppm up to 1.

Last Saturday, 5-15 I added the ceramic pellets from my establihsed 29g tank.

On Wednesday 5-19, I tested for ammonia and it appeared to be between 0 and .25 ppm. I dosed the tank back to 1ppm. Nitrites were at 0ppm. nitrates were >0<5 ppm. I also added a sponge to the filter that had been placed in my established tank on 5-13.

Today, I tested an the ammonia is at 0ppm. Nitrites at 0ppm. And Nitrates at 5ppm.


I'm thinking the cycle has been accelerated due to the adding of the bio media and an additional sponge. However, I'm skeptical since I have not seen any nitrite readings.

I re-dosed the tank back to 1ppm and I will continue to monitor the tank over the next couple of days.

Has anyone else cycled a tank using media from an established tank and not seen a nitrite spike?

 

[harmy4993]

yes with established media it is possible to get an almost instant cycle. and with a 10 gallon tank it doesnt take much media to achieve that.

 

[Sum22]

yes with established media it is possible to get an almost instant cycle. and with a 10 gallon tank it doesnt take much media to achieve that.

That is pretty much what I was thinking, however I was suprised I didn't get even a slight nitrite reading.

On the upside, it looks like I get fish late this weekend!

 

[logansmomma1228]

Is it possible to cycle a larger tank with media from a smaller tank and have it still be almost instant? Sorry to jack this but reading that sparked an idea in my MTS brain.... lol.

Sum, were you checking your water every day or every other day? It's possible that the nitrites spike at 1 or so and just went down. What kind of fish are you planning?

 

[taylorodw]

If your ammonia is going down without a PWC, then bacteria are processing it. Yes, a "silent cycle" of nitrite is possible (or if you cycle with fish, even ammonia, especially if you are heavily planted with stem plants). However I would continue to test. You may never see nitrites, but if your tank is processing the ammonia within 24 hrs and turning it into nitrate, with no nitrite reading, you have all the bacteria present.

However, depending on the size of tank and proposed stock level, 1 ppm may not be enough food to culture enough bacteria for your stock level. Most people I hear say 4 ppm is what they dose, I have never cycled with ammonia though so I couldn't say for sure.

 

[Sum22]

No plants. However, I plan to keep testing. Right now it is taking about 30 hours for ammonia to drop from 1 to none.

I think the dose depends on tank size. I've cycled the 10g before at 1-2ppm and then added 6-7 fish with no ammonia or nitrite spikes.

When I set up my 29g I dosed closer to 3-4ppm and added about 12 fish, also with no spike.

If you took seed material from a smaller tank and put it into a larger tank, then the cycle wouldn't happen instantly at 4 ppm ammonia reading. The bacteria would have to reproduce enough to consume that amount of waste.

Anyways, fish additions will be 3 black neon tetras and 2 harlequin rasboras. They will eventually join my 4 glass cats, 2 black neons and three harlequins that currently reside in my 29g tank.

Once those guys are set, I might think about adding 2 otos, but I have another month to think about those guys.

 

[harmy4993]

if your ammonia disappears and you dont see nitrites its already been converted.

in basic form this is what happens

a bactira critter eats up the ammonia and puts out nitrites. another critter or bactira eats up the nitrites and puts out nitrates. so if you add ammonia and it disappears. then the other critter like bactria thingie has already eatten up your nitrite.


as foor the question of smaller tank feeding a larger tank the answer is no. but it will severly cut down your cycle time. basically the bactira doubles every day till it reaches it max that your tank can substain. so if you added your media form a 10 gallon into a 100 gallon. your 100 gallon would only be able substain 10gallons worth of life. until the bactira can double enough times to support a 100 gallon tank.