Cycle Help!

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critter333294

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
70
I've got a question. I'm just starting my cycle on my 29g, and i'm gonna use the fishless cycle with shrimp. I got my LFS to give me some of their filter media, which I slipped into my filter, and put the shrimp in already. This was last night. This morning I woke up and my tank was cloudy(not to the point where I couldnt see, but it was pretty cloudy), and there were bubbles all over the surface of the water, which I guess was from the air pump, although that's never happened before. Anyway, is any of this normal, or is something wrong with my tank, or is it just a sign of my cycle being started?
 
It is normal. A good sign your cycle has started. The cloudinesss is bacteria in the water looking for a hard surface to set up shop on. The air bubbles is because with no fish using the O2 in the water, the water is super saturated with O2 and the excess is bubbling out. Since everything is new, the bubbles are sticking to the glass etc. once you get a little slime/bacteria growth on the glass the bubbles wont stick anymore.
 
That is called a "Bacterial Bloom". It is normal and should clear soon.

SirWired
 
When I cycled my 29 gal I used ammonia...and when I got a bacteria bloom it hit so hard the water smelled horrible and was super cloudy....Its fine. And dont freak out if it stinks a little...Has anyone else noticed that if you have a spike in the cycle...the water smells different?
 
Yup, I'm currently cycling a tank and did a pwc last night. It's still a little cloudy and my wife was commenting on how the water kind of stinks. I told her that would clear up in a couple of weeks at most.
 
The smell on mine went away in couple days once everything stabilized a bit. Oh man it was nasty though.
 
Ah, glad everythings normal then. And yeah, my tank kinda smells too...like nasty cooked shrimp. Which by the way, the shrimp looks cooked now, it'll still break down though right?
 
I did a test and ammonia is around .50 ppm. But I think some of it might have already been there...although my tap water has 1 ppm.
 
Sorry for the double post. Tank cleared up today although the smell is still there. The shrimp is breaking down nicely. Ammonia went up a little, any idea when nitrites will appear?
 
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