Cycling and water changes

[JPA]

I am about 2 weeks into cycling a 40g tank with fish (3 Rasboras are left out of 6). I am past the ammonia stage - the tests now read 0 ppm for ammonia.

The Nitrite tests, however, consistently read 1ppm of nitrite. I know this increase is normal, but I was wondering if I could help relieve some of the effects on the fish by doing 10-20% water changes on a regular basis.

My only problems/issues are two fold:

1. I have already done two water changes, and the Nitrite levels still remain at 1ppm. So are they even effective? and

2. Will doing water changes slow down or hurt the cycle (keep in mind I am using a python, so I only get to put the tapwater conditioner into the tank after it's filled)

One more note: the three rasboras use to spend most of the day going back and forth across the tank in a school. They still do this, but have also been spending a good amount of time on the left side of the tank right under the filter, swimming up the left tank wall and than back down. Does anyone know if this is normal behavior or should I be worried?

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[dkpate]

My HR's swim all over the place.
When I had to cycle my tank with fish, I did 50-75% water changes every single day, and my tank was cycled in 4 weeks.

 

[JPA]

My HR's swim all over the place.
When I had to cycle my tank with fish, I did 50-75% water changes every single day, and my tank was cycled in 4 weeks.

Did you add the primer before or after putting the tap water into your tank?

 

[dkpate]

In my 75G, I put the dose in before when I use the Python thing.

 

[IslandHopper]

Large water changes have a negligible impact on cycling.
I did 50%+ water changes daily during the "high-nitrite" phase (lasted for 3 weeks) and even so I never got the ppm below 1.0 ... the fish all survived just fine.

As for the "behavior"... mine would act similarly occasionally... i took it as an indication that they needed a water change... and that always seemed to return them to normal behavior. (I'm guessing they stayed in the current when nitrites got so high they were having trouble getting O2 into their system!)

 

[DragonFish71]

Large water changes have a negligible impact on cycling.
I did 50%+ water changes daily during the "high-nitrite" phase (lasted for 3 weeks) and even so I never got the ppm below 1.0 ... the fish all survived just fine.

As for the "behavior"... mine would act similarly occasionally... i took it as an indication that they needed a water change... and that always seemed to return them to normal behavior. (I'm guessing they stayed in the current when nitrites got so high they were having trouble getting O2 into their system!)

+1

Since very few of the bacteria we want to build up live in the water table water changes are our friends. The bacteria live on things (decor, gravel etc)

 

[JPA]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've just started doing daily water changes, even though it doesn't seem to cut the ppm of the nitrite. Thank god for the python.

 

[thincat]

Please don't cycle another tank with live fish. Not cool. As stated above the bacteria live on the surface of things so a water change would help save the rest of your fish.

 

[IslandHopper]

Please don't cycle another tank with live fish...

What's the weather like up their on your soap-box?

 

[dkpate]

Geez....I see the New Year has brought out the police police. (Yes, I meant to say that twice)

 

[mgamer20o0]

What's the weather like up their on your soap-box?

its not a soap box.... sad even a salty person knows it.

2. Will doing water changes slow down

yes but it keeps your fish safe from ammonia/nitrite poisoning. the reason why fishless cycle is a lot better is its faster less stressful and you dont kill any fish doing it. with out fish in there you can let the ammonia and nitrite raise up to lethal levels. no fish in there so you dont have to do water change after water change. plenty of food for the bacteria so no slow down in bacteria growth.

they dont tell you these things in lfs. when you go online and find out about it you really only have 2 options. take the fish back or keep up with the fishless cycling. just know next time what to do.

keep doing large water changes. when treating the water when using a python treat the whole tank. so 40 gallon tank treat 40 gallons of water.

also what kind of test kit are you use? have you tested your tap water for nitrites?

 

[thincat]

...........

 

[JPA]

also what kind of test kit are you use? have you tested your tap water for nitrites?

I bought the API freshwater master test kit. I just now tested my tap water for nitrites and there are none in it (interesting idea though, the thought had never crossed my mind).

Quick question on seeding: a friend of mine brought over some of the gravel from his tank suggesting it might speed up the process. His gravel is blue so I didn't want to put it over my gravel, and I didn't have any net/nylon to hang it with, so i just put the gravel on the bottom of my filter (after it passes the filter sponge, but before it goes out and through the bio-wheel).

Is there any reason not to do this? fyi I have a penguin 200.

Thanks for all your advice!

 

[IslandHopper]

...so i just put the gravel on the bottom of my filter (after it passes the filter sponge, but before it goes out and through the bio-wheel).

Is there any reason not to do this? fyi I have a penguin 200.

Thanks for all your advice!

That will accomplish exactly the same thing as putting it on the floor of the tank ... you're good!
(might even be better, as the high current in that area MAY tend to spread the bacteria into the water and around the tank more... onto more surfaces.)

 

[JPA]

Maybe somebody could help me interpret some odd test results I received today.

I'm in about week 3/4 of my cycle. I have not had any ammonia readings whatsoever for over a week, but have had nitrite levels consistently between .5 and 1ppm. I've been doing semi- nightly water changes.

I just ran the gambit of tests tonight, and came up with these results:
Ammonia: .25ppm (slightly lower than .25 actually, but still present)
Nitrite: .5ppm (the usual, especially since it followed a water change)
Nitrate: slightly under .5ppm

This is the first time I have gotten any nitrate readings at all, so I was excited that the cycle was completing itself, but then I got that ammonia reading as well.

Does anyone have any idea what these could mean? I haven't added any fish and none have died (***but please note, earlier this evening I had added a handful of gravel from a friend's tank into my filter)

Thanks!

 

[thincat]

If this is your first nitrate reading then I think you are headed in the right direction. That sand that you seeded with should greatly speed things up and your ammonia should be gone shortly. Just give it an other couple of days.
PS: how long was your friends sand out of the water?

 

[marchmaxima]

This is the first time I have gotten any nitrate readings at all, so I was excited that the cycle was completing itself, but then I got that ammonia reading as well.

Does anyone have any idea what these could mean?

I think it means things are progressing nicely and I wouldn't stress about it... Just keep doing big pwcs to keep any ammonia & nitrite under 0.5ppm to avoid harm to the fish. Also, the nitrite seems to lasts longer than the ammonia. Just be aware of that. You may think you have a stalled cycle, but it is usually not the case.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Maybe I'm being stupid here, but why don't stores offer a cycling service. i.e. You buy a new tank and they tank your new filter and cycle it for you, then you go home with a filter with loads of bacteria ready to go?

 

[dkpate]

Because they want you to buy more stuff from them, and a lot of them don't even know about the cycle.

 

[JPA]

PS: how long was your friends sand out of the water?

The gravel was out of the tank for around 6 hours, but it was kept in a container with water from the tank so that it was submerged the whole time. Not ideal, but I am assuming that at least some of the bacteria survived.