I think my fishless cycle has stalled, help!!

[librarygirl]

You should be close. Keep dosing for a few more days; if nitrites stay at 0 I'd say you're cycled. To answer your previous question, your tank should be 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite after dosing ammonia for 24 hours. If you're using the API kit, the 0 and .25 colors are very close and can be read wrong depending on the light in the room. Test some spring or distilled water against the ammonia test; if they match your tank is really 0 ammonia and not .25. But even if it goes to .25 after dosing to 4 after 24 hours I'd say that's close enough. You'll have some nitrate, probably fairly high given the amount of ammonia you're feeding it. Ammonia is converted to nitrite which is then converted to nitrate. The night before you get fish, do a full water change to get nitrates as low as you can get them, don't dose ammonia and turn the heater down if you have it high for the cycle.

 

[librarygirl]

Just a quick question:

What should the numbers be after my tank is completely cycled? After it does finally finish cycling, what should I do to prep it for fish? I have 4 fish that I want to move up stairs. I have a pictus catfish, a blue dwarf gourami, and 2 blood parrots. I plan on getting a common Pleco, a rainbow shark, and a couple more catfish and gouramis.


Could someone give the proper numbers (such temp and ph) for a rainbow shark. Also some advice on how to properly care for one.

You might want to rethink your stock a bit. Common Plecos can grow to 12+ inches depending on type and they grow fairly quickly (about 1/2" monthly) and will need a very large tank in the long run, probably at least 2x the size you have now. Different types of gouramis shouldn't be mixed as they'll kill each other. YOu can get a group of the same number of dwarfs though but they would need to be in a good sized group. I've heard varying things on Pictus cats, that they can be a bit aggressive and territorial with each other.

The Shark may be ok if it's small but as it grows it will need a larger tank; minimum 80 gals is usually recommended for sharks. I'd also be worried that the pictus cats and the sharks would be inhabiting the same areas of the tank so aggression issues may become more prevalent. You'd be maxed out, if not overstocked with all of those fish too.

 

[TeamTIV02]

Thanks for all your help everyone. I just have a few more questions:

When I am ready to move my fish, can you explain the process step by step so I don't run the risk of harming, stressing, or killing my fish. I have 1 bag that I kept when I bought my fish. I was gonna get another so I can move my fish all at once since I was gonna take some of the water out of the old tank (which is 30 gallons).


Also, should I any cleaning after the tank is cycled and I'm doing the water change. The tank walls and decor are covered in white powder from the coral being in there.


How long should I wait after changing the water should I move the fish?


And my final question is how soon after changing the water and adding fish should I change the filter cartridges. Or should I replace it before I put the fish in?

 

[librarygirl]

My replies below in blue....

Thanks for all your help everyone. I just have a few more questions:

When I am ready to move my fish, can you explain the process step by step so I don't run the risk of harming, stressing, or killing my fish. I have 1 bag that I kept when I bought my fish. I was gonna get another so I can move my fish all at once since I was gonna take some of the water out of the old tank (which is 30 gallons). If the paramters are the same between both tanks (Ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, temperature) I'd just net them into the new tank. You could also put them in a bucket with some of their current tank water and then add a 1/2 cup of the water from the new tank into their bucket every 20 minutes or so until the water volume in the bucket doubles. Moving them twice might be more stressful instead of just putting them into the new tank though unless something is really off in numbers between the two tanks.

Also, should I any cleaning after the tank is cycled and I'm doing the water change. The tank walls and decor are covered in white powder from the coral being in there. You can wipe the powder off with a glass cleaner sponge (sold at most fish stores) and then suck it up with a siphon during water changes. Other than that, just keep up with a good water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) and regular substrate vacuums.


How long should I wait after changing the water should I move the fish? You mean after changing the water in the new tank? You can do it right away if levels in both tanks are the same as I noted above.


And my final question is how soon after changing the water and adding fish should I change the filter cartridges. Or should I replace it before I put the fish in? No, don't replace them now! You'll lose your bacteria. I wouldn't touch the filters for another month or two unless something happens to them. After that you can swish the media in old tank water once a month during water changes to remove debris, etc. Don't replace the filter cartridges unless they are falling apart and even then you'd want to replace one portion at a time if possible.

 

[TeamTIV02]

Sorry for all the postings.......

Hey guys, for the next couple days I'm gonna try to test my tank 2 times a day and the post the results.

This morning I dosed my tank with about 2-4ppm worth of ammonia. Now at 10:00pm the levels are down to .25ppm. My nitrite levels are at 2ppm and my nitrates levels are 5ppm.


Through my knowledge of reading your posts I say it's almost cycled I'll post the results again in the morning. So y'all can see if my ammonia and nitrites disappear over night.


Oh btw, I just tested my old tank:


pH: 7.0
Ammonia:0
Nitrites:0
Nitrates:0
Temperature: 70°F

 

[librarygirl]

You're only dosing ammonia once per day, right? NItrites showed up again.....What's the PH of this tank? If the PH drops too low it can set the cycle back some. I'm trying to figure out why nitrites keep dropping and then coming back.

Is this a second tank or are you moving all of your fish from your other tank to this one?

 

[TeamTIV02]

When I tesed it the pH was 7.8. The other tank is the one I'm moving the fish from. The one we have been talking about since the beginning is the one they are being moved to. I have no idea why the nitrites keep coming back. All I know is when I add the ammonia it's either gone or nearly gone the next day.

 

[librarygirl]

OK sorry, I should have asked that question earlier. Since the other tank seems cycled and stable, you can move the filter over from the current tank with fish to the cycling tank (or move the filter media from the smaller tank's filter to the cycling tank's filter if you can fit it) then just move the fish over to the new tank. Since the other tank is cycled, moving all the media over will instantly cycle it for the fish you have now.

 

[TeamTIV02]

Current levels in new tank as of 12/5/12 8:30pm:

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 1.0ppm
Nitrites: 2.0ppm
Nitrates:10ppm


So what ur telling me if I read that right, I can just simply move the filter media from the old tank into the filter, it will instantly cycle my tank? Will doing so replace the numbers in the new tank with the ones in the old tank (ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates)? If so I'll be able to move them tonight then? And I should still do a water change right?

 

[librarygirl]

Yep, do a full water change to get the ammonia, etc down in the new tank. let it run for a few hours then check levels again. If there any ammonia or nitrites present, do another water change. Once you get ammonia and nitrites down move the filter from the old tank to the new one and move the fish over. Make sure you turn the heater down on the new tank if you've had it high for the cycle too. Try to match the temp on the old tank with the new one so as not to shock the fish.

On your old tank you have the temp at 70? Why so low? Most tropicals do better in higher 70s or do you have fish that prefer cooler temps?

 

[TeamTIV02]

They don't seem to mind it. I had to buy a new heater for the old tank cuz the other one broke and I haven't figured out how to adjust the temp. But I'm not gonna worry cuz I'm moving them tonight!!!!!

Thanks for all your help everyone. Once I get them moved I'll post a picture. You guys are the best. I'll let you know if I have any problems.

 

[TeamTIV02]

Hey everyone!!! Just to give you an update my pictus catfish, gourmai, and my 2 blood parrots are loving there new home. I tired to upload a picture but I can't do it from my phone. They are very happy now they have twice the room they did before. The parrots love their cave. They go and hide when ever I come near the tank. They are so funny.

I have a quick question. I'm trying to decide what else to put in my tank. I was thinking mollies, wags and or platies. I need some good mid or top level fish. The ones I have in there like to hang out at the bottom. Was gonna get a rainbow shark but my tank's only cave is occupied by the catfish and blood parrots.

How many fish is it safe to add at once?





Any ideas?


And thanks again for all the help to get my tank together.

 

[librarygirl]

Can you list all the fish you have, again? What size tank? Sorry I forgot lol

 

[TeamTIV02]

Haha that's ok librarygirl!!! I have a 60 gallon with 2 blood parrots, a pictus catfish, and a blue gourmai. The blood parrots are have about a 2-3" diameter (as in they are kind big ), the pictus catfish is 5" long and the blue gourmai is about 3" long

 

[TeamTIV02]

Hey library girl. Not to sound pushy or anything but I'm still stuck on what other fish I can by that are good top and middle level fish for my 60 gallon with 2 blood parrots that are about the size of a small hand, 3" long blue male gourmai, 4.5" long pictus catfish

Thanks

 

[librarygirl]

Hey library girl. Not to sound pushy or anything but I'm still stuck on what other fish I can by that are good top and middle level fish for my 60 gallon with 2 blood parrots that are about the size of a small hand, 3" long blue male gourmai, 4.5" long pictus catfish

Thanks

I think you can do 8-10 of a schooling fish. There are many schooling fish that can go into a 60 gal. Rummynose tetra, harlequin rasbora, lemon tetra are just a few. It'll depend if the gourami is aggressive, though as it'll inhabit the same regions of the tank as the schooling fish but most gouramis only attack other gouramis.

 

[TeamTIV02]

Ok thanks. The gourmai isn't really all that aggressive. The parrots are a little but hence the name semi-aggressive I think I'll get some mollies. Thanks again for all your help!!

 

[librarygirl]

Ok thanks. The gourmai isn't really all that aggressive. The parrots are a little but hence the name semi-aggressive I think I'll get some mollies. Thanks again for all your help!!

Be careful with mollies. First they are large messy fish and have a higher bioload than smaller schooling fish so you can't add 6 mollys lol I'd to 2-3. Also mollys and gouramis tend to be hit and miss, sometimes they get along, many times they don't. Just keep an eye out for aggression and have a back-up plan.