Waiting game.

[Jweickum]

Just sitting here waiting for my 10 g tank to cycle. And I was just wondering what ammonia level should I keep it at? And my tank has a small algae smell even though my ammonia is low and now algae is visible.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Posivated]

Turn your light off if you have it on and keep the sunlight away as well. 4 ppm is what the guides recommend and it worked for me.

 

[Jweickum]

I realized today that we may have been killing of our bacteria cultures with our tap water. I have a dechlorinating(sp?) liquid but it doesn't state on how long to wait for the water to be safe. We have been just adding immediately. Until I read that my tank might be stalling cause of the chlorine killing my bacteria. Any theories on this?

 

[armymp327]

the dechlorinator works immediately so no worries on that and as said, turn the lights off and keep it out of any light during a fishless cycle, no need for it anyways since there is not much to look at that will keep the algae down

 

[Jweickum]

Good news everybody!

So I have been waiting forever to cycle my tank when I had a cycled betta tank sitting in front of my face. I didn't think my betta tank would cycle first but I was curious it I was doing my liquid tests right.

I did regular water and my betta tank water. So I finally get to start up my treasure chest tank. I will be updating my treasure chest tank within the next two weeks with some fish. Hooray!!!

 

[armymp327]

if i understand correctly, just putting in the water from the betta tank will not doing anything for the cycle, bacteria live in the substrate, filter media, glass, plants and other surfaces, they do not live in the water column

 

[Jweickum]

Oh I didn't mean that I put the water in my tank. I put a sponge in the betta tank that I will be putting in my 10g.

 

[armymp327]

ahh ok well, it typically takes 4 weeks for any meaningful amount of bacteria to grow on the sponge, does the betta tank have gravel? would be easier to take some and put it into the 10 gallon tank.

 

[Jweickum]

Ya I learned about that last night. I just transferred about a cup of substrate.