Cycling

[anna55]

Help, I just started the cycle on my 5 gallon tank three days ago and I’m showing ammonia 1.0 nitrite 1.0 and nitrate5.0. I thought it’s supposed to take longer to get here. I did happen to put some used media in the filter but it was slowing down the water flow so I removed it. Everything was at 0 yesterday morning. It’s a planted tank with driftwood and a small piece of slate . My substrate eco complete.

 

[goatnad]

What are you testing with? A good liquid test or with test strips? Since you put the cycled media in there you semi seeded the new media. This is why you see the cycle moving faster. I would put it back in even if it is slowing down flow a bit.

 

[King Fisher]

Just throw the used media in the tank. You don't necessarily need to have it in your filter

 

[anna55]

Help

API freshwater Master test kit. I think I threw it away. Would it be ok to swirl the filter from my betta tank ? I’m really confused on where to go from here. Do I still dose ammonia and how often? I need help finishing this cycle. Plus I found two small rams horn snails that must have hitched a ride on a plant.

 

[anna55]

Cycling help

I checked my tank today and now ammonia .25 nitrite 2.0 nitrate 10 I’m lost, do I need to add ammonia? This is only day 5 of cycle.

 

[King Fisher]

You could use more Ammonia. 2ppm is a good goal. 2-4ppm is usually the range.