Am i monitoring every hour for nothing?

[ktomminello]

I've got a 20g long heavily planted tank that I cycled using feeder guppy/endler hybrids (5 small males) waited 2 weeks after all parameters were stable and added 10 Neons about a week and a half ago and I still haven't had an ammonia spike.

All I'm running is an oversized sponge filter as I plan on making this a smaller apisto or checkerboard dwarf feature... But first I need to temporarily home a small group of cockatoo apisto juveniles from my breeder tank to condition them for trade in.

I don't want to kill my juvies in a tank cycle!! Readings have stayed as such since I first stabilized- ammonia=0, trIte=0, trAte=20ppm. All the fish are fine- the neons are dropping eggs in the hairgrass and rotala. All plants have new growth.

Am I freaking out and sitting on my hands for no reason? Should I go ahead and start drip acclimation on my cockatoos instead of trolling aquarium advice forums feeling unproductive? Please help. Thank you

 

[ktomminello]

Oh- the 4 juveniles are about an inch to an inch and a half and are just starting to show their gender, 1 male 2 females and an I don't know yet (sleeper male?). I will be removing the 5 male cycle guppies when I start drip acclimating the apisto

 

[Sambo7475]

I've got a 20g long heavily planted tank that I cycled using feeder guppy/endler hybrids (5 small males) waited 2 weeks after all parameters were stable and added 10 Neons about a week and a half ago and I still haven't had an ammonia spike.

All I'm running is an oversized sponge filter as I plan on making this a smaller apisto or checkerboard dwarf feature... But first I need to temporarily home a small group of cockatoo apisto juveniles from my breeder tank to condition them for trade in.

I don't want to kill my juvies in a tank cycle!! Readings have stayed as such since I first stabilized- ammonia=0, trIte=0, trAte=20ppm. All the fish are fine- the neons are dropping eggs in the hairgrass and rotala. All plants have new growth.

Am I freaking out and sitting on my hands for no reason? Should I go ahead and start drip acclimation on my cockatoos instead of trolling aquarium advice forums feeling unproductive? Please help. Thank you

If you haven't had an ammonia spike after 3 weeks, your beneficial bacteria colonies were able to handle the load of the neons. I would check every couple of days for another week, as neons don't have a super huge bioload. If still great params, I would consider it covered and proceed as normal.

 

[54seaweed]

I agree sounds like you had a fast cycle , I'm thinking the plants were your boost in your cycle.

 

[Fresh2o]

The plants are either boosting or masking the cycle. They can directly utilize the ammonia (maybe before the bacteria can convert it). But the fact you are seeing nitrate is a good sign.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[ktomminello]

Thank you for your replies!! I suspect my cycle was boosted by the use of 2 inches of mature substrate and driftwood and lava rocks from my 5 year old "mother" tank.

I will be patient and test, but not excessively, for the next week and hopefully I'll be able to get these guys out of the way of "king of the castle" (my favorite male that I've spawned) and his harem.

Thank you again!!