cycle completion tips

[fastfly48]

Hello.
Sorry about the boring subject. Here's a quick up date...

Um...the tank has had fish (about 6) for about 4.5 weeks. Without fish it stayed for about 1-2 weeks.
I've been doing water changes 30% almost every day.
I've had an algae rush and last time I checked my nitrates were up.
Is there anyway I can tell that my rank has cycle without taking a water test? My 3 danios and 4 neons seem happy atm, and my plants (Java fern and vallis are growing well).

Any tips? Would you expect the cycle to have finished my now?
Thanks.
Ry.

ps. apolagies for the boringness of this!

 

[tailbarlionfish]

Well tanks can take up to 6months to cycle. Its just best to not change the filter pads or clean them very often. You need to keep lots of good bacteria in the filter!
I don't really think its necessary to be a doing water changes every day. Just keep the feeding on a low. Your fish will just scavenge in the gravel and on the glass.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The only way to tell if your tank is cycled is to test the water. You will have 0 Ammonia and Nitrites, and below 30 (but still measurable) Nitrates. If your Nitrates are above 30, then the water changes are needed. What kind of test kit are you using?

 

[zacdl]

I would assume he doesnt have one since he asked if there was a way to tell without testing...


I dont know if you cycle is finished but I or someone else here could tell you if it is, or how close it is if you tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.


I have never heard of a tank taking to 6 months to cycle, 6 weeks is the longest I have ever heard of (And 4 days is the shortest I have heard of).
But, It could be possible, since its only been 4.5 weeks.

Test your water and see if its done or not. If there is no ammonia, nitrite, your cycle is done.

 

[patagonia]

fastfly said the nitrates were up...doesnt that mean the cycle is done?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

It could mean that he has Nitrates in the tap. He could still have Nitrites. A final test is needed to determine if the cycle is complete.

 

[zacdl]

If you dont have many Nitrates in your tap water (I dont have very many in my city water) that is a good hint your cycle is done.

But there could still be Nitrites (like suggested)

Like suggested.... test for everything again.

 

[Yuri]

I agree with the testing everything again. There's the possibility of still of having ammonia, nitrite, and (a good amount) nitrate all at once. This is happing in the five gallon that I'm re-cycling right now.

Unless you've been messing too much in the gravel and filter 4.5 five weeks is usually enough (from what I've heard) for the tank to cycle. My main tank took about five or six months to cycle (additives and other beginner mistakes messed up the cycle big time). While on the other hand, the first cycle in my five gallon took two weeks.
So it'd be good to just test it all again and be sure.

 

[TomK2]

Surest way to know when your cycle is done is to test the tank and tap water for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at set up. Then monitor ammonia and nitrite in the tank for a few weeks (not every day necessaryunless one of them is detected). After a few weeks repeat the nitrate test. If it has definitely increased over the tap water value, and you have no ammonia or nitrite, your cycle is almost certainly complete. This assumes there has been an ammonia source all along (fish or added ammonia).

Now you are weeks into the process. Test your tap water with a quality liquid reagent FW kit. Test your Tank. No, there is no way of being certain without testing. If you were to clean your filter and throw out all the media that the bacteria grow on it could turn a cycled tank back into an uncycle one. Antibiotics can do this too.