Cycle finished?

[dann.yy]

Has anyone else had experience using the Hagen Nutrafin Cycle? That's what I've been using for the past week and 3 days... I have the jungle quick dip test strips, and the results show that I am cycled.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: around 10 ppm

I'm lacking confidence in these test strips (planning on purchasing API test kit)... so i took a water sample to petsmart. Not to my surprise, they were using the same test strips and told me that my water looks fine and that I am cycled.

A little history on the tank is that I got it from a previous user. But since I didn't like the setup, I took out everything and started over. New substrate, new canister filter, and new heater. That's all I got in the tank right now. Could I really be cycled in only a week and 3 days?

 

[dann.yy]

Forgot to mention that I have a 29 gallon tank.. if that helps

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

If you have no source of ammonia then your not cycled. Even if that products works(has live bacteria in it) then with out an ammonia(food source) the bacteria will die.

 

[dann.yy]

Well I'm still dosing the recommended amount of this nutrafin cycle stuff.. if that means it's still feeding the bacteria. It says to dose 10 mL per 10 U.S. gallon and to repeat every 7 days for two weeks. That's what I've been doing.

I've read reviews on this nutrafin cycle... and i've gotten mixed reviews online. Some people say its great, and others say it doesn't work. I only bought it because the people at petsmart told me to use it, and I was a newb to the whole fish thing (still am).

 

[dann.yy]

I do have the flakes for fish food. Should I add some of that along with the doses?

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

I do have the flakes for fish food. Should I add some of that along with the doses?

At a minimum yes.

You should look up the nitrogen cycle for aquariums to understand how it works. Then You can do the fishless cycle(which it sounds like your doing) or a cycle with fish or silent cycle with many live plants.

If its your 1st and only tank and you dont have fish, then its highly recommended to do the fishless cycle. You should get a liquid drop test kit and a source of ammonia(or raw shrimp and fish food)

 

[dann.yy]

Thanks for all the advice SpeedEuphoria. I really appreciate it!

I have read some articles...I know there are ways of doing the cycle by adding the ammonia along first, then nitrite.. but since I already purchased the nutrafin cycle i thought I would give it a try (since they claim to rapidly mature an aquarium). My intention is doing a fishless cycle, which I believed was what i was already doing... I'm just confused on where I'm at. It seems to me that my test results show that my cycle process is pretty much complete.

 

[Alaris]

Did you ever see any ammonia or nitrite since you've been cycling? If not, then you're not cycled.

What Speed was trying to explain is that the nutrafin you bought only has the bacteria in it. Bacteria will starve and die without a food source.

The nitrogen cycle (short form):
Fish, by the simple fact they are alive and breathe and eat and poop, produce ammonia. Ammonia is toxic to fish. A beneficial bacteria will eat the ammonia and produce nitrIte. NitrIte is also toxic to fish. Another beneficial bacteria will eat the nitrIte and produce nitrAte. NitrAte is still not good, but also not as toxic and is taken care of with pwc's and plants.

Ammonia --> NitrIte --> NitrAte

All you have in your bottle of Cycle is the bacteria. You need to have an ammonia source in your tank in order for that bacteria to live and grow. I believe that this product is for use in tanks that cycle WITH fish. Since you've decided on a fishless cycle (Hooray!) then you need to add an ammonia source like pure 100% ammonia or raw shrimp. Then your bottle of Cycle /might/ help you cycle your tank faster than 4-6 weeks.

So again, if you've never had an ammonia source in your tank, then you're not cycled. It's the same as if you set up your tank, did pwc's every week, never add anything to your tank for a month and then check the water and get 0 ammonia and 0 nitrItes. It's not cycled.

 

[roka64]

I always use fresh, raw unseasoned shrimp. I have found that 1 jumbo shrimp per 30G is a good way to go. I think during the freezing process, there are phosphates introduced into the mix....

 

[dann.yy]

Thanks guys for all of the helpful tips and considerations!

I've decided to ditch the 'nutrafin cycle' completely... will go out and buy pure ammonia to do a proper cycle. Just sad that I wasted the money and time on the nutrafin cycle. But I guess that's the process of learning in fish keeping.