How long cycling can take for a 10g aquarium? I already have 3 weeks and I seems to have problem to keep ammonia low. I have to make water changes 1 days , 1 day not. The day I don't do the water change the ammonia is at .50pmm , I don't know if my testing kit is bad but I always get 0 from nitrite and right now getting 40 from nitrate. Also don't know if is a bad thing but since I live in Puerto Rico the aquarium is around 85 and 89F . Although they seem happy.
Cycle question
- Thread starter felku
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Don't use the strips to test the water as they can be inaccurate...also are you cycling with fish or without?
With fish..I'd choose 4-5 small community fish just to get the cycle going (good Bactria) without I'd us a small amount of fish food also to get the Bactria going.
Do water changes at least 1x a week 40/60% until ammonia is 0.
If you have live plants in the tank they can also give off ammonia eg: they could be dying, bits of leaves breaking off due to the plant rotting therefore giving ammonia [emoji4] hope this helps a little bit
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With fish..I'd choose 4-5 small community fish just to get the cycle going (good Bactria) without I'd us a small amount of fish food also to get the Bactria going.
Do water changes at least 1x a week 40/60% until ammonia is 0.
If you have live plants in the tank they can also give off ammonia eg: they could be dying, bits of leaves breaking off due to the plant rotting therefore giving ammonia [emoji4] hope this helps a little bit
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Hi
Use the Api master test , so no strips. I have fish since I didn't know about cycling until I found this forum. I have 4 fish , 3 platy and 1 shark bala(didn't know they can get big). I have 3 weeks doing constant water change 40-50 if I skip like 2 days without water changes ammonia can go over 1 pmm.
Use the Api master test , so no strips. I have fish since I didn't know about cycling until I found this forum. I have 4 fish , 3 platy and 1 shark bala(didn't know they can get big). I have 3 weeks doing constant water change 40-50 if I skip like 2 days without water changes ammonia can go over 1 pmm.
ImACoolguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
This is a typical fish in cycle. Just keep testing and water changes. One day you will wake up to 0 ammonia and nitrites and the tank will be cycled.
Best to find a new home for that bala when you can.
Caleb
Thanks for advice, I know the first advice is to have patience but today when I checked ammonia level I got kind of dissapointed. I expected to have lower ammonia level at least. About the shark Bala , yes I'm thinking in get a new aquarium or give it to a friend and focus on small fishes for now while I learn more.
buffalochip
Aquarium Advice Regular
If it helps, I just finished a fish-in cycle and went almost 4 weeks with no really appreciable results. then one morning the nitrite test was purple and a week after that no ammonia. Lots of water changes. Hang in there and keep changing water.
ImACoolguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
This is a fish in cycle!
Water change! Nitrites are even more toxic to those fish than ammonia is.
You have to keep those levels low or you are going to have some sick and dying fish.
Caleb
Water change! Nitrites are even more toxic to those fish than ammonia is.
You have to keep those levels low or you are going to have some sick and dying fish.
Caleb
ImACoolguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's much better. Best not to let those nitrites get in the purple again. Very bad for the fish.
Caleb
Caleb
gemach7
Aquarium Advice FINatic
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Fish in cycles can take longer than a fishless to fully support the bioload, due to the number of water changes you have to make to keep the fish safe. About 4 weeks is the low end and 10 weeks being the high end estimate. Just keep up with the water changes nitrite poisoning will look like gasping, it stops the gills from properly extracting oxygen. If see this doing a massive water change is in order. Some commercial products can help get the bacteria started. Even better would be some used filter media from a friend with a tank.
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ImACoolguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks I hope so, because I don't want to harm my fishes.
So I have been doing wc changes daily. Still having problems getting nitrites low. Since yesterday I notice the water is cloudy. Today I checked parameters again, ammonia is low, nitrite are high and got surprise that nitrates lowered to 5ppm. It is normal to the water get cloudy?
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds like have been busy changing water!
It is NOT normal to have cloudy water although many experience this.
It is a bacterial imbalance .
Besides the tank cycling cloudy water is often due to overfeeding.
IMO you should keep up on waterchanges and do NOT feed the fish for 3 days.
Sounds like have been busy changing water!
It is NOT normal to have cloudy water although many experience this.
It is a bacterial imbalance .
Besides the tank cycling cloudy water is often due to overfeeding.
IMO you should keep up on waterchanges and do NOT feed the fish for 3 days.
Thanks for the advice, I forgot to add that I have some frys on a breeders box so probably that is helping with the over feeding.
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