Cycling Tank ?'s

[Bearchumjs]

I have gotten readings for 2 days now of 0 ammonia. Nitrites today were .25ppm. My nitrates were still really high at 40-80ppm (I can't tell the difference). My tap water has alot of nitrates. I've got live plants in the tank, but is there anything I can do to get them (trates) down? I've been doing daily 50% water changes.

Tank info: 5gallon fluval chi occupied by 1 male betta, 2 Anubias, some Bacopa Carolinianas, rotunda Indica, and a trichomones javanicum that I'm about to remove because I read they aren't truly aquatic and it will die. I'm going to be putting driftwood in eventually.

 

[Bearchumjs]

For the past 4 days my tank has been reading:

Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 2.0ppm
pH: 8.0
Nitrates: 40ppm

How long should it take for my nitrites to start dropping? They were at .25 and then I added my driftwood. The nitrites spiked up to 2.0 the next day. I was surprised the ammonia didn't spike. King Neptune is doing good and doesn't mind the daily 2/3 water changes. My plants are all thriving too. I was hoping the nitrites would be lower today. I've had the tank running for just about 4 weeks now.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I suppose I should mention I removed the aqua fern and the Rotala Indica. They weren't working out.

 

[jlk]

Unfortunately, fish-in cycling can take awhile (6-8wks or longer)- you will just need some patience & to stay on top of your water changes to keep your ammonia/nitrites in check. As you are just starting to see a nitrite spike, it will be a bit longer before your tank is fully cycled. Adding some cycled media will speed things up if you have access to any. Your doing a good job so far so keep up the good work!

 

[Bearchumjs]

Unfortunately, fish-in cycling can take awhile (6-8wks or longer)- you will just need some patience & to stay on top of your water changes to keep your ammonia/nitrites in check. As you are just starting to see a nitrite spike, it will be a bit longer before your tank is fully cycled. Adding some cycled media will speed things up if you have access to any. Your doing a good job so far so keep up the good work!

Thank you for your reply! I will keep on keeping on and hopefully it will be cycled in the next two weeks. I'm glad to hear this is normal!

 

[Bearchumjs]

Nitrates were at 1.0ppm instead of 2 when I tested today!! Won't be long and my betta tank will be cycled!

 

[jlk]

I am glad they are dropping!

 

[Bearchumjs]

I am glad they are dropping!

I think I screwed up my cycle. On 3/5 I did a 100% wc and wiped down the sides of the tank and re-tied the plants onto the driftwood and I rinsed the filter slightly in some tank water that I then dumped out. Anyway... Today when I tested I had ammo of .50, nitrites of 1.0 and of course the nitrates were sky high as always. Ugh... Did I mess up and what part of what I did was wrong?

 

[jlk]

A 100% wc was probably not necessary but i just wouldnt do such an extreme wc in the future unless the situation warrants it. Your fine to wipe off the glass- there is bacteria growing on it but not enough to throw everything off. I scrub my glass off every week. Retying the plants wont hurt anything. I would skip rinsing your filter in tank water for right now until your tank is fully cycled. If it gets very clogged (water isnt flowing through filter), go ahead & give it a light swishing. Have you checked your tap for ammonia, nitrites & nitrates? How do these numbers look?

 

[Bearchumjs]

A 100% wc was probably not necessary but i just wouldnt do such an extreme wc in the future unless the situation warrants it. Your fine to wipe off the glass- there is bacteria growing on it but not enough to throw everything off. I scrub my glass off every week. Retying the plants wont hurt anything. I would skip rinsing your filter in tank water for right now until your tank is fully cycled. If it gets very clogged (water isnt flowing through filter), go ahead & give it a light swishing. Have you checked your tap for ammonia, nitrites & nitrates? How do these numbers look?

I had noticed the water don't seem to be flowing well from the filter and the filter pad right where the intake is was a little mucky so I rinsed it lightly. The pump is flowing better now. I have checked my tap water and it was 0 ammo 0 trites and a whole lot of nitrates, 80ppm. I already knew that's why my trates are high. I want some moss. Hopefully it will help lower the nitrates naturally because my other plants are doing well but not affecting the nitrates.I was just surprised to see ammonia today.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I had noticed the water don't seem to be flowing well from the filter and the filter pad right where the intake is was a little mucky so I rinsed it lightly. The pump is flowing better now. I have checked my tap water and it was 0 ammo 0 trites and a whole lot of nitrates, 80ppm. I already knew that's why my trates are high. I want some moss. Hopefully it will help lower the nitrates naturally because my other plants are doing well but not affecting the nitrates.I was just surprised to see ammonia today.

Also- I did the 100% change because when I stirred up the gravel there was alot of muck! How does one fish make so much waste?! I don't over feed. He gets 3 pellets a day. So I know it isn't food down in the rocks...

 

[jlk]

No problem! Fish produce quite a bit of waste... Just continue to monitor your water & do wcs as needed.

 

[alex07]

You shouldn't let your ammonia drop below 1

 

[jlk]

You shouldn't let your ammonia drop below 1

With fish-in cycling, you should not let the ammonia reach 1ppm in order to keep your fish healthy. Fishless cycling is different story.

 

[alex07]

my bad I just read the post all over again and noticed there's fish in the tank

 

[Bearchumjs]

Ok- tested water today and ammo was 0 and nitrites were .25! I was looking at everything and please tell me what is this?!

See all the light brown specks everywhere on the wood? There's some on my Anubias too.

 

[jlk]

Is it like a brown kind of film that wipes off easily? Its probably just a diatom outbreak which is common in newly cycling tanks. Its a nuisance & a pain in the rear but nothing to worry about. Just wipe off your glass & anything else smooth before a water change. A soft bristle toothbrush works well to remove it off of rough textured items or plant leaves. Expect it to get worse before it gets better. As your tank becomes more established, it should disappear.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Is it like a brown kind of film that wipes off easily? Its probably just a diatom outbreak which is common in newly cycling tanks. Its a nuisance & a pain in the rear but nothing to worry about. Just wipe off your glass & anything else smooth before a water change. A soft bristle toothbrush works well to remove it off of rough textured items or plant leaves. Expect it to get worse before it gets better. As your tank becomes more established, it should disappear.

That must be what it is. If I leave it alone will it go away? I'd really rather not mess with anything right now... Maybe in a few days. Or would a snail or shrimp take care of it?

 

[jlk]

Some snails may help but you will need more than one. I honestly dont know if shrimp eat diatoms or not. It wont go away immediately & it will most likely get worse before it gets better. Have some patience & be prepared to do some cleaning on occasion when it gets really annoying.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I found this article. http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=60144

I only have a 5 gallon tank so maybe two snails would do? I have to get a cover for my tank first... Thanks for your help!