Cycling with Fish

[pettygil]

The fish store people said that everything we fine.

For the 20 gal:
Unless your tap water has nitrates, your tank is in the process of cycling because nitrates don't usually rise until ammonia is down to zero. In order to have nitrates that high, your nitrites should be at 0. Your test results don't make sense. You really should have your local store test your water from all your tanks to confirm your readings.

The fish store people said that everything was fine. I did not get numbers from them. It could be 0. I say this because it's hard for me to tell using these test strips. It looked like 0.25 but it could of been 0, it was hard to tell.
That is why somethings do not make sense, that would explain why. I feel colored blind, trying to use the test strips

 

[larochem595]

I think if I needed to cycle an aquarium, I would do fishless
and I probably wouldn't use cories, they can be sensitive.

I'd be curious to know your tap water readings that you are starting with...

If you know someone who has a healthy cycled tank, you can get some substrate or tank water to help seed your tanks and speed up cycling.

I recommend the API freshwater master test kit. It's what many people use. I find the strips to be less accurate and more difficult to interpret. It's worth the investment.

 

[pettygil]

My ammonia out of the tap is 0.25.

I think if I needed to cycle an aquarium, I would do fishless
and I probably wouldn't use cories, they can be sensitive.

I'd be curious to know your tap water readings that you are starting with...

If you know someone who has a healthy cycled tank, you can get some substrate or tank water to help seed your tanks and speed up cycling.

My ammonia out of the tap is 0.25. I did take part of the sponge out of my 20 gallon tank. I put the used sponge in my filters in my 6.5 gallon tanks.

 

[Andy Sager]

The fish store people said that everything was fine. I did not get numbers from them. It could be 0. I say this, because it's hard for me to tell, using these test strips. It looked like 0,25, but it could of been 0, it was hard to tell.
That is why somethings do not make sense, that would explain why. I feel colored blind, trying to use the test strips

In the future, I'd ask them to give you the numbers and not a " fine or not fine" answer.
Regarding the 20, if you have no ammonia but have nitrite and nitrate, your tank has not finished cycling so the sponge you added to the 6.5 is not going to be fully cycled either so be careful about adding fish to it. If the store said your water is " fine" there shouldn't have been any nitrite in the test which if your test said 1 ppm, your test is off.
I get flack on other sites when I say this but I recommend liquid tests over strips. Unless you are color blind, they are a more reliable way of determining numbers. While overall the API master kit is the most recommended and more accurate kit, there are other company's test that are better than a single test in the kit. (i.e. Salifert's Nitrate kit is better overall than API but API is good enough to not need to buy all the tests individually which will end up costing way more than the master kit). Just make sure you read the results against a white piece of paper or cardboard or anything white in non tinted lighting. ( I use natural sunlight whenever possible).

 

[pettygil]

My test results for 20 gallon tank.

In the future, I'd ask them to give you the numbers and not a " fine or not fine" answer.
Regarding the 20, if you have no ammonia but have nitrite and nitrate, your tank has not finished cycling so the sponge you added to the 6.5 is not going to be fully cycled either so be careful about adding fish to it. If the store said your water is " fine" there shouldn't have been any nitrite in the test which if your test said 1 ppm, your test is off.
I get flack on other sites when I say this but I recommend liquid tests over strips. Unless you are color blind, they are a more reliable way of determining numbers. While overall the API master kit is the most recommended and more accurate kit, there are other company's test that are better than a single test in the kit. (i.e. Salifert's Nitrate kit is better overall than API but API is good enough to not need to buy all the tests individually which will end up costing way more than the master kit). Just make sure you read the results against a white piece of paper or cardboard or anything white in non tinted lighting. ( I use natural sunlight whenever possible).

My test results for 20 gallon tank.
Ammonia: 0.5
PH: 7.5 to 8.0 (Not sure what is was)?
N02: 0
N03: 0

Not sure if this is correct or not. My ammonia is some what high. My ph is high, should I do a 25 % WC? I had my 20 gallon tank for 3 months, it should be cycled by now, shouldn't it?

 

[Andy Sager]

My test results for 20 gallon tank.
Ammonia: 0.5
PH: 8.0
N02: 0
N03: 0

Not sure if this is correct or not. My ammonia is some what high. My ph is high, should I do a 25 % WC? I had my 20 gallon tank for 3 months, it should be cycled by now, shouldn't it?

I get the feeling that you are not reading the ammonia test correctly. It could be your eyes or the test strip is inaccurate. I can't tell you which it is. At this stage of the game, it should be cycled but without you having witnessed this happening ( like on a graph where you would see a rise and fall of Ammonia and Nitrite) it's just a guess.

From here, without doing a water change, I would test daily to see if your ammonia rises and if it does, you are not cycled and should start doing water changes or adding detoxifying products like PRIME or Fritz Complete. If the ammonia is rising, you should also test for Nitrites as well to confirm they go up then down. If the ammonia does not rise, I would say the issue is your test strips or your eyes and you are cycled.

 

[pettygil]

I think the test results are not accurate.

I think the test results are not accurate. I did use 2 different test and they both came out the same. I will test daily to make sure the Ammonia does not get too high. I know for the last days the ammonia was 0.5.

 

[pettygil]

I just wanted to thank y all for your help

I just wanted to thank y all for your help. I'm not going to add any more fish to my 6.5 gallon tank, until it's cycled. I am not sure if Cory is going to make it, but I took cory and put him in a 20 cycled tank. The last fish forum they made me feel bad for cycling with a fish in my tank. No one did that here. I figure I am a new-bee to this hobby and I keep learning what not to do. Or what to do. My other 6.5 gallon tank which is almost cycled I have two live bearer's and they WI stood the cycling process. I do want to buy betta's, but will wait, until my 6.5 gallon tanks are cycled, before I go out and buy fish. I'll keep ya all informed on how cory is doing, right now, not so good. I took ill cory, who looked like he died, but he is still living, put him/her in a 20 gallon tank.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I just wanted to thank y all for your help. I'm not going to add any more fish to my 6.5 gallon tank, until it's cycled. I am not sure if Cory is going to make it, but I took cory and put him in a 20 cycled tank. The last fish forum they made me feel bad for cycling with a fish in my tank. No one did that here. I figure I am a new-bee to this hobby and I keep learning what not to do. Or what to do. My other 6.5 gallon tank which is almost cycled I have two live bearer's and they WI stood the cycling process. I do want to buy betta's, but will wait, until my 6.5 gallon tanks are cycled, before I go out and buy fish. I'll keep ya all informed on how cory is doing, right now, not so good. I took ill cory, who looked like he died, but he is still living, put him/her in a 20 gallon tank.

Now you have moved the cory to the 20g tank how are you going to cycle the 6.5g?

 

[pettygil]

I read post were people added fish food

Now you have moved the cory to the 20g tank how are you going to cycle the 6.5g?

I read post were people added fish food to help cycle their tank, along with using bottle bacteria, like Prime. I personally use API Quick Start. Some use live plants, but I do not. All my plants are Silk plants is what I use, but that won't help me cycle the tank. I could use live bearer's Endler's as they are super hardy fish. I have another 6.5 gallon tank with Endler's and It's almost cycled and with thoes fish, they are all alive.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Yes. Daily fish food is sometimes used to do a "fishless cycle". But IMO its a bad way of dosing ammonia.

- Its very difficult to know how much food to add to raise ammonia to a required level, especially if you havent done it before.
- For fish food to produce ammonia it needs to decompose in the tank. It could take a couple of months to cycle a tank and thats a lot of food going into the tank which will decompose, go moldy etc.

IMO if you plan on doing a fishless cycle buy an aquarium specific ammonium chloride product like Dr Tims Ammonium Chloride as your ammonia source.

If you want to use fish food, add food every day, as much as a tank full of fish would eat. In your case as much as you would feed your 1 betta. When you can add food daily and detect zero ammonia and nitrite in your test you are cycled. If ammonia gets up to 2ppm, stop adding food and only start adding again when that 2ppm is dropped to zero.

Prime isnt a bottled bacteria products. Its a water conditioner. You need to add a water conditioner whenever you add tap water into your tank to remove the chlorine/ chloramine. Quickstart is a product that supposedly contains the bacteria you are trying to grow to cycle your tank. But mostly they are good at parting you with your money and do nothing useful in your tank. You have been adding for how long and to no effect? Stop wasting your money on bottled bacteria.

 

[Andy Sager]

I can't speak for the other bacteria products that are most often found in the box stores but I've been using Fritzyme #7 since it came onto the market over 30 years ago and it has continuously been very effective.

 

[pettygil]

testing my water

I'm using Api 5 in 1 test kit

Water from tap
ph 6.0
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No 3 0

Water from 6,5 gallon tank
ph 7.5
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No3 0

Water from other 6.5 gallon tank
ph 6.0
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No3 0

Water from 20 gallon tank
ph 7.5 to 8.0 is hard to tell.
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No3 0

 

[pettygil]

I can't speak for the other bacteria products that are most often found in the box stores but I've been using Fritzyme #7 since it came onto the market over 30 years ago and it has continuously been very effective.

I did buy Fritzyme, but what about the smell? I read on Amazon, it smells bad, and I'm sensitive to smells. I read that, after I bought it. What does it smell, like?

I just used Fritzyme #7 and it did not smell bad. I did not smell anything, just a little bit nothing too bad. I bought a big bottle of Fritzyme #7 , so it just last me awhile. Does Fritzyme #7 help cycle a tank, and if so long after using Fritzyme #7 does it take to cycle my tank?

Also my filter is a Whisper filter. I have carbon in my filter. Could my carbon remove what I'm putting in the tank. I just used Fritzyme #7 so will carbon remove Fritzyme 7?

 

[Andy Sager]

I just used Fritzyme #7 and it did not smell bad. I did not smell anything, just a little bit nothing too bad. I bought a big bottle of Fritzyme #7 , so it just last me awhile. Does Fritzyme #7 help cycle a tank, and if so long after using Fritzyme #7 does it take to cycle my tank?

Here's the product page for it : https://fritzaquatics.com/products/fritzzyme-7-freshwater
Check the whole page and FAQs for answers to your questions you may not know you had.

Regarding the Carbon, the only thing carbon would do is supply a place for the bacteria to attach to.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I'm using Api 5 in 1 test kit

Water from tap
ph 6.0
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No 3 0

Water from 6,5 gallon tank
ph 7.5
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No3 0

Water from other 6.5 gallon tank
ph 6.0
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No3 0

Water from 20 gallon tank
ph 7.5 to 8.0 is hard to tell.
Ammonia 0.5
No2 0
No3 0

Thats great. Leave everything for 24 hours, test again in 24 hours and report those tests. Can you also include what fish are in each of the tanks.

Dont change any water. If you havent fed the fish today, skip a days feeding.

With regards to your testing. Test strips arent accurate. They could easily be showing lower levels that actually exist and could be hiding a water quality issue. If you can afford it i would get API Freshwater Master Test Kit. We could be doing daily tests for a couple of months, and the liquid test kit will be much cheaper than buying more strips.

Also those strips dont test for ammonia. How did you test for ammonia?

You also need to decide how you want to cycle that empty tank.

 

[pettygil]

I will not change water today.

Thats great. Leave everything for 24 hours, test again in 24 hours and report those tests. Can you also include what fish are in each of the tanks.

Dont change any water. If you havent fed the fish today, skip a days feeding.

With regards to your testing. Test strips arent accurate. They could easily be showing lower levels that actually exist and could be hiding a water quality issue. If you can afford it i would get API Freshwater Master Test Kit. We could be doing daily tests for a couple of months, and the liquid test kit will be much cheaper than buying more strips.

Also those strips dont test for ammonia. How did you test for ammonia?

You also need to decide how you want to cycle that empty tank.

In my 20 gallon tank I have 9 Glo Tetra's, 3 red eyed tetra's, One cory fish. In 6,5 gallon no fish. Am I supposed to add fish to tank, to cycle it? I will not change the water today. I tested with Ammonia, with Ammonia strips.
Tetra EasyStrips 100 Count, Ammonia Test Strips. For aquariums. Order from Amazon. Last message I left in a different forum, they told me it is cruel to add fish, while cycling. I lost 4 fish trying to cycle my tank. But my Endler's are still doing great and they WI stand cycling process. Endler's are in one of my 6.5 gallon tanks. I have another 6.5 gallon tank, (with no fish). Should I cycle with a hardy fish?

 

[Aiken Drum]

You have two 6.5g tanks. Do neither of them have fish?

As to whether they should have fish in them to cycle, as previously posted you need to decide whether to do a "fish in" or "fishless" cycle. For now there is ammonia in the tanks from your tap water and that should be enough to start things.

As to your test strips, as said they wont be as accurate as a liquid test kit, but if thats what you want to work with then thats what we will work with.

As to the comments on another forum, im a member on that forum and i found some of the opinions expressed a little extreme.

Some of what was said, i agree with. The fish store you deal with has some extremely weird practices. Lending fish to people to cycle with, thats a terrible practice. Especially when that fish is a single cory. Who knows how many times a fish has had to go through cycling a tank and what conditions they experienced while doing so. Who knows what diseases etc those fish have now introduced into your tank. It wouldn't surprise me at all that your fish losses where due to that store giving you unhealthy fish and nothing to do with you cycling. If it where me, as a matter of principal, that store would never see a penny of my money. Personally if you are going to do a fish in cycle it should be done with fish you intend to keep, or at least have a plan to give them a good home once your tank is cycled.

On the other hand their opinion that fish in cycles are cruel is a bit extreme. If not done properly, fish in cycles can be hazardous to a fishes health. If done properly, fish in cycles are safe. Some of the water parameters you have reported previously are in the toxic range, so you wasnt doing enough to do your fish in cycle safely.

Your water parameters now are at safe levels. So we are going to do this day by day and put in some extra effort to ensure they stay that way until you are cycled.

 

[Andy Sager]

Now that you are using the Fritzyme #7, the whole process should go quicker but you need to do daily testing to ensure everything is working according to plan. Whatever ammonia and nitrite you register will be detoxified if you follow the directions on the bottle so safer for the fish but you still need to know the numbers to see the cycling process conclude.

 

[pettygil]

All my tanks are 0 ammonia, but I still have no N02 N03 at 0 in all tanks. I wounder if it's the test strips. When pet store lady comes over I'm going to have her check the tanks.