Fish in cycle help

[Chefdan]

Hi I've been running my aquarium for a couple of weeks now with fish in testing the water daily with api master kit and doing water changes to drop ammonia when nessasary something IV noticed is the ammonia goes up obviously but so far the nitrite and nitrate have both stuck at 0ppm is this right?


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[icydeath]

Yup. Once the Ammonia spikes and starts to drop, the Nitrite will spike next, then the Nitrate will spike last.

Grab a bottle of Tetra SafeStart and dump it in the tank and that should help speed the cycle.

Dont change the water for a week or two after you put in the SafeStart

 

[Chefdan]

Ok thanks I've been using api quick start stress coat and stress zyme but been doing water changes to lower ammonia so you suggest leaving it so the nitrite will spike ect


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[icydeath]

Yeah you want to do a water change before you add the safestart, add the safestart, then feed a little less and in a week or two change the water again. Depending on how much nitrate you have.

 

[Chefdan]

Thanks


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[icydeath]

Any time!

 

[yahooandgoogle]

I am having the same trouble with my tank. My tank is cycling has been set up for a month now with fish being in the tank for three weeks. My ammonia is rising slowly being around 0.50- 1 I have been doing water changes to keep the ammonia down. I have no nitrite or nitrate at the moment PH is 7.4.
How much longer should it take? Fish are very happy and healthy two medium sized fish. I have been feeding less while it is cycling and checking ammonia daily.


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[Caliban07]

I am having the same trouble with my tank. My tank is cycling has been set up for a month now with fish being in the tank for three weeks. My ammonia is rising slowly being around 0.50- 1 I have been doing water changes to keep the ammonia down. I have no nitrite or nitrate at the moment PH is 7.4.
How much longer should it take? Fish are very happy and healthy two medium sized fish. I have been feeding less while it is cycling and checking ammonia daily.


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Mine took almost exactly 1 month. I reckon you will start to see nitrates soon and ammonia will fall to zero. Don't be surprised if you miss the nitrite phase. I did but I wasn't really testing everyday. Just keep changing water when ammonia gets to 0.5-1ppm.

I don't rate the bottled bacteria. I don't think they work at all. The only way to speed a cycle up is using seeded filter media.


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[yahooandgoogle]

Hi thanks for replying. I did have some old filter media in my tank and some gravel hanging in the corner. I will keep an eye on the ammonia thank again


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[BBradbury]

Cycling a Tank w/ Fish

Hi I've been running my aquarium for a couple of weeks now with fish in testing the water daily with api master kit and doing water changes to drop ammonia when nessasary something IV noticed is the ammonia goes up obviously but so far the nitrite and nitrate have both stuck at 0ppm is this right?


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Hello Chef...

There are different types of good bacteria at work during the nitrogen cycle. The first use ammonia and give off nitrite. Then, there are bacteria that use nitrite and give off nitrate. Once the tank is cylced, the nitrate is removed by performing a water change.

You just need to keep testing the water every day. If you have a trace of either ammonia or nitrite, you remove roughly a quarter of the water and replace it with pure, treated tap water. You need to leave some of the wastes in the tank, because you're growing your bacteria colony that will one day take over part of the job of keeping the tank water clean for the fish. Large water changes aren't recommended, because they remove the food the bacteria needs to reproduce.

Just keep testing and doing the water changes when needed. In a month or so, you'll have several daily tests with no trace of ammonia or nitrite. The tank is cycled. Then, you just change half the water every week to maintain pure water conditions for the tank inhabitants.

B

 

[Jim722]

Just be patient and keep an eye on ammonia. Mine has been going for 8 weeks and nitrates have just started showing up. Each tank is different though.


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