Fish-In Cycling Question

[Mrs.h2012]

Crap. Sorry. Don't get why it's going backward???

There's a lady from here I keep in contact with regularly, we started just to compare our fish in cycles, she actually had nitrates before nitrites in her fish in cycle.

 

[ragin1cajun]

I am not convinced things are going backward.. I am starting to think the 8th when I got no ammonia or nitrites I might have done the test wrong??? I am pretty sure I did it the same as I always do but who knows with 4 kids (2 teenagers) bouncing around here there is always the possibility of a mistake!

I am in the process of following LibraryGirl's advice about moving the fish to my new 29G tank. It has been fishless cycling for about a week now. Tonight, I did a 50% WC to get the ammo levels down. I was gonna do more than that but needed to do some other stuff so tomorrow I will do another 50% and then see where the ammo, nitrite and nitrate levels are.. If they are good then I will move the filter and fish over on Saturday.

David

 

[ragin1cajun]

I was not able to do a PWC this morning before I left for work so I was worried the Nitrites would be super high when I got home! I tested and was pleasantly surprised that they were a little lower than the previous several days!

pH = 7.4
Ammo = 0 - .25
Nitrite = .5 - 1
Nitrate = 10 to 20

Since Nitrite has been at 2 ppm every time I have tested (except for 1 day) for the last 6 days having it only at 1 ppm after 1 full day without a PWC I am thinking is a good thing?

David

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I was not able to do a PWC this morning before I left for work so I was worried the Nitrites would be super high when I got home! I tested and was pleasantly surprised that they were a little lower than the previous several days!

pH = 7.4
Ammo = 0 - .25
Nitrite = .5 - 1
Nitrate = 10 to 20

Since Nitrite has been at 2 ppm every time I have tested (except for 1 day) for the last 6 days having it only at 1 ppm after 1 full day without a PWC I am thinking is a good thing?

David

I would say it is a good thing, how close to 0 would you say your ammonia is?

 

[ragin1cajun]

I would say it is a good thing, how close to 0 would you say your ammonia is?

When I first looked at it I thought the Ammo was 0, but it had a very slight green tint to it. So I think the Ammo is closer to 0 than .25.

David

 

[ragin1cajun]

I tested a little while ago:

pH = 7.4
Ammo = 0-.25
Nitrite = 2
Nitrate = 5-10

I went ahead and did a 50% PWC dosing the whole tank with Prime.

I am in the process of preparing my new 29G tank to move the fish over. I tested it this morning and am getting the following:

pH = 8.2
Ammo = 2
Nitrite = 1
Nitrate = 5

I had originally intended to fishless cycle this tank before moving the fish and had already added Ammonia up to 4 ppm. I did a 50% PWC a couple days ago. I will be doing a another PWC today maybe as much as 90% to get the Ammo & Nitrite levels down. It is clear however that this tank has at least started to cycle since the Nitrites are starting the show up.

Thanks,
David

 

[ragin1cajun]

Today's update:

pH = 8 (higher than the last several days)
Ammo = 0 - .25
Nitrite = 2
Nitrate = 10-20

I did my normal 50% PWC after testing dosing the tank with Prime.

I am thinking the reason I have not seen Ammo drop to 0 is because I am adding more Ammo with each PWC since my tap tests at 1ppm Ammo?

David

 

[Hholly]

Could be. But soon your bio filter will be able to handle it.

 

[ragin1cajun]

Today's testing results..

pH = 7.4
Ammo = 0-.25
Nitrite = .25
Nitrate = 10-20

So, Nitrites are down again pretty low and this was 24 hours since the last PWC. Instead of doing a PWC I figure I will wait until tomorrow morning to check the water again to see what direction things are going.. Hopefully, close to being cycled!

David

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Today's testing results..

pH = 7.4
Ammo = 0-.25
Nitrite = .25
Nitrate = 10-20

So, Nitrites are down again pretty low and this was 24 hours since the last PWC. Instead of doing a PWC I figure I will wait until tomorrow morning to check the water again to see what direction things are going.. Hopefully, close to being cycled!

David

Since you say your nitrites are going down and since your at the in between stage of 0-.25 of ammonia I say your pretty close. Even when you get cycled readings keep testing for about a week (I say a week at the least) to make sure your really cycled, and if you get consistent cycled readings for a week SLOWLY add a few fish (I wouldnt add more than 4 at a time, but if adding a school I would go ahead and add the entire school just closely monitor your params for a mini cycle). Also if LFS is willing to give you and seeded media when adding fish ask for it, I did that nearly each time I added new fish and I never had a mini cycle.

 

[ragin1cajun]

Since you say your nitrites are going down and since your at the in between stage of 0-.25 of ammonia I say your pretty close. Even when you get cycled readings keep testing for about a week (I say a week at the least) to make sure your really cycled, and if you get consistent cycled readings for a week SLOWLY add a few fish (I wouldnt add more than 4 at a time, but if adding a school I would go ahead and add the entire school just closely monitor your params for a mini cycle). Also if LFS is willing to give you and seeded media when adding fish ask for it, I did that nearly each time I added new fish and I never had a mini cycle.

I am being patient, Nitrites disappeared about a week ago only to return so I will keep an eye on it for a minimum of a week.. I want to move the fish to my 29G tank so I will move filter and all over to that tank soon. I cannot do that yet since I am getting a stand for the 29G at the end of the week when I get paid. I want the tank to be as empty as possible when I move it to the new stand. I will move the fish after I move the tank and let it settle for a few hours after adding water back in..

As for adding fish, I have told the kids we can get 4 more fish when the tank is cycled.

2 more Albino Corys
2 more Zebra Danios (probably the GloFish variety)

This will give the existing Cory and Zebra Danio more of a school to swim around with.

David

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I am being patient, Nitrites disappeared about a week ago only to return so I will keep an eye on it for a minimum of a week.. I want to move the fish to my 29G tank so I will move filter and all over to that tank soon. I cannot do that yet since I am getting a stand for the 29G at the end of the week when I get paid. I want the tank to be as empty as possible when I move it to the new stand. I will move the fish after I move the tank and let it settle for a few hours after adding water back in..

As for adding fish, I have told the kids we can get 4 more fish when the tank is cycled.

2 more Albino Corys
2 more Zebra Danios (probably the GloFish variety)

This will give the existing Cory and Zebra Danio more of a school to swim around with.

David

Sounds like a good plan! Hopefully things cycle and stay that way soon!

 

[ragin1cajun]

I just tested the water again this morning and it is looking somewhat cycled?

pH = 7.4
Ammo = .25
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 10-20

I say somewhat, because the Ammo was definitely .25 this time. The last several days I have said it was between 0 & .25 because the color wasn't yellow but wasn't quite the light green color either.

David

 

[ktomminello]

Beautiful!! Because of your water having 1ppm ammo you might hover around .25 on it until your beneficial bacteria have enough time to colonize better. It looks as though you are just about out of the trites and the trates are at a normal level for this part of your cycle. Keep it relatively stable (trace ammonia because of your tap water is why I said relatively) for about 2 weeks and you will have a perfect tank for your aquatic friends I think it's almost time to light the Cuban

 

[ragin1cajun]

Still looking good!

pH = 7.4
Ammo = 0ish
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 10-20

I said Ammo is 0ish since it isn't yellow but isn't anywhere near the light green color either. So maybe trace amounts of ammonia?

And Nitrate, I cannot tell much of a difference between 10 & 20 but the color appears to me to be a little darker than the past so I would say it is probably closer to 20 now that I have not done a PWC in a couple days.

Thanks for all the help and input from everyone.. I will still monitor it but looks like I am there!

David