Help! Ammonia in newly cycled tank!

[yeti316]

I have my first planted 10 gallon tank I've been cycling for 4 weeks. For the last week I've been getting readings of 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and 5-10 ppm nitrate.

I impulsively bought a betta fish today and decided to do a water change and test before acclimating him.

After a 50% water change, my ammonia levels are at .25 ppm. I tested my dechlorinated tap water and am also getting .25 ppm ammonia readings on that.

I added some jungle vallesnaria to the tank yesterday.

Whats going on? What should I do?

 

[Aiken Drum]

How were you dosing ammonia during your cycle?

What levels of ammonia did you you get up to? How long did it take for that ammonia to get to zero?

On the face of it, you arent cycled and now need to do a fish in cycle. But, 0.25ppm ammonia isnt going to cause any harm to your fish.

 

[yeti316]

I got up to 1 ppm ammonia, and after 3 weeks it was at 0. Was using fluval bug bites to feed the tank. I also have plants and snails in the tank.

 

[Aiken Drum]

To be considered cycled you need to be cycling out 2ppm ammonia in 24 hours. 1ppm in 3 weeks is nowhere near being cycled. You needed to redose ammonia back up to 2ppm, wait for it to drop, redose, wait for it to drop, redose etc etc etc. When that 2ppm ammonia is showing as 0ppm ammonia and nitrite 24 hours later you are cycled. This typically takes 6 to 8 weeks.

Im presuming you don't want to return the fish and complete your cycle. Do you know how to do a fish in cycle?

 

[yeti316]

I thought I'd been so diligent. Apparantly not.

Looking into fish in cycles now. 50% water change whenever ammonia + nitrites = .5 ppm or more?

Also read something about being able to use seahem prime to temporarily neutralize ammonia and nitrites, which means fewer water changes.

Or mdfishtanks on YouTube uses api quick start when he does fish in cycles.

I won't be able to get back to a pet store to get quick start or seachem prime for another 12-24 hours.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Thats basically it.

Prime will detoxify some ammonia for a short period. Dont rely on it to avoid water changes, its just a safety net between water changes. If ammonia + nitrite combined gets above 0.5ppm (say 0.25 and 0.25) change enough water to get it to the 0.5ppm combined target. If you keep it at these levels you shouldn't need to rely on prime but the prime will help you if you get a significant spike between water tests/water changes.

Feed lightly. ie every 2 days until you are confident your ammonia isnt going to get out of hand.

Products like quickstart "may" help speed up your cycle. They are hit and miss, mostly miss. At best it will shorten your cycle from months to weeks. Remember these products will claim anything to get you to buy them, and Youtubers will be being paid through affiliate links.

You likely have some benefit from your fishless cycle, albeit not enough to be cycled. Hopefully all you are doing is completing the cycle with your fish and it wont take too long from here.

 

[yeti316]

Great, thank you for your help!

 

[yeti316]

Just a little update.

Tested the water last night and had 0 ppm ammonia, .25 ppm nitrite and something like 2.5 ppm nitrates.

Dosed the tank with seachem prime and also seachem stability.

This morning and again this afternoon I am reading 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites, and still around 2.5 ppm nitrates.

Fish is looking pretty chill. Swimming around, doesnt seem stressed at all.