How to tell if cycled?

[Bfred13]

My ammonia is at 1.0ppm and I will be doing a water change. This tank has been set up for 1 week but it was used and I used a lot of my existing water (upgraded to a bigger tank.) I've never had a nitrite reading and have been at 5.0ppm nitrates for 3 days now. How do I know when it's cycled and I can stop checking it like a crazy person? My other tank never cycled because of ph and ammonia issues but this one is perfect as far as ph and I know I need to get the ammonia down some.

 

[BBradbury]

B...

Cycling a tank takes time and patience. The cycle takes roughly a month, unless you're using some type of supplement that may or may not cycle the tank faster. You must have a steady source of ammonia and test the tank water daily for traces of ammonia and nitrite. If you have a positive test for either, I recommend removing and replacing 25 percent of the water, to keep the bacteria colony growing. You just keep testing and change the water when needed. When you have no trace of either ammonia or nitrite, the tank is cycled.

B

 

[HooKooDooKu]

The fact that you started with water from an existing tank means very little. The bacteria that drive the nitrogen cycle mostly live in filter material and other surfaces in the tank.

B is right in that you have to expect cycling to take a month (or more).

While you might want to read up on how to cycle a tank... the short cut directions would be something like the following for doing a fishless cycle:

1. Get a soap-free source of ammonia (Ace Hardware and Piggly Wiggly store brands been mentioned in the past before as potential sources... look for one that doesn't have sufficants).

2. Dose the tank with enough ammonia to raise the level to about 5-10ppm.

3. Daily test the ammonia and nitrite levels. While the nitrite levels read zero, add ammonia until the ammonia levels are back up to 5-10ppm.

4. Once Nitrite levels start rising, continue to dose the tank to try to keep nitrite levels (the day after dosing) at about 2-4ppm.

5. The concept is that you are "feeding" your tank daily amounts of ammonia... and by this time, you'll have figured out about how much you have to feed the tank each day (usually something like 3 to 5 drops). You can consider the tank cycled when it only takes 24 hours for a daily dose of ammonia to be fully processed by the bacteria and ammonia and nitrite levels are virtually zero.

6. Since you will not have been doing partial water changes during this time, your nitrate levels should be thru the roof. You will likely need to do several 50% - 75% water changes until the levels fall below 4ppm.

7. At this point, do one more test of a daily dosing of ammonia and see if 24 hours later your ammonia and nitrite levels are zero. Then your tank is cycled and ready to add fish.

 

[Reygan2]

No way would even an overstocked tank need to convert anywhere near 5-10 ppm of ammonia in 24 hours. I dosed mine up to 5ppm initially and I think that's the reason it's taking my cycle so long to complete. After nitrites and nitrates show up you should lower the dosing to 1-2 ppm daily. I've been reading so much about this, wondering why mine was taking so long, and according to the more experienced fish keepers dosing 5ppm or higher is simply unnecessary.

 

[Bfred13]

I'm doing a fish in cycle and have my used carbon and used water.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm doing a fish in cycle and have my used carbon and used water.

When a day's worth of food can good from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate in one day, the tank is cycled.

One thing to check to know if you are building up any nitrates is to test your water source. It's possible for you water to already have some nitrates in them before you ever add it to the tank.

 

[Bfred13]

My ammonia level has dropped to .25 no nitrites and nitrates between 5-10ppm. I haven't done a water change in 2 days and my ammonia is going down completely on it's own. I've never had a nitrite reading which is what's confusing me.

 

[Reygan2]

When you say you used your old carbon, do you mean the filter cartridge from your other tank?

 

[Bfred13]

Update: got my reading finally! Time for water changes.

 

[pmvaldon]

put some floating live tropical plants like water wisteria in tank. will never worry about ammonia or nitrates again.

 

[Bfred13]

This is today. 24 hours after water change.

 

[pmvaldon]

your ammonia n nitrates are sky high. really need live plants or more water changes. looks like you hav a ways to go before anywhere near beneficial bacteria establishes in tank.

 

[pmvaldon]

those readings would not be good for livestock

 

[Mcfly]

Two types of nitrifying bacteria compose the bio filter. You've probably introduced some of the bacteria into the tank through the filter media and water swapped into the new tank. What it appears to me, is that you have plenty o' bacteria that eat nitrites, yet not enough of the little buggers that eat ammonia (and produce nitrites). The two populations of bacteria have to 'equal out'. In my 55 to 60 gallon upgrade I had fluctuations of ammonia and nitrites up to .50 ppm. No fatalities or stress symptoms during the 1 week cycle. (I used the biomedia sponge and 10 gallons of old tank water for my swap) Keeping your nitrate level below 20 ppm will reduce stress on the fish in the tank (with partial water changes).

I only test water just before the 1st feeding of the fish. This is the time the most stable water conditions exist. I test it twice a week (wait 5 minutes after adding drops to read test results). I'll do a 20% water change if the nitrate reading hits 20 ppm, or weekly. Sometimes the water gets changed twice a week, sometimes once... it's a fish tank, not a swiss time piece, things don't happen on an exact schedule.

You're almost there.... hang in there!

 

[Reygan2]

your ammonia n nitrates are sky high. really need live plants or more water changes. looks like you hav a ways to go before anywhere near beneficial bacteria establishes in tank.

The ammonia and nitrate results are hardly what I'd consider sky high, but I agree, I wouldn't put fish in with the ammonia at even .50ppm.

 

[Bfred13]

The ammonia and nitrate results are hardly what I'd consider sky high, but I agree, I wouldn't put fish in with the ammonia at even .50ppm.

I've had fish in the entire time. Haven't lost any yet knock on wood.

 

[Reygan2]

I've had fish in the entire time. Haven't lost any yet knock on wood.

Not surprising. Like I mentioned, the parameters aren't outrageous yet.