Is my tank cycled?

[dmoney808]

Hi, this is my first post as I need help that Google and Youtube have not been able to provide me. Hopefully someone here can help me.

I had a 4 inch turtle in a 20 gallon tank filled all the way up with a turtle topper. I was using a Fluval 207 rated for up to a 45 gallon tank since I heard turtles were messy. I cycled that tank with the turtle in it and just kept an eye on the turtle. That tank definitely cycled and I used an API test kit to make sure the water was safe before I decided to try adding some fish. No ammonia, or nitrites. Long story short, the turtle ate everything I tried except two juvenile cichlids.

Then I wanted a bigger tank. So I upgraded to a 55 gallon tank. The problem is that I didn’t have space to run both tanks, so I couldn’t cycle the new tank and keep the fish in the old tank. So here’s what I did to prepare for the move:

- Bought a bigger Fluval 407 (rated for 100 gallons)
- Took the old ceramic filter media from the old filter and put it all into the new filter (which only filled one of the two baskets on the new filter)
- Could not save the sponges because they were different in size
- Was able to run the new filter (with old media) on the old tank for about a week before the transfer)
- Did not transfer any substrate because I wanted to go from gravel to sand in the new tank
- transferred about 5 cichlid rocks which have been in the tank for a long time.
- Used as much of the old tank water as I could to fill the new tank (which I kept in buckets with the fish and rocks while I was setting up the new tank)
- Treated the new water in buckets with API tap water conditioner, then filled the new 55 gallon tank
- Used API Quick Start to help the cycle.
- Added my turtle and two fish (feed my fish a couple pinches twice daily and the turtle every few days)

As you can see, I tried my best to make the move as smooth as possible, and have been testing the water daily for the last 3 days. My question is, how do I know if the tank is cycled?

Results of my water tests have shown 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and about 10 ppm of nitrates. I’m not sure if nitrates are increasing yet because the test kit only shows differences in 10 ppm increments and the color is not yet 20 ppm.

I would like to add more juvenile cichlids, but I’m not 100% sure if it’s safe yet. I also want to add more fish to make more nitrates for my aquarium plants (Anubias and Java Fern). Is it safe to do so? I have some Seachem Prime ready just in case of an ammonia spike. So far so good, but don’t want to put more fish in and risk losing them all. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I have no experience of keeping turtles, but my advice would be to test daily for a week. If you see 0ppm ammonia and nitrite over that period you are cycled for your current stocking and can add a few more fish.

I think you did everything right in your upgrade. Transferred as much beneficial bacteria as you could reasonably be expected to.

Question about your new 407. It only has 2 baskets? I have a 406 and that has 4 baskets and the 407 is the newer version of the 406. Im sure ive seen review videos on the 407 and it has 4 baskets.

Anyway, you havent said you have filled the empty basket(s) on the larger filter with additional new media. I would do that.

 

[charliebankston]

Some of the guys on here might chime in with better info on cycling, I'm def not an expert on it, but.... generally it takes roughly 6 weeks to get a tank fully cycled. By adding/ seeding with the old media you prob cut it down to a couple of weeks. To be fully cycled your ammonia and nitrates need to continually test out at zero, and your nitrates need to be climbing gradually. This stuff it seems you already know. And your testing, which is good. Seems like your on top of it. If it was my tank I'd wait another week or so, continue testing water parameters, and make sure it's cycled properly before adding more fish; imo.

 

[charliebankston]

Aiken Drum has good advice always on tank cycling, his explanations are easy to understand. I commented same time as him, but on cycling, I defer to his judgement

 

[dmoney808]

Thank you for the advice. I appreciate it.

The 407 does have 4 baskets that are each sectioned into 2 parts. The 207 on the other hand has only 3 baskets that are each just one big basket. The ceramic media I took out was only enough to fill one side of the basket in the 407. I did have some bio balls under the carbon bag in the top basket of the 207 which I also transferred. I also transferred the one carbon bag to the 407, which has a total of 4 carbon bags.

It is tough because normally I would think that if nitrates are present, the job would be done. But in this case, it could be that they were already in the old tank water I used.

Do you think that I should do a water change after one week (even if nitrates are low), or should I wait until I see nitrates go up?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Do a water change weekly regardless.

 

[dmoney808]

Thank you, will do. I tested again this morning and still no ammonia or nitrites. I think the nitrate level went up, but hard to tell whether it is 10 or 20 ppm with the API kit. The next obvious color change from orange to red doesn’t happen until 40 ppm.

 

[tlindsey]

With the great advice already given would like to add keep the filter free of gunk buildup because that will definitely contribute to high Nitrate.

 

[dmoney808]

Trying. I am afraid to open the filter up and clean anything until it is cycled though. I recently bought a pre-filter sponge to keep on so that I can just clean that instead.

 

[dmoney808]

Update: I am on day 6 since changing tanks and while it is difficult to tell, I thought that maybe my ammonia level was at 0.25 ppm. (yellow, but maybe slight tinge of green which might have been 0) Nitrites still 0 and Nitrates still around 10 or 20 ppm. In any case, I planned to do my water change today anyway.

After about a 30% water change I tested again and got some strange results. Ammonia and Nitrates were now zero. That doesn’t really make sense to me since the levels should have only gone down by 30%. Not sure if the Seachem Prime I used to condition the tap water is throwing things off. I will test again tomorrow.

 

[dmoney808]

So I just tested my water and things are confusing me even more. This morning it looks like 0.25 ppm Ammonia, 0 Nitrites, and about 10-20 ppm Nitrates (again, really hard to tell with the API test kit as they are both orange).

I dosed with some Seachem Prime to contain the Ammonia, and will test again tomorrow. If Ammonia is still present, I’ll do a bigger water change.

But I’m confused because it again looks like my tank is making Nitrates. Why then do I have Ammonia? This is exactly why I’m not sure if my tank is cycled or not. Any thoughts?

 

[Aiken Drum]

2 possibilities.

- Your tank is cycled. Your 0.25ppm is actually 0ppm. If not read in good light, preferably daylight, a 0ppm can look like 0.25ppm. Test some bottled water and compare, because the bottled water should be 0ppm ammonia.

- Your tank isnt fully cycled yet. You have enough nitrosomonas bacteria to convert some, but not all, of your ammonia into nitrite and enough nitrobacter bacteria to convert all of the resultant nitrite into nitrate. What you will see is some ammonia, no nitrite, and your nitrate will be gradually rising.

If your ammonia + nitrite combined is more than 0.5ppm do 25% water change. If not, don't (except for a weekly change, still do that). Your bacteria colony won't grow if you are constantly removing its food source.

 

[dmoney808]

Thank you for your help Aiken. Testing some bottled water sounds like a great idea. I will try that tomorrow.

I also noticed some algae (I think brown algae, which I have read is not actually algae) on the glass today. Just tiny spots of it, like dust. Hopefully this is a good sign for my tank’s cycle.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Brown algae is likely to be diatoms. As you say not actually algae, but actually large numbers of microscopic creatures. Normal to see this in a new tank, and should clear up in time when eveything gets balanced and more established. They are simply taking advantage of an inbalance in nutrients and will die off when their food source runs out.

 

[dmoney808]

I tested the water this morning and you were spot on Aiken. Again maybe 0 or 0.25 ppm Ammonia, 0 Nitrites, and 10-20 ppm Nitrates (I only really know it’s above 5 and less than 40).

So I try testing some bottled water for Ammonia. I look at the test and sure enough that is a clear zero (nice and yellow). To my surprise, I hold the two vials side by side (tank water vs. bottled) and they are exactly the same. I guess my brain knew there was no Ammonia in there so it had to be yellow, when it was the exact same color as the other vial I thought might be a little green.

So I guess I might not have had any Ammonia in there at all the last couple of days.

Thanks again Aiken!