mini cycle

[maxwellag]

What exactly is a mini cycle? What does it do? What is it caused by?


Thanks

 

[eco23]

It's when a tank does not have the ideal amount of beneficial bacteria to handle the bio-load in the tank...and a mini-cycle is the time period it takes for the tank to adjust and stabilize. Normally you see toxin spikes during that time, and it's important to test and do water changes as needed until the tank becomes balanced again. They're caused by changing filters, adding too many new fish, damage done to the beneficial bacteria, etc...really anything that either adds more ammonia, or kills off existing beneficial bacteria that was previously keeping the tank stable. Are you experiencing one?

 

[maxwellag]

It's when a tank does not have the ideal amount of beneficial bacteria to handle the bio-load in the tank...and a mini-cycle is the time period it takes for the tank to adjust and stabilize. Normally you see toxin spikes during that time, and it's important to test and do water changes as needed until the tank becomes balanced again. They're caused by changing filters, adding too many new fish, damage done to the beneficial bacteria, etc...really anything that either adds more ammonia, or kills off existing beneficial bacteria that was previously keeping the tank stable. Are you experiencing one?

Thanks. That really explains a lot. No, im not experiencing one... though I probably have before... I was reading something about it in another thread. Now I can't remember what it was about...

 

[jmpgop]

I think I just did mini cycle on my 3 month old tank. Parameters were perfect for 3 weeks & everything was lovely...

Then the Ammonia spiked (between 4 & 8 ppm) & nitrites spiked (.25ish) after adding a year and a half old Pleco I got from my friend. I didn't know they were so dirty! I thought they were cleaning fish.

I did a water change (about half the tank) used Prime, moved my Snail, Angel and Gourami back to my 10 gallon, checked the water this morning and Nitrites are back to zero. Ammonia is about .25.

This morning I'm trying to decide if I should take the Pleco back to my friend (it has outgrown her tank) or give it a few days for the tank to restabalize? It is a pleco and 7 danios in there right now (I couldn't catch the danios to move them to the 10 gallon - tooooo fast!)

I don't want to keep the Angel and the Gourami back in my 10 gallon for too long. There is a Molly in there that is mean and hates my Gourami (Molly is now in a breeders cage) And the snail has to be in the breeders cage too while I'm trying to find a new place for the 2 Chinese Algae Eaters :0 before they kill each other or my other fish! (Wasn't my tank - fostering for my sister in law).

Advice?
Janelle

Any advice?

 

[librarygirl]

I think I just did mini cycle on my 3 month old tank. Parameters were perfect for 3 weeks & everything was lovely...

Then the Ammonia spiked (between 4 & 8 ppm) & nitrites spiked (.25ish) after adding a year and a half old Pleco I got from my friend. I didn't know they were so dirty! I thought they were cleaning fish.

I did a water change (about half the tank) used Prime, moved my Snail, Angel and Gourami back to my 10 gallon, checked the water this morning and Nitrites are back to zero. Ammonia is about .25.

This morning I'm trying to decide if I should take the Pleco back to my friend (it has outgrown her tank) or give it a few days for the tank to restabalize? It is a pleco and 7 danios in there right now (I couldn't catch the danios to move them to the 10 gallon - tooooo fast!)

I don't want to keep the Angel and the Gourami back in my 10 gallon for too long. There is a Molly in there that is mean and hates my Gourami (Molly is now in a breeders cage) And the snail has to be in the breeders cage too while I'm trying to find a new place for the 2 Chinese Algae Eaters :0 before they kill each other or my other fish! (Wasn't my tank - fostering for my sister in law).

Advice?
Janelle

Any advice?

I wouldn't. Your 36 gal is already over half stocked and the pleco adds to much of a bioload, as you've seen. Also pleco's need a minimim of 50 gals. If you're willing to buy a massive tank for it, then OK, but keeping it in the 36 isn't a good idea (as you've seen) plus it'll grow too big.

 

[jmpgop]

Yeah - I'm in a bit of a pickle now. My employee completely cleaned her tank Friday, added a new filter, removed all old media (taking fish out, removing rock, replaced rock with new, put new plants in, and then put fish back in...). AAHHH.

I didn't know she did that! Goodness! So I'm sure her tank is going through a cycle now, and she doesn't know it. I told her to get her water tested as she doesn't have an API kit! Eh...

Looks like I'm stuck with the pleco. I am going to go and get a tank divider for the 10 gallon today to keep the CAEs away from the other fish, and a 2nd filter for the 36 gallon - good idea?