What's new
By:
Filters

Adding fish in cycled tank.

Tyler777

Tyler777

Fishaholic
Joined
Apr 29, 2024
Messages
496
Reaction score
74
Location
Menasha, Wisconsin
I just tested the water in my recently cycled tank n this is what I got

Ammonia................ between 0 and 0.25 ( hard to see which one is

Nitrate .................... between 10 n 20

Nitrites ................... 0

Ph ........................... 7.6

Here I'm confused

Kh .......................... 12 drops until changed color

Gh .......................... 9 drops until color changed

Are these parameters good to add more fish in the tank ?
 
I'd be a little worried if the test is showing any ammonia at all, since any detectable amount is toxic to fish. But you're right, the test can be hard to read. Are you using the API liquid tests? If so, there shouldn't be any trace of green in the tube; what you want is a clear, bright yellow, almost orange. (I think--I hope I'm not getting my colors mixed up)

But assuming that it is really reading zero ammonia, and assuming you have fish that do well in hard water, and you have ample space in your tank, and enough filtration capacity, and you've chosen fish that are compatible? Sure, go for it. :)
 
WhistlingBadger said:
I'd be a little worried if the test is showing any ammonia at all, since any detectable amount is toxic to fish. But you're right, the test can be hard to read. Are you using the API liquid tests? If so, there shouldn't be any trace of green in the tube; what you want is a clear, bright yellow, almost orange. (I think--I hope I'm not getting my colors mixed up)

But assuming that it is really reading zero ammonia, and assuming you have fish that do well in hard water, and you have ample space in your tank, and enough filtration capacity, and you've chosen fish that are compatible? Sure, go for it. :)
Click to expand...
Well I have platties, swordtail s, mollies, pearl gouramies, yoyo loaches, corys, serpae tetras.
All going into a 125 gallons tank with 2 up to 75 gallons filter . All fish are in 2 tanks right now. The peral gouramies n yoyos in one tank n the livebearers n corys in the other
 
That amount of ammonia should not last and should not be bad for the fish. But, a cycled tank should not have any ammonia. You may have a false reading. if it persists at that level that is most likely.

In your tan,k even if the temp is 82F, 0.25 ppm of Total Ammonia is only .007 ppm of ammonia, NH3 (the toxic form) and .242 ppm of ammonium, NH4 (way way lest toxic).

This level or total ammonia should should not persist for long in a cycled tank. If it does, the odds are it is a false reading. Excess ammonia should usually produces some testable nitrite.

edited- I apologize for typing while distracted
 
Last edited:
TwoTankAmin said:
That amount of ammonia should not last and should not be bad for the fish. But a cycled tank should not have any ammonia. You may have a false reading. if it persists at that level that is most likely.

In your tank even if the temp is 82F 0.25 ppm of Total Ammonia is only .007 ppm of ammonia, NH3 (the toxic form) and .242 ppm of ammonium, NH4 (way way lest toxic).

This level or ttotal ammonia should not perdit should not persist for long in a cycled tank. If yi does the odds azre it is a false reading. Excess ammonai should usually produce some testable nitrite.
Click to expand...
Do u think I can add the fish from my other tank into the new one ?
 
Hi

I have the API master kit & an ammonia reading of yellow is zero and a obvious yellow at that. I don't think you would miss it.
 
I would give the tank one more day to 0 out for ammonia. If I does not, I would add ammonia to make the concentration 2 ppm. Then see what happens over the next 24 hours. If by then the ammonia is between 0 and 0.25 ppm, test for nitrite. It it is also 0, test for nitrate. If it is over 20 ppm do a water change and then move the fish over.

If you get ammonia over 0.25 and/or nitrite over 0, the tank is not properly cycled and you need to fix that with another ammonia dose or maybe even 2. My best guess is that you will see 0 - 0.25 and 0.

What I am suggesting above should confirm thins one way or the other and then what to do if the tank is not quite ready. One thing you can do if it is not quite ready before you add the 2nd ammonia addition would be to rinse out some of the filter media in one or both of the other tanks in the new one. You will be adding bacteria.

If you do this, turn off the lights in the new tank over night. Let the filter(s) suck in the gunk. Let some of end up in the substrate if it settles there. You can vac. out the gunk from on top of the substrate soon enough ;)
 
TwoTankAmin said:
I would give the tank one more day to 0 out for ammonia. If I does not, I would add ammonia to make the concentration 2 ppm. Then see what happens over the next 24 hours. If by then the ammonia is between 0 and 0.25 ppm, test for nitrite. It it is also 0, test for nitrate. If it is over 20 ppm do a water change and then move the fish over.

If you get ammonia over 0.25 and/or nitrite over 0, the tank is not properly cycled and you need to fix that with another ammonia dose or maybe even 2. My best guess is that you will see 0 - 0.25 and 0.

What I am suggesting above should confirm thins one way or the other and then what to do if the tank is not quite ready. One thing you can do if it is not quite ready before you add the 2nd ammonia addition would be to rinse out some of the filter media in one or both of the other tanks in the new one. You will be adding bacteria.

If you do this, turn off the lights in the new tank over night. Let the filter(s) suck in the gunk. Let some of end up in the substrate if it settles there. You can vac. out the gunk from on top of the substrate soon enough ;)
Click to expand...
Can't add ammonia I have some platties I put in there remember ?
 
Well I tested the ammonia again this morning n went outside to get more light n ammonia tested 0.
So I transfer all fish from the smaller tank into the big one
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20241109_142915_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20241109_142915_Gallery.jpg
    258.9 KB · Views: 11
  • Screenshot_20241109_142908_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20241109_142908_Gallery.jpg
    269.6 KB · Views: 8
  • Screenshot_20241109_142903_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20241109_142903_Gallery.jpg
    257.5 KB · Views: 9
I forgot about the platys, my bad. But it sounds like the problem self solved. However, there was the possibility of pulling out the platys temporarily to do the ammonia addition. should it have been needed. One more day often solves cycling issues.

Once we have a tank cycled or close to cycled upping the ammonia levels for whatever reason should cause the bacteria to multiply in response. In a good environment the ammonia bacteria can double their numbers in 8 hours and the nitrite ones in about 12.

Once we have aby given tanks cycled and stocked, any change in the general level of ammonia will results in a corrresponding chnage in the number of bacteria present. the ammonia ones have some wiggled room in that they are able toincrese theor ammonia intake some before they are trugeered to multiply. Rersuciton in ammonia levels resuls in reproduction sloweing, In either case everyday some number og them will die and these will be replaces as others reproduce.
 
TwoTankAmin said:
I forgot about the platys, my bad. But it sounds like the problem self solved. However, there was the possibility of pulling out the platys temporarily to do the ammonia addition. should it have been needed. One more day often solves cycling issues.

Once we have a tank cycled or close to cycled upping the ammonia levels for whatever reason should cause the bacteria to multiply in response. In a good environment the ammonia bacteria can double their numbers in 8 hours and the nitrite ones in about 12.

Once we have aby given tanks cycled and stocked, any change in the general level of ammonia will results in a corrresponding chnage in the number of bacteria present. the ammonia ones have some wiggled room in that they are able toincrese theor ammonia intake some before they are trugeered to multiply. Rersuciton in ammonia levels resuls in reproduction sloweing, In either case everyday some number og them will die and these will be replaces as others reproduce.
Click to expand...
Yeah well I had a new problem. The strainer in one of my filters got loose n felt in the tank without me noticing n 2 yoyo loaches got sucked in along with a baby black Molly I raised since she was a tiny baby. They all died. That filter is a 100 gallons filter so I had to replace it with a 40 gallons filter to keep the water going. So now I have a 100 gallons filter on the right side n a 40 gallons filter in the left side hopefully they will keep the 125 gallons tank working the water good
 
One of my filters lost thevstrainer n sucked up a yoyo loaches n a black baby molly killing em.
So I couldn't use that filter anymore without the strainer. I put a 30/40 gallons filter to replace that 70 gallons filter.
I still have another 70 gallons filter in the tank plus the 30/40 gallons one.
Would those two filters still keep my 125 gallons tank water running good ?
 
One thing you can do is to move the media from the old filter, if possible, to replacment filter. What won't fit there can got into a bag hung in the tank for a while. You should be OK doing that as you are keeping the bacteria in that media. You also have bacteria in the substrate. Between saving the media, the bigger filters and the substrate there should be enough that if there is excess ammonia, the bavteria will reproduce to cover that in relatively short order. Just keep and eye on things by testing for ammonia once or twice a day at about the same time if you can.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Stocking Advice - Medium (?) Hardness
Replies
5
Views
260
Colin_T
Colin_T
F
Fish in Cycling
2
Replies
16
Views
376
Bamf Comics
B
Tyler777
Urgent question
2
Replies
15
Views
609
Tyler777
Tyler777
Tyler777
Cycling tank
Replies
13
Views
606
Essjay
Essjay
Tyler777
Water parameters
Replies
12
Views
420
GaryE
GaryE

Most reactions

Useful Links

Back
Top