2 Tanks Cycling 1 Good One Not So?

[kris2112]

i have a 55g tank that is fully cycled
i also have a 10g which has been up and running for 2 weeks longer than 55g

55g has had no traces of ammonia or nitrite for about a 9 days

10 g has not even had any signs of nitrite and ammonia is usually between 0.25 and 1
it has 1 phantom tetra and 2 swordtails. has done since a week after starting up.

also did a fish in cycle in 55g with no losses and ammonia and nitrite was low all the time except for 2 spikes

any ideas y my 10g isnt moving on

one last thing i added some gravel from an established tank to filters in both tanks at the same time
roughly a week after setting up 55g tank.

 

[waterdrop]

How many weeks has the 10g been fish-in cycling?

Any chance the filter in the 10g might not be adequate?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[kris2112]

the 10 g has been about 5 - 6 weeks
the filter came with the tank its a rena tank and a rena filter so it should be fine

 

[waterdrop]

OK, Its probably just taking longer than the 55, no big deal.

Has the progression of the cycle in the 10g been fairly normal?

(Have you seen first a wait for ammonia to drop at all, then ammonia dropping in 24 hours, then the nitrite(NO2) spike where it goes as high as the test can, then finally nitrite beginning to drop to zero in 24 hours... that sort of progression of the process?)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[kris2112]

no havent had any nitrite whatsoever.
ammonia seems to be stable at around 0.25 gradually growning to 1.0 till i water change.

i have been doing a good 30% - 40% every 3- 4 days to ensure ammonia stays low but i wouldnt have thought this would effect it to much as the bacteria tends to grow in the filter media and on the ornaments.
i know these are pretty large water changes but would rather keep my fish safe and take a little more time on it.

could it be because there are 3 fish in there maybe to much ammonia for a 10g tank being fed to the bacteria they have been in there for about 4 weeks now and doing fine with the water changes.

 

[waterdrop]

Doesn't sound normal to me. The 10g you say has been fish-in cycling for 5-6 weeks, so potentially 2 weeks longer than average for these to finish, and yet it is measuring .25 to 1.0 ammonia and you are still having to do water changes. And you haven't ever seen nitrite(NO2.) This seems too slow, as if something is wrong but I can't see what. Maybe some other member will. I can't remember if you had some changes occur along the way -- you say the current fish came in only 4 weeks ago?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[kris2112]

yes thats right my 55g tank went along perfectly just as i thought it would
i knew the 10g wouuld be a little more complicated but think its a little to long with little progress the fish have been in there 4 weeks maybe even 5

 

[waterdrop]

How were the bacteria getting food prior to the fish being in there?

-wd-

 

[kris2112]

hadnt introduced any ammonia b4 adding fish tank was running for 1 week then put fish in

 

[waterdrop]

Fish-in cycle would start right after the ammonia source is established, so your cycle has only been going 4 weeks.. still doesn't seem normal not to have seen at least traces of nitrite with your tests. Were you testing at least once or twice a day?

~~waterdrop~~