After the cycle?

Samfoy

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So when your pars read 0 0 and under 20 nitrates what comes next? With some algae on my spider wood, glass and rocks should I be looking at what for a cleaning crew? No chemicals please. Then dithers and then finally the main fish for show?
 
If the tank has cycled and the filters are removing ammonia quickly, do a 90-100% water change and gravel clean the substrate. Wait a couple of days and then add some fish.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
 
You brought up a question I've wanted to ask. When I do a water change, do I treat the new water (20% in a bucket - 3 to 4 gal.) from the tap before I add it to the tank with Prime? Or, treat all 16 gallons after I add the new water into the tank? Ops, 90 - 100%?
 
I add the water treatment to the bucket (the amount to match what is in the bucket). I also have two buckets, so I mix the new batch and let it stand while I remove the dirty water in the second bucket. (Probably works ok like this as it’s a small tank with 10 ltrs a week water change).
 
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Treating only the new water - sounds good. Would it be ok to treat the whole tank with Prime a few times a weeks? Especially during a cycle period or not?
 
I’m not familiar with Prime, but a quick Google says it ‘detoxifies ammonia, nitrite and nitrate’.
I’m not sure that you want to be ‘altering’ these readings if you are still cycling the tank..? If you have fallen into the trap of not knowing about cycling before adding fish, and therefore doing a fish in cycle, then the advice might be different.
I‘d probably await more qualified advice from @Essjay or some of the other, more experienced fish keepers 🙂
 
When I do a water change, do I treat the new water (20% in a bucket - 3 to 4 gal.) from the tap before I add it to the tank with Prime?
You should dechlorinate the tap water before adding it to the aquarium.
 
So when your pars read 0 0 and under 20 nitrates what comes next? With some algae on my spider wood, glass and rocks should I be looking at what for a cleaning crew? No chemicals please. Then dithers and then finally the main fish for show?
I think that most of the ‘cleaning crew’ e.g. shrimps prefer an established tank rather than a newly cycled one?
 
Is this a fishless cycle? If it is, all the ammonia you've been adding encourages algae to grow. The simplest things is to scrub the wood and rocks to remove the algae. Then work out how to stop it growing again.
Any live plants?
If not, have the tank lights on for just a few hours as too much light will encourage the algae to grow again.
If yes, you need to find the balance between not enough light and too much light for plant growth; and the balance between not enough plant fertiliser and too much plant fertiliser.

@NannaLou Prime binds ammonia and nitrite but the bacteria can still use them. But it does interfere with the ammonia test.
 
I am using a few hardy neons for their ammonia. I got a cup size of substrate in a bag from a friend that is cycled, also have a few plants - lights are needed. Added 3 other bags of matrix bio that have not cycled yet. then added Fritze 7 for good bacteria. I'm on day 18 now and all are thriving - I perceive. 0 amm, .25 nitrite, and 20 nitrate. No more animal will be added until all is good and at least another 3-4 weeks.
 
Ah, so you are doing a fish-in cycle. With this type of cycle, you have to test every day and do a water change whenever ammonia or nitrite are above zero. The tank will be cycled for the current fish when both ammonia and nitrite stay at zero for a week.

After that you can add more fish. Since you have 3 neons now, you need to add more, though having been through a fishless cycle the current neons won't be in the best of health as they are not hardy fish nowadays. It is safe to add more fish equivalent to a third of the fish in the tank now. Strictly speaking this means just 1 neon, but adding more one at a time is not good practice for shoaling fish so I would get another 3 and be prepared for a spike in ammonia and nitrite. Test every day and again do water changes every time either reads above zero.

You don't say how big the tank is, or what fish you want to get, but with a fish-in cycle you need to take things slowly. Adding too many fish at once will cause ammonia to increase a lot and it takes a while for the bacteria to catch up.


Re the algae, if you get live plants this will help combat algae as well as making the fish feel safer and taking up a lot of ammonia. Plants don't turn ammonia into nitrite either. Floating plants are best for taking up ammonia and they make the fish feel safer. They don't know there isn't a bird lurking just out of sight waiting to pounce and floating plants give the fish something to hide under.
 
OK - I just tested. 0 amm. , 0 nitrite , and 20ish nitrate. PH is 7.5. All I have to deal with is fuzz on the spider wood and a bit of brown algae. Yah!
I think I need some help cleaning the algae. What do you suggest for this 16 gallon? Water change too, finally!!! I am on the fence with Rams or Gourami's. Or even Apisto.
 
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I can’t see the tank dimensions for the tank you are filling, I think it’s 16 gallons? What are the dimensions please?
 

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