Ask Questions About Cycling

[FungusTrooper]

Well, I added 3ppm 2 days ago, so I'll wait 'til tomorrow and test - I'm assuming it'll be 0 again, then I'll take your advice and see just how quickly it's going down.
 
This is actually going to be an emergency tank for newcomers/etc before we put them into one of our "real" tanks, so I have no fish I wish to immediately put in there. Or, failing that, we might use it as a female betta tank. If we do go that route, I'll take your advice and stock, if not, we'll do the 3ppm daily thing.
 
Oh, I didn't mention, but we also took some media from one of our old tanks - a heavily planted single golden gourami tank, so it may have had some beneficial bacs left on it, further speeding the process, haha!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

AHA! I knew there seemed to be something helping. Perhaps the single biggest advantage to having bottled bacteria or seeding of bacteria from another tank is that it contains the nitrite oxidizing bacteria. Instead of the ammonia bacs building up and creating nitrite into basically a bacterial void for nitrite, right from the start there are bacteria to consume the nitrite and to reproduce. This means both groups are reproducing side by side from the start rather than in a consecutive fashion. The normal lag time for nitrite bacs is reduced or even eliminated.

 

[danzo]

hi im fairly new and just to some advise my new tank has gone milky cloudy and is like a slight bit of milk has been poured in i believe its a bacterial bloom but unsure what kind 
 
i have just started a new tent and then added water along with  nutrafin aqua plus using the required dose i then left this for just over an 1hr to circulate then added nutrafin cycle i have completed 2 does 2 days as sated it has come to the 3rd day and i have tested my water but heres just some information about my normal tap water and my tank water at the moment 
 
normal tap water 
 
ammonia 1 , nitrate 0.5 , nitrite 50 , gh 50 , kh 270 and ph 6.4 
 
water in tank 
 
ammonia 0 , nitrate 25, nitrite 0 , gh 125, kh 75 , ph 6.4 
 
setup 24c thermostat fluvel u2 and air curtian at back susbtrate is white stone depth is bout 2cm rising to about 6 cm at the back 
 
but i have this cloudy water still what do you believ this is any advised would be very grateful thanks ank a 40 litre pretty small i must admit never the less i have cleaned it out including the substrate until it ran clear i then added all the equipm

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The white stuff is a heterotrophic bacteria feeding on many of the materials in the tank.  They will eat until the food source is gone, and then they will disappear.  This is quite common in new set-ups.  Nothing to worry about.  Water changes are useless, as they will just reproduce (and do so VERY rapidly).  They will disappear once the food source is gone, usually in a few days up to a week.  Just wait it out.
 
I'm not a fan of nutrafin cycle... any product that states clearly on its label and directions that it needs to be continually added to the tank, as they do, is not a long-term solution.

 

[danzo]

thanks very much didnt think it was much to worry about regarding nutrafin cycle has raised a question i no this is the good bacteria that breaks down ammonia ext but as theres no ammonia in my tank and i know once the bacteria has eaten all the kh and other stuff in the water they will disappear i im gussing during this i will start to see ammonia rise as they give off this and then i will start to see higher levels of nitrite and then start to see nitrate the if this is correct is there naything i should be doing inbeteen as im guessing this stuff will give off high ammonia or will the nitrifying bacteria clear this up 

 

[danzo]

just a quick update my water has now gone clear seams heterotrophic bacteria has left the tank just a quick question on what i should do next 
 
i have juts done another water test to see what im getting and heres the results 
 
ammonia 0.2 
nitrate 15 
nitrite 0.5 
gh 100
kh 100
ph 7.4 
previous results during the heterotrophic bacteria bloom was 
 
ammonia 0 
nitrate 25
nitrite 0 
gh 125
kh 75 
ph 7.4
 
am i going well or is there something else i should be doing thanks for any replies  from what i know just keep waiting for amonia to drop and nitrites to 0 out but if this is the case my tank has been cycled in less than 4 days ... dont think this is right 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nutrafin cycle is supposed to speed up the process.
 
I'd add more ammonia, as below 0.25ppm means you will be out of ammonia soon for those bacteria.  I'd push it back to 2-3ppm.  Test in another 24 hours.  I would stop adding Nutrafin cycle once the bottle is emptied, and see if the ammonia and nitrite still lower the same way.

 

[danzo]

Ok thanks for the reply will do I'll will update as soon as I'm seeing higher results I thank you for your reply and very much for your help

 

[Ch4rlie]

Sorry to jump in this thread, have been reading with interest about cycling process.
 
I, too, am going through a fishless cycle and am waiting for nitrite to spike but the only difference between danzo and mine is he added nutrafin cycle during his process and I have not. I do have a bottle of nutrafin cycle that came with the tank set up when i bought it. Did not really trust it (don't know why really) and just added ammonia and basically decided on a case of wait and see.
 
Also, have not done any water changes since the 2nd day of cycle due to cloudy water then added ammonia as did not wash gravel properly before adding water!! Newbie mistake! FYI readings have been at 3ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrite for the last week or so, no changes so far, hopefully this is normal.
 
Does Nutrafin Cycle actually work and does it contain any good benefits for the tank cycle?

 

[danzo]

Hi ch4rlie that's ok where all here for the same reason I used to have a tropical tank but have just lost faith and forgot a lot of things so just trying to re jog my memory basically and seeing if there is any new tips or better advise I would leave your tank to clear the cloudy water and I added the nuterfin cycle whilst having the bacterial bloom your having and it's really cleared up the bloom went within 2 days and the water is becoming clearer each day I think k your doing fine as you didn't clean your tank and your substrate the bloom will take longer to cclear as they are feeding on the metrials/minerals in your water once the bacterial bloom as passed I would then clean your substrate but don't take my advise if you belive I'm not correct just like to help you too

 

[Ch4rlie]

Thanks for that info, good to know.

 

[danzo]

Last time I had a rank I used nuterfin cycle it's not what I belive people my use these day as you have to keep adding it but it's something I'm used to using I would add the cycle to your tank and keep adding it everyday until you start to see ammonia go down and and you start getting higher nitrite the reason your not seeing any nitrite is there's no beneficial bacteria which is in the nuterfin cycle to break down the ammonia I would there for start adding it as instructed and keep adding it each day instill you start seeing nitrite rise I have also seen this helps clear up the bloom your having quicker to as it helps to speed up the process of the cycle hope I've helped in somewhat can I ask where you got your ammonia from as your based in the UK I looked around here but couldn't find any I seen the cycle thing but the pictures won't load for some reason thank you

 

[Ch4rlie]

Ta!
 
Ok, had a bit of an issue with ammonia myself, based on advice from a different forum, I went and got a bottle of Homebase own brand household ammonia which is at 9.5% Ammonium Hydroxide which seemed to be the right stuff but after I dosed the tank with this, I read on this forum NOT to buy any ammonia that froths when shaken, this bottle does!!! Too late! 

 
So decided not to use this Homebase stuff anymore and got this one from eBay, have not used this yet as am waiting for ammonia readings to drop. Gotta be careful with dosage though as its at 35% strength. Hope that helps. 
 
http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Concentrated-Aquarium-Ammonia-for-Fishless-Cycling-Fish-Tank-Use-High-Strength-/181130184497?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2a2c334731

 

[danzo]

you stated earlier that your readings where at 3ppm was this just by leaving the tank or did you add ammonia to the tank ( think im just miss understanding you the ammonia on ebay you have seen is quite strong but has your natural ammonia if this has been rising without you adding any then id just add some cycle to start your good bacteria off once this starts in your filter your ammonia should then drop and nitrites  should rise and youll be even closer to a cycled tank 

and im not to sure abut this ammonia that frothes when shaken and you said that you have have does your tank in this is this correct if so i dont know whats best to advise you now i would see what the otheres say 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Slight misunderstanding. I had added the Homebase ammonia to my tank then I realised it may be the wrong stuff as it froths when shaken.
 
Thats why I have doubts about that particular ammonia from Homebase, its not going to be used any longer.
 
I have NOT used the ammonia from eBay yet as am still waiting for ammonia readings from to drop.
 
Hope that clears things a bit. Am not the best when trying to write English, as in my mind, its nice and clear, on paper it turns to garbage!!