Ask Questions About Cycling

[eaglesaquarium]

Also, when changing the water how much to change and how often? Once a month? I have read some sources that say 25% every month, how is that done? I am very new at this. Just siphen out some water and replace with new water? thanks!

 
How much and how often to change the water really depends on your stock.  If the tank is heavily stocked, you'll need to change the water more frequently and larger percentage.   Lighter stocking doesn't need the changes to be as large or as frequent.
 
I've seen the 25% per month recommendation.  I completely disagree with that.  Most people overstock their tank.  Which means that they will need to change the water much more frequently than that.  25% weekly is a minimum, in my opinion.  Also, during the change you want to be siphoning up the detritus that is in the tank to really clean the tank.  Its not just about the water, but the 'poo', etc. as well.
 
 
In general, the water change regimen should be such that (both in frequency and percentage) to keep the tank's nitrate level between 20-40 ppm higher than the tap water.  Lower is generally better.
 
My personal recommendation for water changes are this:
Weekly 25%
Monthly 50%
Semi-annual 75%
 
Each change comes with a siphon of the substrate.
Monthly changes should include a filter media rinse (in old tank water).
Every 6 months you should pull apart the filter and rinse it off in old tank water.  Clean the impellors, etc.

 

[Mar0811]

Thanks! Now is the cycling the same for saltwater? I know the water cannot be tap water and salt must be added but how does the cycling process differ? 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You can add 'live rock' and if you add sufficient amounts, you can be instantly cycled.
 
If I understand the way it works.

 

[Alexarium]

My tank is now cycled, but I won't be able to add fish until next week.
I'll probably add plants in 3 days.
What should I do to sustain the water conditions?

 

[Essjay]

This is from TwoTankAmin's instructions:
 

 
If for any reason you are unable to stock the tank when it is cycled, you can continue adding ammonia to keep the tank cycled. For this you should add the 1/3 snack amount every 2-3 days. The bacteria do not need to be fed every day and will be fine. Don’t forget the water change before adding the fish.

 
The 'snack' amount is one third of the amount of ammonia you used to get 3ppm.

 

[Alexarium]

Damn, I remembered I had seen that somewhere... 

 
Thank you.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The ammonia oxidizing bacteria are different for sw then fw but the nitrite oxidizers are the same. Salinity affects the selection of bacteria in a system.
 
Experiments done where tanks are cycled for fw first and then converted to sw got through a several week period of readjusting before the ammonia bacs establish again.

 

[fishheart]

I have an established 29 gal with two filter units presently. I just completed the set up of a 75 gal and want to get the cycle going. I thought  would do a water change on the 29 subtracting about ten gal of waste from it and putting it into the 75 along with one of the dirty foam filters. I've waited to change the water in the 29 a few days longer than usual and the nitrates are climbing up. Would this be a good idea to start the cycle in the 75 or no? Thanks!

 

[melth14]

I have read a lot of posts under various topics on the forum, but without finding a clear answer to my question so I hope asking here is appropriate.  I am currently cycling a new 180 litre tank (my first!) and have been following the instructions on fishless cycling posted on this site - thank you for clear guidance as I was getting a bit confused with all the (sometimes conflicting) information on the web.  I am currently in week 6 and everything has been going well and behaving as expected. I am waiting for my ammonia and nitrite levels to drop to 0ppm. The ammonia is dropping to 0 within 24 hours of addition, but the nitrites are very slow to drop, currently at 2 at 48 hours.  They did get down to 0.25 before I added the most recent dose of ammonia.  Is this normal?  Do I just need to be patient?  I haven't done a water change yet as I am expecting to do a big one before getting my first fish.  As a newbie I want to get this right and give the fish their best chance so I am probably a bit over anxious!  Thank you in anticipation .....

 

[Alexarium]

I'd like to see the answer to the post above as exactly the same thing with nitrites is happening to me while I'm cycling my second tank. (The well known syndrome you see...)
Thank you.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

It is normal... Just be patient.  Also, don't add much in the way of ammonia daily right now, even as little as 1ppm is sufficient to keep the ammonia oxidizing bacteria ticking along.  The nitrite oxidizing bacteria will catch up.

 

[Alexarium]

Thanks. Patience always pays back...

 

[TwoTankAmin]

No need to add ammonia daily.
 
Nitrite bacs start to develop later and also do so slower than ammonia ones. This means ammonia is handled long before nitrite. Your test kit doesn't read anywhere near high enough to tell you if nitrites are high enough to halt the cycle or to damage the bacteria. The total number of ammonia additions one should need, according the the cycling directions, is five*. The first 2 are fulls amounts for the tank and then one is 1/3 of the full amount as a snack. This will be followed by 1 or 2 more at the full amount (the final addition is the one that gives 0/0 within 24 hours and shows that one is fully cycled).
 
The directions here were written to make it almost impossible for one to over dose ammonia as long as the directions are followed. The single most important part of that is one also can not exceed nitrite at a level most likely cannot measure (unless one can do proper diluted testing). Therefore adding ammonia in greater amounts than directed and/or more often than directed increases the likelihood one will have a failed to cycle or needlessly extended cycle.
 
* Some cycles need only one, more often it takes two. Occasionally, it can take more.

 

[Alexarium]

My tank is at the stage where ammonia is zero-ed within 24 hours but nitrite is zero-ed within 48 hours (after a full dosing).
I assume the tank is still not cycled.
Is there any way to help the nitrite bacteria build up?

 

[BriansAquarium]

keep dosing ammonia and wait it out. Doses should be very small though, just feeding doses, at least that is what i'm doing with my 45 gallon, and it seems to be working well.