Hi i just got a 200 litre tank set up on tuesday i put some gravel in some tights and a log from an established tank and squeezed a filter sponge into it. Today i tested the water and ammonia was at 0 nitrite 0 and nitrate at 40 does this mean it has cycled already?
Cycle Help
- Thread starter mark4hay
- Start date
Whitey_144
Fishaholic
are you dosing with ammonia? i believe its cycled once the filter can convert a certain amount of ammonia (5ppm?) to nitrate in 12hrs.
BIG BAD BARRY
Fishaholic
Mark4hay
Congrats on your new tank!
Your tank has not cycled.
Go to the link below for this forum and have a read, particularly the cycling section.
There are some excellent folk here to help you along the way as they are helping me and many others at the moment.
Basically, you need to get your filter biologically ready to be able to cope with fish and their waste.
The items that you have added from an established tank will help but any useful bacteria in there will need 'food' to stay alive and work in your aquarium. Thats where the ammonia comes in.
Have a read, detail some more info about your setup including filter etc and you will be on your way.
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/
Congrats on your new tank!
Your tank has not cycled.
Go to the link below for this forum and have a read, particularly the cycling section.
There are some excellent folk here to help you along the way as they are helping me and many others at the moment.
Basically, you need to get your filter biologically ready to be able to cope with fish and their waste.
The items that you have added from an established tank will help but any useful bacteria in there will need 'food' to stay alive and work in your aquarium. Thats where the ammonia comes in.
Have a read, detail some more info about your setup including filter etc and you will be on your way.
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/
Aqua Tom
Fish Gatherer
Yes, the plants will compete with the bacteria in your filter for the ammonia, nitrite & nitrate so giving you false readings. Its best to leave the plants untill the end of the cycle just before introducing fish. This is why I am only introducing plants now after 55 days of cycling.
Aqua Tom
Fish Gatherer
Dont panic, its still ok. It will just mean that the readings you get will be from the bacteria in your filter & the plants.
I am sure waterdrop will be along soon to set me right
I am sure waterdrop will be along soon to set me right
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Yes Tom, having the plants in during the fishless cycle is really a pretty minor thing and more people fishless cycle with them in (because of not knowing before they get them) than do it without (it's still a little more ideal to do it without, but we'll be able to help mark4hay compensate I'm sure.)
One of the main things we see is a little greater risk of algae, since the plants will need light. Knowing that, it's good I think to start the light off at a very low 6 hours or so per day and then be prepared to lower that even to 4 hours if algae appears. Light plus ammonia is what triggers algae spores to switch over to plants and there'll be plenty of ammonia in there.
So it sounds like mark4hay is revved up with a nice tank, filter and API kit and the next step is to find some of the right type of simple household ammonia! That can sometimes be a bit of an adventure and we all like hearing how it goes
. The right stuff has no dyes, fragrances, surfactants or soaps and when you shake it you should just see large bubbles for 2 or 3 seconds like water, no foam. Let the members know approximately where you live and they'll recommend good places to look.
~~waterdrop~~
One of the main things we see is a little greater risk of algae, since the plants will need light. Knowing that, it's good I think to start the light off at a very low 6 hours or so per day and then be prepared to lower that even to 4 hours if algae appears. Light plus ammonia is what triggers algae spores to switch over to plants and there'll be plenty of ammonia in there.
So it sounds like mark4hay is revved up with a nice tank, filter and API kit and the next step is to find some of the right type of simple household ammonia! That can sometimes be a bit of an adventure and we all like hearing how it goes
. The right stuff has no dyes, fragrances, surfactants or soaps and when you shake it you should just see large bubbles for 2 or 3 seconds like water, no foam. Let the members know approximately where you live and they'll recommend good places to look.~~waterdrop~~
BIG BAD BARRY
Fishaholic
The fish flakes will take time to breakdown and there is no way to tell how much ammonia a few flakes will produce each time.
Also, throughout the process to establish the good bacteria in your filter, the amount of ammonia added during the different stages will vary.
Also, throughout the process to establish the good bacteria in your filter, the amount of ammonia added during the different stages will vary.
Aqua Tom
Fish Gatherer
The whole idea of adding ammonia rather than fish food is that you can dose extremely accuratly which is impossible with flakes.
BIG BAD BARRY
Fishaholic
Your aim is to cycle the filter for the tank where the bacteria are going to colonise and live, not the water.
I stand to be corrected on this but it may be best to allow the filter that will stay in the new tank to develop by itself and be stable as i would imagine the established filter bacteria will otherwise do the work during the cycling process. Possibly take longer to reach the same stage? You will still need to feed the bacteria with ammonia.
You could take a maximum of a third of media or sponge from the existing filter and put it into the new filter to 'seed' it.
I am currently running two internal filters side by side (in an established tank with fish) with the aim of replacing the older one which is smaller. It has been 4-5 weeks and there is no way it would be ready yet.
Unfortunately, nothing is going to happen overnight or immediately.
I stand to be corrected on this but it may be best to allow the filter that will stay in the new tank to develop by itself and be stable as i would imagine the established filter bacteria will otherwise do the work during the cycling process. Possibly take longer to reach the same stage? You will still need to feed the bacteria with ammonia.
You could take a maximum of a third of media or sponge from the existing filter and put it into the new filter to 'seed' it.
I am currently running two internal filters side by side (in an established tank with fish) with the aim of replacing the older one which is smaller. It has been 4-5 weeks and there is no way it would be ready yet.
Unfortunately, nothing is going to happen overnight or immediately.
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