Cycle

[Ginge]

My tank has been cycling for about a week now Nitrate about 10 Nitrite 0 Ammonia 0 Ph 7.5-8.5 safe to add fish???

 

[Squid]

My tank has been cycling for about a week now Nitrate about 10 Nitrite 0 Ammonia 0 Ph 7.5-8.5 safe to add fish???

That would be the quickest cycle i have seen on the forum.! The readings would indicate that the water is safe for fish, but would also make me question whether the tank has been cycled according to a fishless cycle and if it really is cycled as it seems a little to quick.

What method did you use to cycle the tank.?

Can your tank deal with 3-4ppm of ammonia within 12 hours?

and

Are the nitrates at 10 following a large water change, as this i believe would normally be a much higher reading.

Cheers
Squid

 

[Ginge]

Well those results are from last nite and i just did some now resutls are:
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
nitrate=7
Ph=Betwenn 7.5 and 8.5 on chart

I added Nutrafin Cycle and Nutrafine Water Conditioner upon setup along with this teabag thing i got with the tank that was meant to get rid of nitrite in the tank. It has now been cycling a week and i have a Fluval 305 on the 200l tank with the heater at 25DC or 77FH??? I dont know i was shoked too

 

[Squid]

Have you been adding amonia too then.. the cycle stuff will only help introduce the bacteria i believe, but will still require ammonia to be added. i may be corrected

 

[Ginge]

Rite so if i do a 10% water change and after that the stats are after 12hours
Ammonia=0
Nitrites=0
Nitrates=Around 10
Ph=7.5-8.5 then i am ok to add fish.

 

[seanc]

The cycle product is only useful is kept at a constant low temperature: if it wasn't at any point and was outside a fridge the basteria will be dead. If you haven't added any source of ammonnia then the basteria will be dead. if its dead then the nitrate reading are just from the tapwater, and you won't ever get an ammonia/nitrite spike.

 

[Squid]

The cycle product is only useful is kept at a constant low temperature: if it wasn't at any point and was outside a fridge the basteria will be dead. If you haven't added any source of ammonnia then the basteria will be dead. if its dead then the nitrate reading are just from the tapwater, and you won't ever get an ammonia/nitrite spike.

Ginge.. it sounds like your tank is not cycled unfortunately. Ive never used the cycle product, but from the comment above it seems that my concerns may have been correct.

Have you been adding ammonia?

Will be a pain for you if it is not cycled, as you will be back to square one, but at least no fish were harmed in the process eh..

Good luck
Squid

 

[Ginge]

But i thought you didnt want ammonia???
Yes i have read the really good post on it is there no way i can cycle my tank without this pure ammonia in a bottle stuff.

P.S it wouldnt be dead or else every fish shop i have ever been to has been selling me dead bacteria in
these bottles as it is not refigerated and there is nothin on the bottle that says to keep it redigerated.

 

[Squid]

Im afraid an ammonia source is an important part of the fishless cycle. You are right that you do not want ammonia in the tank when you add the fish, but ammonia is required during the fishless cycle to encourage the bacteria to develop. The means that with the bacteria present (which is what cycle may help with) when your new fish are added and produce ammonia from their waste, then the tank is set up to cope with it and break down the ammonia.

There are alternatives to using the ammonia bottles, such as adding fish flake, but this is much harder to control as it takes a while to break down into ammonia, and so the levels are hard to judge and monitor.

Ammonias cheap, and available from homebase for a couple of quid.

Squid

But i thought you didnt want ammonia???
Yes i have read the really good post on it is there no way i can cycle my tank without this pure ammonia in a bottle stuff.

P.S it wouldnt be dead or else every fish shop i have ever been to has been selling me dead bacteria in
these bottles as it is not refigerated and there is nothin on the bottle that says to keep it redigerated.

The cycle stuff may encourage the bacteria seed, but cannot be relied on as the sole source of bacteria. It may then speed up the cycling process.. but without the ammonia as food, the bacteria will then die in your tank, and halt the cycle.. as the other post stated, the stats you give are similar to that of some peoples tap water..

Squid

 

[Ginge]

For me its not the price its getting hold of the product as i have no transport.
P.S would it help if i rinsed out my 10G filter spounges in the one cyling.

 

[seanc]

The only product I'v heard of working is BioSpira when kept cold enough.. can't you use some basteria from one of your mature aquariums?

 

[Ginge]

The only product I'v heard of working is BioSpira when kept cold enough.. can't you use some basteria from one of your mature aquariums?

Thats what i asked in the previous post. Guess u missed it

 

[seanc]

Sorry i guess I was typing as you edited lol. Yes it would help, though the easiest way to cycle your tank would be to clone one of your other tanks: simply run your new filter in the old tank till the basteria builds up.

 

[Ginge]

Fluval 305 in a 10G bit to much i think i have just rinsed the old tank spounges off in the new one should i do this dayly or how often?

 

[seanc]

Once should be fine but you'll need to add ammonnia to keep the bacteria alive.