Cycling Finished - How Quick To Add Fish?

[SUBARU WRX]

Thank you. I called small local Boots who don't sell it. Larger store I tried has it in stock for £1.79 for 500ml bottle. Collecting it later as they are open until 8pm.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thank you. I called small local Boots who don't sell it. Larger store I tried has it in stock for £1.79 for 500ml bottle. Collecting it later as they are open until 8pm.

excellent

 

[SUBARU WRX]

Added the ammonia last night to both our new setups as both were showing 0 ammonia levels. My wifes tank showed 0 nitrite and 10 nitrate before I added it. Took it up to 5-6ppm and it is about 4ppm 12 hours later. So keep checking it until it goes to 0 ?

My tank showing 6-8ppm of ammonia after adding it last night, no real change this morning. My nitrite was 0.25 and nitrate 10-20 before adding ammonia. Will check levels again this evening.

 

[miniman]

Im new at this so may be missing something but it seems you got the same advice from your lfs as i did - ie. put the cycle in wait a week, test the water and as long as you have no ammonia or nitrite you are ready for your first fish. When I mentioned fishless cycling and amonia they laughed at me and told me not to believe what you read on the web so i didnt push it!

But the advice seems a bit strange to me - doesnt seem to be any point in testing the water? If the Cycle does work and you have a colony of bacteria then there wont be any ammonia or nitrite, but if it is a waste of time then you still wouldnt be getting any levels as you havnt added any source of ammonia and therefore the cycle hasnt even started - you may aswell just test your tap water?

Either way they then go onto speaking about adding one hardy fish etc etc - wihch if the Cycle had worked you wouldnt need to do!

It seems a bit missleading to me - people think that they have a cycled tank when they havn't... Im glad i found this site before I began!

 

[SUBARU WRX]

Fingers crossed the bacteria are busy eating up the ammonia.

 

[mark.w.jones]

Unfortunately most Fish Shop workers have either:

a: Been keeping fish for 30 years lad. All you need to do with that new tank is leave it a week then stick a couple of them zebra danios in for a bit then you can fully stock. Don't believe all that old crap on the internet.

b: Been working in a fish shop at the weekend for a week since they left school at 16. So all you need to do is leave that new tank empty for 4 - 5 days and then you can stick in that common plec and chinese alge eater.

c: Been working at a fish shop for a few years now. Know about fishless cycling with ammonia but won't recommend it as they won't then make any money from selling you a load of cycling products, ammo lock products, bacteria in a bottle products etc. etc.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Added the ammonia last night to both our new setups as both were showing 0 ammonia levels. My wifes tank showed 0 nitrite and 10 nitrate before I added it. Took it up to 5-6ppm and it is about 4ppm 12 hours later. So keep checking it until it goes to 0 ?

My tank showing 6-8ppm of ammonia after adding it last night, no real change this morning. My nitrite was 0.25 and nitrate 10-20 before adding ammonia. Will check levels again this evening.

ok so if the ammonia is not being used up and dropped back down to 0 within 12 hrs your tank isn't cycled, add ammonia to 5ppm every day and when it goes down to 0 in 12 hrs then your ready for fish.

sad to say JonseyUK is right about the vast majority of lfs employee's. however there are plenty of good uns out there, just keep hunting and when you find one stick with them!

 

[vinylman]

Am I the only person who gets sick and tired reading the duff advice handed out by these meatheads who somehow get jobs in a LFS?. They are there to keep selling you things. New tank? - of course you need cycle; Fish dying? - of course you need to buy some more; if they die come back and we'll sell you even more. Try to find a store where the people actually have tanks at home. It's not foolproof, but at least there's a fair chance they'll know what they're doing. My LFS of choice is just an ordinary pet shop. BUT - the guy in charge of the fish has several tanks at home, goes to buy the fish himself (so he can see the stock before he buys them), and ASKS potential customers what their water conditions are. If they want something that's not feasible, he won't won't do business with them. I know, I'm very, very lucky.

 

[SUBARU WRX]

Been adding the ammonia to bring it up to 5ppm and now for the first time my wifes tank has 0ppm ammonia after 12 hours. Nitrite is 2, nitrate is 5-10. So I take it we need to add more ammonia again and check until both ammonia and nitrite are 0 then do water change and add fish?

My tank is still showing 2ppm ammonia after 12 hours, dropping to 0ppm after 24 hours. However my tank has got algae growing on the front, some of the gravel and a rock appear to be gone rusty in the last 12 hours too. Is this normal or any reason?

Thanks.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Been adding the ammonia to bring it up to 5ppm and now for the first time my wifes tank has 0ppm ammonia after 12 hours. Nitrite is 2, nitrate is 5-10. So I take it we need to add more ammonia again and check until both ammonia and nitrite are 0 then do water change and add fish?

My tank is still showing 2ppm ammonia after 12 hours, dropping to 0ppm after 24 hours. However my tank has got algae growing on the front, some of the gravel and a rock appear to be gone rusty in the last 12 hours too. Is this normal or any reason?

Thanks.

correct for your wife's tank, nearly there!

the 'rust' will be a form of algae, algae is common in tanks with bacterial blooms such as when cycling, so yes completely normal. it should die down to a reasonable level when your done, if it doesn't then somethings not quite right and although it's unlikely to be a massive issue it'll be worth looking into, asking in the planted forum is normally best when it comes to algae problems.

 

[SUBARU WRX]

Getting excited now its almost cycled. Maybe fish purchases at the weekend.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

what fish are you thinking of getting?

 

[SUBARU WRX]

Start off with some tetra neons (4) then add a pair of dwarf gourami's the following week or so.

 

[vinylman]

Start off with some tetra neons (4) then add a pair of dwarf gourami's the following week or so.

Please don't use Neon Tetras as first fish; like Cardinals, they should be only added to MATURED tanks. Ask at your LFS shop; explain that these are the first fish to go in, and if you buy something like Platys or Danios can you take them back to swap for something else in 3-4 weeks. Mind you, from what you were told about cycling by your LFS, you might not get very far with them. And have patience, don't add fish every week; your filter needs to catch up with each addition to your tank. A little patience now will avoid a lot of problems later on.

 

[miniman]

I thought the whole point in cycling was that the tank is matured and you can add between 70 -100 % stock? Surely if you add slowly all that good bacteria you have bred will die back and you will start again with a fish cycle each time you add more fish?