cycling tank

[Kribensis]

I started cycling a 70ltr tank 13 days ago, i have done regular test on the tank and i've had no ammonia/nitrites though my nitrate is 50mg/l.

I'm cycling with 5 danio's.

 

[Spat_si]

I think your tank ic cycled though... but don't put to many fish in at a time because it will overload and your bacteria will not be able to handle it.

 

[Kribensis]

hi, thanx for replying.

I want to use the tank for my jewel fry, will it be safe to put a few in at atime?

 

[Silly me]

Yes you could add a few in at a time keep a eye on the ammonia & nitrites, but I would say your fine

 

[pendragon]

Kribensis, that's some kind of rocket-cycling if your tank completely cycled in 13 days. It's hard to believe, but I guess perhaps it's possible. Some questions:

Was the entire tank setup new? Did you transplant filter media, gravel, etc from an established tank? Or start entirely from ground zero?

Did you add any bacteria starter to jumpstart the cycle (BioSpira, Cycle, etc.)?

You mention you've done regular water tests, have you ever detected ammonia or nitrite in those 13 days? Or have you never detected either one?

Have you detected your nitrate levels as they climbed to 50 ppm? Or did you just measure and suddenly - *BOOM* - 50 ppm nitrate? Was your nitrate zero beforehand? Or has it always been 50 ppm? Is the nitrate level still climbing?

pendragon!

 

[Kribensis]

Hi there, right, i added rocks and bogwood from a matured tank, and squeezed my filter sponges from 2 of my matured tanks in there too.

I have never detected ammonia or nitrites, but nitrates have been detectable from about day 9, it was at 100mg/l and has now dropped in the last 2 days.

I never used any "cycle" or "bio start". Have not done any water changes either.

And i'm using a ugf aswell.

 

[pendragon]

I have never detected ammonia or nitrites, but nitrates have been detectable from about day 9, it was at 100mg/l and has now dropped in the last 2 days.

Well, the transplanted bacteria are definitely going to play in your favor. It still seems unlikely to me, but I guess it's possible enough bacteria was "transplanted" in the rocks, bogwood and such to keep ammonia and nitrite undetectable with a bio-load of only five danios. I still think you should have seen measurable amounts of ammonia and nitrite at some point, though. I would've expected a "mini-cycle", at the very least. If you are feeding the fish very sparingly, maybe they're not excreting enough for ammonia to have accumulated measurable amounts yet (though I think even this is unlikely)?

However, the part that really has me baffled...

*scratching head*

Your nitrates were not detectable, then detectable at 100 ppm, and then dropped down to 50 ppm? That doesn't sound likely. First, 100 ppm is a lot of nitrate. It should take a good while to accumulate that much, especially with as light a bio-load as you have. Second, nitrate doesn't "go anywhere" (to my knowledge) unless you dilute it with water changes. Once it's in the water it stays there. It only leaves the tank when you siphon water out. It shouldn't go down.

Are you certain your test kit is accurate? Those results give me serious reservations. Things just aren't lining up right.

If it were my tank, I would keep monitoring water parameters for 7 to 10 more days. I wouldn't feel good about putting fish in there until my test results were consistently indicative of a cycled tank. IMHO, there's not enough consistency in the facts thus far to convince me that cycling has completed properly. But that's just me.

pendragon!

 

[Kribensis]

i used 2 different testskits, the first time nitrate was picked up at 100mg/l i used the eSHa dipstick test and yesterday when testing i used nutrafin nitrate test kit, so obvious diference.

 

[jams.alaskan]

Ditto Pendragon - weird, I'd watch adding too many more.

ALASKA