cycling the new tank...

[wuvmybetta]

hey
the tanks been running with 4 fish for 2 days and the readings are ammonia 1.0 and nitrites .25
should I do a water change or just leave it?

 

[CFC]

they're not territorial or anything so they won't be a problem with the chiclids ,who I'll add pair by pair over a period of time.
So will the balas handle it well?

The balas may not be territorial but the african cichlids sure are,i would not recomend keeping balas with africans,they just aren't hardy enough to withstand a attack from a aggresive cichlid especially if they are spawning.African cichlids are best kept with just other africans and mabey some of the synodontis catfishes which are used to living with the cichlids

 

[wuvmybetta]

I've given up on the cichlids for the time being and I guess I'll have another community tank
I like the gouramis, they're pretty neat to watch , one of them seems to be extremely territorial though ,not in a violent way or anything but anytime another fish swims by her rock she'll swim over and shoo it off with her tail
I guess I'm supposed to leave the water alone.........

 

[reg2k2]

I would think a wc wd. be due. Went and re-read Semper's post on cycling, she suggested no more than I think, 10-20% ...but it doesn't really say how often/at what point these sh. be done.

Hopefully someone will be along to answer this for you.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I remembered that Mama Pish had posted a link to some site about cycling so I did a back search and found it, it said to leave the water for about 20 days without changes and I think that's how I messed up my 1st tank so much, too many changes too often, but little did I know & I thought that I was being helpful to the fish but instead I prolonged my cycle even more , I'm not sure if it would be the same on this tank though since I used so much of the stuff from the old tank & provided the bacteria from the start

The fish all seem fine and I don't see them flicking or anything so I'm not sure