Cycling with fish

[Matty]

I have a 90g that I started running two weeks ago with decorations, the filter, the heater and water inside. On saturday, I bought some live bacteria to get the biological filteraton running and after conferring with my LFS, I decided to get 6 raptor tetras to speed along the cycling process (apparently, they're great for this because they're such a hardy fish.) So, saturday evening, I added 9 tablespoons (plus an extra half tablespoon for good luck ) of live bacteria and the 6 fish to the aquarium.

Ok, here's the problem. Everything's going fine. The fish seem happy and energetic and they eat whenever I feed them (twice a day.) I don't think this is normal because I haven't done a water change and I don't think that the nitrogen cycle has started yet. Am I slowly poisoning my poor fishies? Is this normal? And when do you think I could start adding bigger fish ( a young oscar, young tinfoil barbs and young bala and emperor sharks?)

 

[canarsie11]

Why did you add bacteria, then fish.

If cycling with fish, the fish will add the bacteria

 

[kev_kb]

Forget about adding bigger fish till the tank is cycled. Buy a test kit and keep testing it, do water changes to keep Ammonia & Nitrite under 1ppm and you'll be fine.

 

[skimpy]

I agree, get a test kit and start testing the water it is the only way to know if you have started cycling, spiking and/or needing to do water changes.

If cycling with fish it needs to be done slowly few fish at a time so as not to overload before bacteria have established. My question is (never having tried adding the type of bacteria you mention) if you are adding this bacteria AND fish could this cause an overload and cause a large spike to occur.

Definately get some test kits, to see what is happening. This link might help to give a rough idea of what to expect, (remembering that your tank will be different, but it does show a pattern) Fish cycling of 70 ltr tank

As Kev kb says keep Ammonia and NitrIte below 1ppm and you should be fine - Good Luck

 

[luxum]

There seem to be some misconceptions being perpetuated in this thread. Fish do not add the nitrogen cycle bacteria. These bacteria naturally colonize the tank from the atmosphere, or you can jump start the colony by adding colonized materials from an established tank, like filter media, decorations, gravel, live plants, etc. Bacteria in a bottle (unless it is the refrigerated type like BioSpira) is absolutely useless as confirmed by hobbyist testing. What fish do add is the food source for the bacteria = ammonia. You guys seem to be confusing this with fishless cycling where bottled ammonia is added instead of fish to establish the cycle before stocking.

Now, what you need to do, Matty, is get test kits. You can't determine water quality by looking at it, and by the time the fish start showing signs of poisoning, it is often too late to save them. Get a kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and Ph at a bare minimum and test the water. You'll need to repeat these tests fairly often as the cycle establishes in your tank. You'll probably have to do daily water changes for 6 weeks or so to keep the ammonia and then nitrite levels low, to keep the stress on the fish as low as possible until the bacteria in the tank can catch up to your bioload. Only after ammonia and nitrite have both spiked and the reached zero for about a week should you consider adding a few more fish.

Edit: and cut back on the feeding while the cycle is establishing. The more you feed, the more waste products there will be in the tank. I know it's very hard to do, but just feed a small amount once, every other day until the cycle establishes. Then you could feed a bit more if you like.

 

[skimpy]

You guys seem to be confusing this with fishless cycling where bottled ammonia is added instead of fish to establish the cycle before stocking.

Hi luxum, i hear what you are saying, and in my own head I personally am not confused.

I have actually referred to cycling with filter media as fishless cycling and realise now, that this may actually be confusing to others. How would you suggest I refer to this type of cycling in the future, after all it is 'fishless' but i don't want to confuse others if the 'fishless' term only refers to Bottled Ammonia fed cycling.

Much appreciate you comments and would like to be clear for the future. Thanks.

 

[luxum]

The confusion i am referring to is the assertion that adding bacteria to a tank will somehow overload the tank. In this case, bacteria is good, the more the better! Fishless cycling is simply establishing the nitrogen cycle with an alternate source of ammonia, such as bottled ammonia, a rotting shrimp, or fish food. With fish cycling is establishing the cycle by using the metabolic wastes of living fish as the ammonia source. If you are using colonized filter material, and the ammonia source is fish, that is with fish cycling, although the cycle establishment will produce less intense or nonexistant ammonia and nitrite spikes this way. You can also fishless cycle with colonized materials, and it will enable you to utilize bottled ammonia to cycle very hard in less time and add a full load of fish when you are done instead of gradually building up to your full stocking. Or, you can do either with fish or fishless cycling with no colonized materials at all, but it will take longer for the cycle to establish, and if you have fish in there, they will be subjected to more stress for longer periods than if you had added established media. Hope that clarifies things.

 

[black angel]

i have been using fish to get my tank to cycle for over 3 weeks now, and im still waiting

 

[Matty]

Thanks guys. I recieved a home test kit with my tank when I bought it and i took the first readings last nite. They were, Ammonia:0 and Nitrate:0. I can only assume that this means that my bacterial colony is starting to establish itself but it will be a few more weeks until I add bigger fish..any stocking ideas?

 

[luxum]

What about the nitrite levels?

 

[Matty]

I don't have a test for that, but im assuming that they're zero as well

 

[canarsie11]

Dont assume when it comes to cycling!

 

[janedee]

ditto the last post - I have been cycling with fish for 4 weeks now and my amonia and nitrate are nil but am at a nitrite of 4 !! I am having to water change every day to try to keep it down - so get that testing kit for nitrite!

 

[luxum]

You absolutely can not assume that nitrite is zero, sorry. Nitrite is extremely toxic, don't take chances with your fishies. When the cycle establishes, first the ammonia gets really high, then drops to zero at about the same time as the nitrite gets really high, eventually you'll start seeing nitrates, and once nitrites and ammonia both drop to zero, the tank is considered cycled.