Cycling

[Andrew G]

When cycling, is it OK to help the cycling fish through the ammonia and nitrite spikes by using products such as Amquel and Amquel + rather than an H2O change, or are partial water changes the only way to go? If partial changes are needed, what % is recommended. Will an H2O change throw off the cycling process.

Thanks.

 

[cyprinut]

When cycling, is it OK to help the cycling fish through the ammonia and nitrite spikes by using products such as Amquel and Amquel + rather than an H2O change, or are partial water changes the only way to go? If partial changes are needed, what % is recommended. Will an H2O change throw off the cycling process.

Thanks.

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IMO do water changes- as many and as often as necessary to keep the ammonia and/or nitrites below stressful levels. Most of the bacteria bed you are 'growing' will reside in the filter and on the substrate and decor surfaces. Although you reduce the bacteria bed's 'food' (ammonia/nitrites) by pulling out water, consequently slowing the cycle a little bit, you have to keep in mind that the fish can only handle so much of it before they stress and get gill damage or worse.
regards,
cyprinut

 

[Andrew G]

What would be considered "stressfull levels" for Ammonia and Nitites?

 

[Andrew G]

What would be considered "stressfull levels" for Ammonia and Nitites?

[snapback]903065[/snapback]​

 

[rdd1952]

Optimally you want both ammonia and nitrite to be 0. Those are really the only acceptible levels and anything higher is toxic to some extent. Obviously, if you cycle with fish, you are going to have both ammonia and nitrite. Try to do water changes often enough to keep the levels under .5 ppm.

Stay away from the products you mentioined. Most of those say they "detoxify ammonia" or "remove ammonia". Both of those are bad since they will greatly hinder the cycling of the tank.

One other side note on ammonia. It is less toxic in acidic water. So the lower the pH, the less dangerous ammonia is. Once the pH drops below about 6.0, ammonia actually becomes ammonium which is non-toxic (that's what most of the products like Amquel transform ammonia into). An ammonia reading of .5 in water with a pH of 6.4 is much less harmful to fish than the same .5 reading in a tank with pH of 7.6.

 

[lorax311420]

How exactly do you identify stress in fish? I know reddish gills identify toxic ammonia but what are some other signs of stress?

 

[rdd1952]

From my experience, stressed fish are not very active and stay hid in the corner or where ever they can find, similar to how they act when you do a gravel vacuum.