Fish Cycle Using Safestart

[chimera_786]

hi guys! i just wanted to update with latest addition. I added the safestart batrerial colonies. The strands present are as follows: nitrosomonas, nitrosospira and nitrosopira. I have 2 zebra danois and 3 rasboras both are hardy fish and look okay. I got them yesterday. Hopefully, Saefestart (a derivative of bio-spira) will work. My tank is not yet cycled and am experimenting with fish cycle. Though harder than fishless cycle, it is still affective and should have good results. Any advice as how should i take care of these fish in the given circumstances will be appreciated

 

[OldMan47]

The best way to care for the fish during a fish-in cycle is to make sure you are doing big enough water changes that the fish never need to experience water with 0.25 ppm of ammonia or nitrites. As long as you keep the concentrations less than that, most fish will survive. Some things that will help along the way are to be very careful not to overfeed the fish and maybe even make them go hungry every other day. This will reduce the biological load on the tank's filter and slow the rise of ammonia which will also make it easier to control nitrites. If you get very lucky, you may see some benefit from the stuff you put into your filter. Many such products exist and most are not known to actually help much but who knows. It will take diligence on your part to get through the next few weeks with no harm to your fish but it can be done.

 

[chimera_786]

Right now, my water just turned whitish cloudy. Im guessing this is a sign of a bacteria bloom which is good. Now i already have fish in there and i was wondering whether a partial change will kill of these bacterias or not? Im kind of confused..the bacteria develop in the water and in my water filter right? So would'nt partial change of the water might remove some of the bacteria that im seeing right now in the form of white cloudiness? Please explain or point to a thread that can help me read up on cloudiness of water and when to do a partial water change.

 

[Mr Bliss]

The bacteria that appear fast to cloud the water are generally heterotrophs, which means that they need organic molecules as a carbon source. In other words, they eat the same kinds of chemicals that we do. These bacteria reproduce extremely fast. They in turn produce ammonia that can be used by the nitrification bacteria (which are autotrophs, meaning they take their carbon from inorganic molecules, primarily bicarbonate). You do need to do water changes, because your nitrification bacteria (which reproduce way slower) can't keep up with the ammonia load produced by these bacteria at this stage at all.

Eventually the heterotrophs will colonize the substrate and the filter, and won't cause clouding anymore.

 

[chimera_786]

Thanks for the advice guys, i appreciate the time taken to type it out. Im a fairly new hobbyist and have many questions. One more being that when should i do my water changes. I tested for nitrites and its 0ppm right now and my ammonia is 0.25ppm . So this means that the bacteria are forming and still have not begun processing ammonia into nitrites since my nitrites are at 0ppm. I should be carrying out the water change once the nitrite level goes up and/or the ammonia readings are near 0.5ppm or more? Please do respond. Thanks!

 

[Mr Bliss]

I'd say try to keep the ammonia level down to 0.25 ppm with fish in the tank. You shouldn't try to speed up the cycle at the expense of your fish.

 

[chimera_786]

True!
But as for the cloudiness, it should go away with time right? These are the bacterias that produce ammonia and the bacterias that form to break the ammonia down should start to build up. Wow this is some neat stuff. How long before the cloud disappears? I will keep the ammonium and nitrite levels in check with a partial water change. So would a 25% water change be sufficient or should i do more than that and with what frequency?

 

[Leedsboi86]

Hiya Chim.
The Cloudiness will go away don't worry, As Bliss said "Eventually the heterotrophs will colonize the substrate and the filter, and won't cause clouding anymore."

 

[chimera_786]

hi leeds!

Hopefully the cloudiness will go away. I should do a partial change of 25% whenever i get a reading of 0.25ppm ammonia over next few weeks? The partial water change is whats confusing me as i dont know when to do it. I just dont wanna loose any fish. I like the little critters! Well hopefully i will keep you guys posted. Thanks for the time taken to pass some advice over to me. I greatly appreciate it

 

[Leedsboi86]

Do you have a Test Kit?
Cloudiness should clear within afew days.

 

[chimera_786]

I do have a test kit. Its the API master test kit. I tested my water today. The nitrties were zero and the ammonium is 0.25ppm. Will these measurements help determine when to partial change the water?

 

[Leedsboi86]

The Ammonia Test kit should help you know when to do water changes.
Keep a close eye on the Ammonia when it goes higher do another water change.

0.25 is ok for the cycle like bliss said keep it around there tho.

 

[chimera_786]

Hmmm your right. I should keep be testing the water regularly. Well thank for all your input. You've been a great help Leeds. I will keep this thread updated regularly. Maybe you can check it out every now and then to see where im at and answer some more of my frantic questionnaire..LOL . Fish keeping is fun!!

 

[Leedsboi86]

I will keep a close eye on the thread ^.^

How big is your tank btw?
Also any decor yet?

 

[OldMan47]

Chimera, if you are seeing a 0.25 ppm of ammonia or nitrites it is time now to do a partial water change. The 0.25 ppm is a maximum, not a target value. The idea is to never let the water chemistry get that bad. Choose your own percentage but the more you change the less often you will need to do it. I expect you to need at least a 25% change quite often at first to control your ammonia. One thing that would make the changes a bit less often is if you restrict your feeding to only feed enough for the fish's survival. You do not want to feed generously at this stage of the game.