has my tank cycled?

[phillippa42]

Hi,

I set my tank up only 4 and a half weeks ago. For the 1st week it had no fish in it but I did put some fish food in hoping as it rotted it might get the cycle going?

After a week, being impatient I got 2 zebra danios )

I kept testing the water and doing 20 - 25% water changes every other day. Levels of ammonia were normally about 0.25 and the same for nitrite. Afetr 2 weeks they spiked a bit both at 0.5. Also got nitrate readings of 10.

Then last week I went on holiday for a week. Mum came round and fed the fish but no water changes done. I did a big, 50% water change the morning I left.

Came back on Sunday and fish seem happy. Tested the water - 0 for ammonia and nirite, only 5 for nitrate. Shouldn't the nitrate be higher if the tanks cycled?

If it has cycled am I ok to get another fish now?

I could do with getting an oto as I'm beginning to get some algea, but I read that otos should only be put in a mature tank. How mature does mature mean?

thanks

 

[OohFeeshy]

I think it has cycled. But I'd hold it on the ottos until you are really sure.

 

[keeper-of-fish]

It is cycled yes but I agree hold off the ottos for a a couple of weeks they are kind of sensitve

how many gallons is the tank?
whats going in it?

 

[phillippa42]

Hi,

Thanks for the answers. Its 125 litres.

Going to get a few more dannios, 3 or 4 little corys, a yoyo loach and some tiger barbs.

 

[BobK]

It wouldn't be a good idea to add all those fish at the same time. Maybe 1 or 2 every week or two. If your tank is newly cycled it still may encounter some fluctuations in your levels and adding all those fish at once could put you back into a mini-cycle and stress the fish enough to cause an outbreak of ich or something. I did that with my newly cycled tank last summer and lost most of the fish to ich. Congrats on cycling the tank!!!

 

[phillippa42]

Ooops - I didn't mean to give the impression I would add them all at once )

I meant thats my total fish plan - but am planning to get them slowly over a period of months.

Thanks for pointing it out anyway