Hooray?

[ChriX]

Ordered some test kits the other day (NH3, NO2, NO3), and they arrived this morning so gave my cycling tank a test, and I got 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and 5mg/L Nitrate. Then I tested the tapwater to check and that was 5mg/L too. So i'm thinking it's either finished cycling or its between the ammonia and nitrite spikes, anywho, gonna give it another week then test again, and if I get the same i'll consider getting some new fish. B)

Any opinions?

 

[thecichlidaddict]

0 ammonia and nitrite along with climbing nitrate is the sign of a cycled tank, but I'm surprised the nitrates are so low. What method did you go with to cycle the tank?

 

[tstenback]

What process have you been using to cycle the tank? With 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 5 Nitrate and your tap water has 5 nitrate i think that you have not cycled and that you have a tank of dechlorinated water. I may be wrong but thats the way it looks to me from way out here.

 

[ChriX]

It's been running for nearly 3 weeks with a single platy in there, added a lot of real plants after 1 week. I feed the platy a couple of flakes every other day.

 

[tstenback]

How big is the tank?

 

[endparenthesis]

With that plant/fish ratio maybe the plants are just sucking it all up nicely.

 

[ChriX]

How big is the tank?

34g US

About the plants - thats what I thought might be happening. How can I get the tank to cycle if the plants are sucking up all the ammonia - would the bacteria still develop?

 

[tstenback]

I think that you will need to add more fish to see any type of spike. With the size of the tank and the plants with the small bio load your readings are probably right on. If you add fish slowly 2-3 per 2 weeks you should do very well. Keep monitoring the levels and watching the fish for any signs of stress.

 

[endparenthesis]

Maybe you should add another fish or two. I was never one for the fishless cycling stuff... a few fish with frequent water changes makes more sense to me.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I think that you will need to add more fish to see any type of spike. With the size of the tank and the plants with the small bio load your readings are probably right on. If you add fish slowly 2-3 per 2 weeks you should do very well. Keep monitoring the levels and watching the fish for any signs of stress.

Good advice.

a few fish with frequent water changes makes more sense to me.

Saving fish from the stress of it, not worrying about water changes during the cycle, and being able to fully stock the tank at once makes sense more sense to me - fishless cycling is the way to go if you have the patience to look at an empty tank for a few weeks.

 

[lelover]

How often should water changes be done during a cycle with fish? I thought changing the water slowed everything down.

 

[ChriX]

So if I add more fish slowly would I be able to get by without the ammonia/nitrite spiking? I wouldn't want to put more fish in the tank only to lose them to a spike of ammonia.

Might it be worth noting that I did originally have 3 platys in the tank but lost 2 of them after a few days (this was before I added the plants), might this have been the ammonia spike?

Next time I do a tank it will be fishless cycle.

 

[tstenback]

You may not totally avoid it but you will definitely minimize the effects of it and by monitoring closely you will be able to do water changes at the appropriate times to further minimize the stress level of the fish. Good luck and happy fishkeeping

 

[pendragon]

I 'm pretty certain your bioload is too small to have generated enough ammonia to be measurable. Sorry to be a bummer, but I don't think your cycle has even started yet. One platy can cycle that tank (sufficiently to support one platy, anyway) given enough time, but it would take a long time.

I cycled my 46-gallon tank with six red-eye tetras, feeding once each day, and I didn't have measurable ammonia until about day 18, and no nitrite until about day 28.

I'd add two or three more platys, and give it a few days. You should see the cycle starting to get into gear then.

pendragon!

 

[ChriX]

Deleted, lol this is confusing.