How Do I Start The Cycle?

[fish nutter]

Hi fish nutter

It's OK. Just don't get nervous. A "fish in" cycle can be done successfully. It's only been in recent years that people have been doing the fishless cycling. It just takes patience and a lot of water changes. As we used to say, "A slow cycle is a safe cycle."

The best thing you can do right now is to find someone who has a cycled tank and ask him/her to give you some of their filter media. It will get the cycle off to a fast start since the established bacteria will quickly reproduce when they have a good supply of food.

Do you know anyone who has an established tank?

No me and my friend have both Got tanks but his one is just as new as mine. I might be able to get some from the fish shop but probs not.

 

[fish nutter]

How often should i do water changes and how much water, and how often should i test the water and what should i test it for, when is the bacteria established enough to get more fish, what should i do if there is an ammonia spike, what happens next when the bacteria has transferred the ammonia into nitrite?

If you answer these questions you are a legend

 

[fatheadminnow]

How often should i do water changes and how much water, and how often should i test the water and what should i test it for, when is the bacteria established enough to get more fish, what should i do if there is an ammonia spike, what happens next when the bacteria has transferred the ammonia into nitrite?

If you answer these questions you are a legend

You need to buy a good LIQUID test kit! Either a Salifert test kit, or an API freshwater master test kit! A basic test kit tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH. For your cycle, ammonia and nitrite are going to be the most important, followed by Nitrate and pH.

You do a water change if the ammonia and/or nitrite are above .25 ppm.

You check at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. When you check in the morning, and the ammonia and/or nitrite is above .25 ppm, you need to do a water change to lower the ammonia and/or nitrite level down to or below .25 ppm. Then you check again in the evening to make sure the ammonia and/or nitrite are not above .25 ppm, if they are, then a water change is in order!

You will most likely be doing about 2 50% water changes daily for a couple of weeks.

When you are getting 0 ppm of ammonia and nitrite for one entire week, without doing any water changes, then your tank will be considered cycled!

After ammonia is processed into nitrite, it is then processed again into Nitrate. There are no bacteria that process Nitrate, so weekly water changes (one your tank is cycled) is done to keep the Nitrate level down. I would not expect your nitrate level to go above 40-50 ppm.

Ammonia is toxic to fish if over .25 ppm
Nitrite is toxic to fish if over .25 ppm
Nitrate is toxic to fish if over 400+ ppm (Try not to allow nitrate to go above 40-50)

Hope this helps!

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

How often should i do water changes and how much water, and how often should i test the water and what should i test it for, when is the bacteria established enough to get more fish, what should i do if there is an ammonia spike, what happens next when the bacteria has transferred the ammonia into nitrite?

If you answer these questions you are a legend

You need to buy a good LIQUID test kit! Either a Salifert test kit, or an API freshwater master test kit! A basic test kit tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH. For your cycle, ammonia and nitrite are going to be the most important, followed by Nitrate and pH.

You do a water change if the ammonia and/or nitrite are above .25 ppm.

You check at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. When you check in the morning, and the ammonia and/or nitrite is above .25 ppm, you need to do a water change to lower the ammonia and/or nitrite level down to or below .25 ppm. Then you check again in the evening to make sure the ammonia and/or nitrite are not above .25 ppm, if they are, then a water change is in order!

You will most likely be doing about 2 50% water changes daily for a couple of weeks.

When you are getting 0 ppm of ammonia and nitrite for one entire week, without doing any water changes, then your tank will be considered cycled!

After ammonia is processed into nitrite, it is then processed again into Nitrate. There are no bacteria that process Nitrate, so weekly water changes (one your tank is cycled) is done to keep the Nitrate level down. I would not expect your nitrate level to go above 40-50 ppm.

Ammonia is toxic to fish if over .25 ppm
Nitrite is toxic to fish if over .25 ppm
Nitrate is toxic to fish if over 400+ ppm (Try not to allow nitrate to go above 40-50)

Hope this helps!

-FHM

yup... well i already have a test kit (APL) and have been checking and there have been no spikes what so ever!!!!!!!!

 

[fatheadminnow]

APL? I never heard of that test kit before? Is it a strip test kit or a liquid test kit?

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

APL? I never heard of that test kit before? Is it a strip test kit or a liquid test kit?

-FHM

Sorry API it is liquid

 

[fish nutter]

I have just tested again my nitrite is very light blue and ammonia is light yellow which is good this is probs very strange

 

[fatheadminnow]

It is probably because you have very little ammonia produced because you have such a big tank and a very small number of fish, and plants use ammonia as a source of nutrients. So, the plants are probably using all the ammonia before it can reach a harmful level... so all in all... you are doing okay.

If you wanted to, go ahead and add some more fish to your tank to up the ammonia level so that you will start to colonize bacteria in your tank.

To tell you the truth, there are countless tanks that have perfect water parameters that are heavily planted. So, if you have enough plants, you could potentially have a healthy tank. And over time, as you add more fish, you will start to colonize bacteria in your filter.

So, add some more fish, 2-3 maybe, and keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels. If they get above .25 ppm, do a water change, and over time your bacteria will catch up.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

It is probably because you have very little ammonia produced because you have such a big tank and a very small number of fish, and plants use ammonia as a source of nutrients. So, the plants are probably using all the ammonia before it can reach a harmful level... so all in all... you are doing okay.

If you wanted to, go ahead and add some more fish to your tank to up the ammonia level so that you will start to colonize bacteria in your tank.

To tell you the truth, there are countless tanks that have perfect water parameters that are heavily planted. So, if you have enough plants, you could potentially have a healthy tank. And over time, as you add more fish, you will start to colonize bacteria in your filter.

So, add some more fish, 2-3 maybe, and keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels. If they get above .25 ppm, do a water change, and over time your bacteria will catch up.

-FHM

ok will do... i also just realised that I do know some one who can provide bacteria!!!!! my science teacher if i do get more fish and do put in the bacteria where do i put it ? in the filter or just in the water... and what one do I add first? bacteria or fish (guramies probs)

 

[fatheadminnow]

What is the bacteria you are going to get? Are you going to get it from a mature filter?

Since the bacteria live in the filter, you want to put them into the filter.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

What is the bacteria you are going to get? Are you going to get it from a mature filter?

Since the bacteria live in the filter, you want to put them into the filter.

-FHM

yea i it is from a mature filter, about 3 years old, might not be able to get bacteria but chances are high as i love science and he likes me and as for the type of bacteria it will be freash-water obviously not shure what you mean...

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yeah, you need to get some of his mature filter media from his filter and place it into your filter.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

Yeah, you need to get some of his mature filter media from his filter and place it into your filter.

-FHM

ah i have the eheim pro 3 2073 external canister filter... where do i put it?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Put it inside, along with your other filter media.

-FHM

 

[GreenEyedTerror]

Has anyone recommended ammo-lock yet? it detoxifies ammonia instead of removing it, thus letting the tank cycle without causing damage to the fish in the tank. The ammonia levels can still be read during tests but it minimized the possibility of fish death/damage. Of course this is along with frequent water changes.