New 47g Tropical Tank Help Cycling

[lana]

Yes, agree, the calculator says 48 US Gallons. Since you were reporting some ammonia earlier I suggest you report the API test results for ammonia, nitrite and pH to us for the next week or so.

You don't have to snap pictures of the test results (we now see that your reported zeros do indeed look like zero colors in the picture.) Just tell us date, time, X.Xppm ammonia etc. If a test shows ammonia or nitrite above 0.25ppm then report that right away.

~~waterdrop~~

thanks waterdrop i will keep testing daily, from what i read the next fee day if tank did not cycle it will within 3 or 4 days of added fish i have had fish in for a week now, i am watching it closely, all fish still very avtive including the cory,


i will be doing 25% water change again on friday night ..... let me know if i should not and just leave it be

 

[waterdrop]

If you have gone the 3 days up to friday with zero ammonia and nitrite then you might want to delay your water change and see if the filter can make it a full 5 or 7 days without either poison showing up.

Otherwise, if you do indeed see some results of either poison above zero, even if slight, then I would go ahead with your water change and not get off schedule.

On any day that you get a result that you deem to be 0.25 or above then you should do a significant water change (like 50%) right then and then test again after an hour to see if you helped it.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lana]

If you have gone the 3 days up to friday with zero ammonia and nitrite then you might want to delay your water change and see if the filter can make it a full 5 or 7 days without either poison showing up.

Otherwise, if you do indeed see some results of either poison above zero, even if slight, then I would go ahead with your water change and not get off schedule.

On any day that you get a result that you deem to be 0.25 or above then you should do a significant water change (like 50%) right then and then test again after an hour to see if you helped it.

~~waterdrop~~

tks , i will keep my daily test updated here,

 

[waterdrop]

ok, good luck Iana, see ya

 

[rabbut]

Well, Waterdrop missing something don't happen very often, let alone two...

There are two things stopping the cycle progressing in your tank ATM Iana. The Jungle ammonia clearing tablets and the nitrite and nitrate removing pad in the filter. The ammonia tablets will either bond with the ammonia as a solid product at the bottom for removal, or will release into the water and form another chemical that the ammonia test kit isn't showing up, via a chemical reaction. If the ammonia test kit does not show it, the ammonia isn't in a useable form for your filter. The API kits are total ammonia, ammonia NH3 and ammonium NH4. Most ammonia removing products covert ammonia to ammonium, both of which show on test kits. Both can also be used by filter bacteria. If the kit don't show the ammonia, the filter bacteria can't utilise it, hence the AOB's (ammonia oxidising bacteria) can't start to multiply and "cycle" the tank.

Same with the NOB's(nitrite oxidising bacteria), but you won't get nitrite unless there is a problem with the Jungle ammonia clearing tablets

To cycle the tank, you need to loose both products, and start a conventional fish-in cycle. If possible, get some mature filter media into the filter to replace the nitrite and nitrate absorbing pad. Mature media will speed the cycle and reduce the stress on your fish.

Common plecs grow between 12 and 18 inches, so you need to think about rehoming now. These guys grow an inch a month, and if they don't they are starting to stunt, a process that knocks many years off their life. The alternative is a new bigger tank, arround the 5ft mark....

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i agree, as i predicted above <smug>

sling the ammonia tablets and the nitrate stuff and the tank will cycle, with fish-in you'll have a roguh time while it comes through but it's a natural process which is being inhibited and if you don't allow it to happen you are storing up massive problems for later on.

 

[lana]

Well, Waterdrop missing something don't happen very often, let alone two...

There are two things stopping the cycle progressing in your tank ATM Iana. The Jungle ammonia clearing tablets and the nitrite and nitrate removing pad in the filter. The ammonia tablets will either bond with the ammonia as a solid product at the bottom for removal, or will release into the water and form another chemical that the ammonia test kit isn't showing up, via a chemical reaction. If the ammonia test kit does not show it, the ammonia isn't in a useable form for your filter. The API kits are total ammonia, ammonia NH3 and ammonium NH4. Most ammonia removing products covert ammonia to ammonium, both of which show on test kits. Both can also be used by filter bacteria. If the kit don't show the ammonia, the filter bacteria can't utilise it, hence the AOB's (ammonia oxidising bacteria) can't start to multiply and "cycle" the tank.

Same with the NOB's(nitrite oxidising bacteria), but you won't get nitrite unless there is a problem with the Jungle ammonia clearing tablets

To cycle the tank, you need to loose both products, and start a conventional fish-in cycle. If possible, get some mature filter media into the filter to replace the nitrite and nitrate absorbing pad. Mature media will speed the cycle and reduce the stress on your fish.

Common plecs grow between 12 and 18 inches, so you need to think about rehoming now. These guys grow an inch a month, and if they don't they are starting to stunt, a process that knocks many years off their life. The alternative is a new bigger tank, arround the 5ft mark....

All the best
Rabbut

ok took the the pad out , to get the tablet some what gone did about %30 to 40% water change that should take care of it i hope. used bucket of tank water to sort of wash the filter a bit jusy swished it around in there,
now i will wait and test later around supper time and see what i get

just tested about 30 mins after water chance and i see ammonia it is not yellow but not totally green as the 0.25 i added my chems could be from just chaning water , cause it was 0 before water change hmmmmmmm.......

cycle
waste control
prime
water cond
stress zyme

i don't remember having these problem this when i had a tropical tank 10 years ago........

 

[waterdrop]

OK I stand corrected, good catch guys! (for MW & rabbut et.al. , note that this is my weakness, I seem to often overlook that people are using chemical pads or dumping things in from their LFS.. it can be staring me in the face and I just can't seem to see it because I would never do it myself.. definately a diagnostic handicap (I'm such a purist, carefully making sure my media have no chemicals and only ever using conditioner...))

Iana, they are right, get rid of the extra stuff just as they say or you won't cycle.

I'll just say here that this is what its all about ... "it takes a village" and no single one of us can be relied upon too much. Getting help on TFF is better than having the dishwasher guy come in to fix your dishwasher, its like having the whole dishwasher engineering staff show up.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lana]

OK I stand corrected, good catch guys! (for MW & rabbut et.al. , note that this is my weakness, I seem to often overlook that people are using chemical pads or dumping things in from their LFS.. it can be staring me in the face and I just can't seem to see it because I would never do it myself.. definately a diagnostic handicap (I'm such a purist, carefully making sure my media have no chemicals and only ever using conditioner...))

Iana, they are right, get rid of the extra stuff just as they say or you won't cycle.

I'll just say here that this is what its all about ... "it takes a village" and no single one of us can be relied upon too much. Getting help on TFF is better than having the dishwasher guy come in to fix your dishwasher, its like having the whole dishwasher engineering staff show up.

~~waterdrop~~

lol i did as soon as i read their post and did a 30 to 40 % water change add my

cycle
waste control
prime
water cond
stress zyme

also just tested ammonia and it is back to 0

done til tomorrow just feed them, looks like i have 1 zebra danio hiding behing pump, didn't eat, it is the fat one ...hope it is ok maybe pissed i did water change i will keep an eye on it

 

[Miss Wiggle]

all you need to add to the water is dechlor, rest of the chemicals are un necessary.

lfs will sell you all sorts of rubbish!

 

[lana]

all you need to add to the water is dechlor, rest of the chemicals are un necessary.

lfs will sell you all sorts of rubbish!

ya i am seeing that i read all the bottle seems to me like they all do the same thing , and seems like the prime one might be better

i also tested my tap water omg my ph is dark dark purple from the tap,

thanks so much for all the help and info , i have been reading alot of the post here and learning alot i didn't know, and what i did know seems to be wrong , hench the mess i am in i think i am think i am going to get a very high amm reading soon and going to be doing another mass water change i am so glad i got the thing that hooks right yo my tap i drain and fill in no time no bucket to carry or mess with , but i did buy one for weekly cleans i fill it half way and hook up the big set up to finsh draining


on that note is it ok to add tap water right in the tank then add cond, to tank cause that is what i have been doing

 

[Miss Wiggle]

sounds like you're on your way, ditch the rest and just stick with the prime.

yes fine to add dechlor straight to the tank then add tap water

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, many of us do that. The way I do it is to add half the amount of conditioner called for by the product directions directly into my tank, then I start the hose going with roughly the right temperature selelcted, then when its near done or right after its done I add the other half of the recommended amount. If my "guesstimate" of the amount (say a quarter of a capful or such) is going to be off, I try to let it be a tiny bit -more- than called for. But during fishless cycling in particular I tried to make the amount of conditioner be pretty accurate as there are some indications that the N-Bacs don't like it.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lana]

Yes, many of us do that. The way I do it is to add half the amount of conditioner called for by the product directions directly into my tank, then I start the hose going with roughly the right temperature selelcted, then when its near done or right after its done I add the other half of the recommended amount. If my "guesstimate" of the amount (say a quarter of a capful or such) is going to be off, I try to let it be a tiny bit -more- than called for. But during fishless cycling in particular I tried to make the amount of conditioner be pretty accurate as there are some indications that the N-Bacs don't like it.

~~waterdrop~~

good glad i can do that bucket after bucket with a tack taller than me would not be fun ...lmao


thanks again

lana

 

[lana]

happy to report as of today all is still good fish still alive and swimming still have the 1 zebra danio that is staying by the filers but it still looks healthy , think the last water change stressed him out a bit he is the smaller if the 3

reading are as follows

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ph 7.2