Please help us my tank not properly cycling?

[Madisonkeug]

I recently upgraded my 5 gal to a 10 gal and bought a 25 gal tank. I took readings from both tanks as I was getting ready to place my fish into my newly cycled tank. Here are the readings

Tank 1: 25 gal
pH: 6.6
High pH: 7.6
Ammonia: .50 ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Tank 2: 15 gal
pH: 7.6
High pH: 7.6
Ammonia: .50 ppm
Nitrite: .50 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

are my tanks not cycling properly? Please help as I have an overstocked 10gal waiting for my fish to be able to get transferred into the big tank and now the 10 gal has weird readings as well. Keep in mind I am not very experienced!!!!
Thanks

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Cycling can take a while (a few weeks usually). How long have you been cycling the tank(s)?

 

[coriesinhawaii]

Yeah my suspicion is that the cycling is just beginning. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish so I would put an ammonia/nitrite detoxifier in the tank that has fish in it ASAP. Your local pet store should have one. If your cycle is just starting you might have to add it in every couple of days for a week or two (or even more) or some of the fish might be harmed or even die.

 

[Byron]

This same issue is being discussed in your older thread, here:

Rescue fish

Hi guys, so I was given a bunch of fish from a local business who could no longer care for their fish. I’m new to owning fish and I’m not sure if I’m doing everything I can to care for these guys and I need help. Biggest question is the tank over stocked? 1x Bronze Cory (swimming around glass...

www.fishforums.net

You could not use the older now, and stay with this new one on the specific topic. But two threads continuing will get confusing for you and us.

 

[Madisonkeug]

This same issue is being discussed in your older thread, here:

Rescue fish

Hi guys, so I was given a bunch of fish from a local business who could no longer care for their fish. I’m new to owning fish and I’m not sure if I’m doing everything I can to care for these guys and I need help. Biggest question is the tank over stocked? 1x Bronze Cory (swimming around glass...

www.fishforums.net

You could not use the older now, and stay with this new one on the specific topic. But two threads continuing will get confusing for you and us.

Sorry I thought they were a different question...

 

[Byron]

Sorry I thought they were a different question...

That's OK, the cycling issue came up at the end. You can end that thread and go with the new one on this specific question.

 

[Madisonkeug]

Cycling can take a while (a few weeks usually). How long have you been cycling the tank(s)?

I have been cycling for about 5 days now... I thought you could add fish while cycling? I haven’t had any fish in it yet but I feel like I really need to get some of them at least out of the small tank it is so overstocked and as you saw with my readings the 15gal is reading all sorts of weird with all those fish now

 

[Byron]

I would not hurry to get the fish out of the small tank, they are better off there for a few days. Just make sure there is good surface disturbance from the filter, as that is the exchange of oxygen and CO2 that is important. A partial water change won't hurt, maybe every second or third day, as long as they are together. Use a good conditioner, but do not fuss/worry over pH.

Cycling with fish in the tank is not advisable, as it can cause issues for the fish, even kill them. With fast growing live plants this works, termed silent cycle. You could use a bacterial supplement if any stores locally have one of them. Tetra's SafeStart is the best for this situation, but I have used Seachem's Stability with good results.

 

[Madisonkeug]

I would not hurry to get the fish out of the small tank, they are better off there for a few days. Just make sure there is good surface disturbance from the filter, as that is the exchange of oxygen and CO2 that is important. A partial water change won't hurt, maybe every second or third day, as long as they are together. Use a good conditioner, but do not fuss/worry over pH.

Cycling with fish in the tank is not advisable, as it can cause issues for the fish, even kill them. With fast growing live plants this works, termed silent cycle. You could use a bacterial supplement if any stores locally have one of them. Tetra's SafeStart is the best for this situation, but I have used Seachem's Stability with good results.

I have been using tetra safe start gel bacteria balls as well as nitration cycle and was told that after putting those in for the first few days I should introduce fish to get that ammonia in and help the cycle... is this bad advice?

 

[coriesinhawaii]

I think you mentioned you have a cory and a loach? Those two fish in particular would be very sensitive to ammonia and nitrite being in the tank.

 

[coriesinhawaii]

I have been using tetra safe start gel bacteria balls as well as nitration cycle and was told that after putting those in for the first few days I should introduce fish to get that ammonia in and help the cycle... is this bad advice?

It depends on whether you choose to use fish to cycle a tank versus doing a fishless cycle. Many aquarists feel that a fishless cycle is the way to go because it is much more humane and you don't risk your fish dying. When you do a fishless cycle you would add ammonia in either via liquid ammonia or by adding in fish food or a prawn and letting it break down into ammonia. (In the absence of fish.) The whole process can take weeks so some people simply don't want to put that effort in.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Cycling can take a while (a few weeks usually). How long have you been cycling the tank(s)?

My cycle took 8 weeks. Cycling usually takes a moth or so. The

 

[Byron]

I have been using tetra safe start gel bacteria balls as well as nitration cycle and was told that after putting those in for the first few days I should introduce fish to get that ammonia in and help the cycle... is this bad advice?

Follow the instructions on the SafeStart, should be OK.

 

[Madisonkeug]

My cycle took 8 weeks. Cycling usually takes a moth or so. The

My tank is at 6.6 pH
0 ~ .25 ammonia (not the brightest yellow but still not as green ish as .25)
0 nitrate
0 ~ 5 ppm nitrate ( I say 0~ 5 because it’s not yellow but it’s not quite as dark as the orange but it is still orangey)

I did a 30% water change about 12 hours ago and I’ve had two bronze Corys three kuhli loaches and some tetras in this tank. Is this cycling?

 

[Byron]

My tank is at 6.6 pH
0 ~ .25 ammonia (not the brightest yellow but still not as green ish as .25)
0 nitrate
0 ~ 5 ppm nitrate ( I say 0~ 5 because it’s not yellow but it’s not quite as dark as the orange but it is still orangey)

I did a 30% water change about 12 hours ago and I’ve had two bronze Corys three kuhli loaches and some tetras in this tank. Is this cycling?

It is certainly "cycling," in the sense that there is a source of ammonia and the nitrifying bacteria will appear and colonize and reproduce accordingly. Whether you actually "see" this is another matter. Live plants are out-competing the bacteria and they will use the ammonia/ammonium and not produce nitrite which means no subsequent nitrate from "cycling." The acidic pH alos benefits as plants can use it faster, and it is basically harmless to fish.