tank cycled?????

[Joviella]

i bought a new tank 2 days ago......a juwel rio 180 (180 litres) and i put some media in the filter from my 190litre tank......my readings today are..... ammonia 0ppm , nitite 0ppm and nitrate 20ppm. Has my tank really cycled this fast? My 190litre tank is well matured but I have never had a tank cycle this fast!!! Your opinions would be welcome. thanks.xx.

 

[Dubby]

I would wait to see the readings after a week

 

[daisycat]

Have you actually put anything in the tank to generate ammonia - i.e. fish or clear ammonia? If you have not done that then the tank won't cycle until you do and therefore the readings should match those of tap water.

If you have added fish then it is possible they haven't produced enough waste to get a reading after only 2 days and if you have added clear ammonia it also sounds like you didn't add enough.

If you did add something to produce/cause ammonia, did you observe an ammonia or nitrite spike?

It sounds to me like it hasn't cycled, but I am no professional!

 

[tstenback]

It just might be cycled. THis is how i do alot of tanks now and quite often there is no cycle at all. To test (if there are no fish in there) i add a capful of ammonia. Test the ammonia level in about 1 hour. Then test again 24 hours later. If it is zero you are cycled. If it is near zero then the bacteria will build up to remove the remaining bacteria. Keep us posted as this msy help a lot of people out there.

 

[dunc_man_fishy]

hmm your from london, thames water, 20ppm nitrate your water usually comes out the tap about that reading, so I would add ammonia to check its cycled.

 

[Joviella]

my tap water nitrates are normally between 30ppm and 50ppm, just to let you know. I don't have ammonia to add to the water as I have cycled all my tanks before using fish and media from mature tanks. It normally cycles in less than a week,but never as quick as 2 days.....there was a trace of nitrites yesterday but today its clear!!!

 

[CFC]

By transplanting media you are bypassing the cycling process, its like just making a clone of your other tank. As soon as you transfer the media you must add a few fish to supply a ammonia source for the bacteria you have transplanted, without a ammonia source the bacteria will die off withing a few hours.

 

[Joviella]

thanks cfc..........now i have lots and lots of swordtails!!!!!!! lol