Today is the day!

[Kamdavid]

Tank has cycled for 8 days. I am going to pick up a test kit and some other random chemicals , decorations , and try to find some live plants. Tomorrow I plan for fish shopping.
Now , drop ideas on a livebearer community tank for me. I am also wanting to get a nice group of neon tetras.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Awesome!

Most livebearers require hard water, while most Tetras require soft water.

Do you know the hardness of your water?

 

[NannaLou]

Tank has cycled for 8 days. I am going to pick up a test kit and some other random chemicals , decorations , and try to find some live plants. Tomorrow I plan for fish shopping.
Now , drop ideas on a livebearer community tank for me. I am also wanting to get a nice group of neon tetras.

I’ve fallen in love the Endlers...

Just because it was an error I made...he’s your tank properly cycled - or been running for 8 days..? There is a big difference as I sadly found out

 

[Kamdavid]

Awesome!

Most livebearers require hard water, while most Tetras require soft water.

Do you know the hardness of your water?

I do not know the hardness

 

[Kamdavid]

I’ve fallen in love the Endlers...

Just because it was an error I made...he’s your tank properly cycled - or been running for 8 days..? There is a big difference as I sadly found out

I put in API quick start , and it’s been running for 8 days.

 

[NannaLou]

I might sound as if I almost know something - so take a seat it doesn’t happen very often...

You need to have added a source of ammonia to start the cycling process, otherwise, like I did, I added fish after the two weeks I was told to wait and lost some very beautiful fish.

Someone who really understands this will come along very soon with the link to the cycling information and give you much more detailed and reliable information than I can.

Good luck though, it’s very exciting ?

 

[Kamdavid]

I might sound as if I almost know something - so take a seat it doesn’t happen very often...

You need to have added a source of ammonia to start the cycling process, otherwise, like I did, I added fish after the two weeks I was told to wait and lost some very beautiful fish.

Someone who really understands this will come along very soon with the link to the cycling information and give you much more detailed and reliable information than I can.

Good luck though, it’s very exciting ?

I will add some ammonia into the tank today

 

[Cydeth]

I will add some ammonia into the tank today

Unfortunately it's not enough to just add ammonia. You need to constantly test and see how nitrite rises as the ammonia falls, then you need to watch for nitrates.

It's an entire process that can take weeks, I'm afraid.

I'm currently cycling a tank and I'm about 3 weeks in to the process, I'm still not fully cycled and I've had about 26 years of experience running and setting up tanks.

Please read this thread before buying fish, it will take you longer before you can fill your tank but it is likely to save their life.

A little bit of pain now will prevent a lot of it later.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Keeping fish is all about patience... Which I have none of! But alas, one must wait!

If you have any questions, please ask ?? we're here to help

 

[madmark285]

You need to constantly test and see how nitrite rises as the ammonia falls,

The API quick start is nitrifying bacteria in a bottle, he may already have the bacteria colonies established in the tank. . So he may not see a rise in nitrites as it is being quickly consumed.

I would dose it twice with ammonia before buying any fish.

 

[Cydeth]

The API quick start is nitrifying bacteria in a bottle, he may already have the bacteria colonies established in the tank. . So he may not see a rise in nitrites as it is being quickly consumed.

I would dose it twice with ammonia before buying any fish.

That may be correct, although I don't believe it to be the case.

A bacterial starter still needs ammonia to reproduce and establish itself fully in the filter media,rocks and substrate. There was never an ammonia source in the tank, unless his tap water contained it and so that bacteria was not fed.

In that case, even if the bacterial starter was not added he would still see no nitrite or nitrate as there would be no ammonia to convert and produce them. Again, unless his tap water had them present.

 

[Essjay]

A cycled tank can process 3 ppm ammonia to zero ammonia and zero nitrite in 24 hours. Adding bottled bacteria can speed up the time it takes to reach this point.

The simplest way to check is to get a bottle of ammonia, add enough to get 3 ppm (test the water after half an hour to let the ammonia mix in) then test in 24 hours.
If there's still ammonia, with or without nitrite, it's not cycled.
If ammonia is zero, but there's a reading above zero for nitrite, it's not cycled.
If both are zero, it is cycled.

When the 24 hour test is either #1 or #2, follow the method in Cydeth's post (#8)

 

[Kamdavid]

Thanks everyone for the information. I am going to test my water right now. On that note. Can anyone tell me these two living plants I bought today ? I think one was labeled red zudwiga ?

 

[OliveFish05]

The stem plant is a red Ludwigia!

 

[madmark285]

A bacterial starter still needs ammonia to reproduce and establish itself fully in the filter media,rocks and substrate.

I agree 100%, dose it with ammonia to 3ppm. If the bacteria in a bottle worked, the ammonia munching bacteria will slowly start producing nitrites which may be quickly consumed by the nitrite munching bacteria.

When I cycled my tank with bacteria in a bottle and ammonia, I never got any significant amounts of nitrites. I dosed my tank three times with ammonia.

I think this is important info for beginners, they may get quite confused if they read zero nitrites after ammonia levels drop to zero. Sometimes you need to think about what is going on instead of following specifics recipes.