Ok so a couple weeks ago I got a new 120 gallon tank with 2 new tertra whisper 60 gallon filters I set up everything right away and I have 2 Oscars 1 red belly pacu and 1 pleco I recently just had a weeksi bichir but it died late last night early this morning so I went out and bought seachem prime and seachem stability I also have aquarium salt and start right but everyone that I have talked to on here says that I have to cycle my tank because my am and nitrates were to high and that's what killed my bichir but I have no idea how to cycle my tank let alone I never heard of it so if there is someone that can help me wIth this process it would be greatly appreciated
HELP! Need to know how to cycle my tank
- Thread starter Bluecheesin
- Start date
First off, do a 50% water change. Yes, do another one. And another, and another until you get the ammonia down to safe levels.
Second, do you have anybody nearby who can give you some old filter media, gravel, or whatnot from an established aquarium?
Third off, do a search on "aquarium cycling", the links from that search should give you a little bit of help in regards on how to cycle.
Second, do you have anybody nearby who can give you some old filter media, gravel, or whatnot from an established aquarium?
Third off, do a search on "aquarium cycling", the links from that search should give you a little bit of help in regards on how to cycle.
Cycling: the newbies' guide:
Fish produce waste in the form of toxic ammonia. Certain species of bacteria eat ammonia, and excrete nitrite, another toxic chemical. Other species of bacteria eat nitrite, and produce nitrate, a chemical that is exponentially less toxic than ammonia and nitrite.
Cycling an aquarium is the process of establishing the species of bacteria mentioned above. In your case, the fish you have are creating ammonia. Lots of it. Your beneficial bacteria populations have only just started to grow, as evidenced by the slight amount of nitrite in the tank. You can boost the levels of bacteria by adding established media, such as old filters, sponges, decorations, gravel-basically anything that's been in a cycled aquarium for a while.
How to save your fish: stop feeding them. Stop feeding them right now. They can go for a week or two without food, and you'll reduce ammonia production this way. Do water changes every time the ammonia goes above danger levels (the middle indicator of your test strip). Do water changes every time your nitrite levels go above danger levels (1 ppm). Basically, do a lot of water changes. I suggest looking at Boruchowitz' "Simple guide to Freshwater aquariums", it has a good way to cycle in it.
Oh, and since you're going to be keeping large fish, ditch the whisper filters. They aren't as efficient as other forms of filtration (wet-dry, plants, etc.). Your pacu's going to be very lonely, and very big when it gets older. Let me guess...Petsmart?
Fish produce waste in the form of toxic ammonia. Certain species of bacteria eat ammonia, and excrete nitrite, another toxic chemical. Other species of bacteria eat nitrite, and produce nitrate, a chemical that is exponentially less toxic than ammonia and nitrite.
Cycling an aquarium is the process of establishing the species of bacteria mentioned above. In your case, the fish you have are creating ammonia. Lots of it. Your beneficial bacteria populations have only just started to grow, as evidenced by the slight amount of nitrite in the tank. You can boost the levels of bacteria by adding established media, such as old filters, sponges, decorations, gravel-basically anything that's been in a cycled aquarium for a while.
How to save your fish: stop feeding them. Stop feeding them right now. They can go for a week or two without food, and you'll reduce ammonia production this way. Do water changes every time the ammonia goes above danger levels (the middle indicator of your test strip). Do water changes every time your nitrite levels go above danger levels (1 ppm). Basically, do a lot of water changes. I suggest looking at Boruchowitz' "Simple guide to Freshwater aquariums", it has a good way to cycle in it.
Oh, and since you're going to be keeping large fish, ditch the whisper filters. They aren't as efficient as other forms of filtration (wet-dry, plants, etc.). Your pacu's going to be very lonely, and very big when it gets older. Let me guess...Petsmart?
I just bought those 2 filter brand new like 2 weeks ago lol and no not petsmart I got him countrymax and should I use the seachem prime and stability?
Use the Prime for treating the water for chlorine when doing water changes. Again, do water changes.
Yes, use the Stability as recommended. Follow the instructions as if you're using a new tank (i.e. 12 capfuls today, 6 capfuls every day for a weeek afterwards, etc.)
Yes, use the Stability as recommended. Follow the instructions as if you're using a new tank (i.e. 12 capfuls today, 6 capfuls every day for a weeek afterwards, etc.)
You have big messy fish in the tank already, so I suggest buying more stability or tetra safestart and dumping 2-3 bottles into the tank. I've cycled every single one of my tanks in under a week using those products.
Don't follow dosing instructions with stability just dump the entire bottle in, it can't hurt your tank or fish.
Also treat the tank with Prime and continue to do water changes every day until you start to notice the ammonia and nitrites are staying down.
You don't have the option of cycling your tank the slow and painful way now because you already have stock in there.
The stability will catch your tank up quickly but you need to stay on top of the water changes and prime schedule because those fish are going to create a lot of waste.
Don't follow dosing instructions with stability just dump the entire bottle in, it can't hurt your tank or fish.
Also treat the tank with Prime and continue to do water changes every day until you start to notice the ammonia and nitrites are staying down.
You don't have the option of cycling your tank the slow and painful way now because you already have stock in there.
The stability will catch your tank up quickly but you need to stay on top of the water changes and prime schedule because those fish are going to create a lot of waste.
return the pacu and the filters and get better filters if you want any chance of keeping those fish alive. The pacu will get way too big for that tank. If your stuck on power filters I would suggest 2 ac110s. Not saying this to be rude or mean, I've been in your shoes. Bought my first tank, a way undersized filter, deco, bunch of fish. Put it all together and got dead fish, got more fish and followed directions on filter to replace the bio media and got more dead fish. Started to talk to people that knew something and got better. Do the right thing and return the pacu please. There are stickies in this sub forum dealing with how to cycle and what to look for.
