Tank cycle Journal. Need your help and suggestions.

[Kashif314]

Hello everyone. I am going to start my tank today. I want you guys to help me out in my journey till I have stable water parameters. Its a 100 gallon (150 L × 55 H × 45 W in cm). For filtration I am using Sicce 500 whale Canister filter which has four stages of filtration. There is another internal filter that came with the tank. Tank has only wood scape inside. I ll be keeping African cichlids in this tank.



The most important thing is that tank is new but I am going to use established or seeded media. As in my previous thread I realized it will be an instant cycle if I use an already established bio media. To be more safe I ll use Seachem stability. I do have Seachem Prime but don't want to use if its not required.

Below is my current water parameters after letting water rest inside tank for over 24 hours.

Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrites 0 ppm
Nitrates 0 ppm
PH 7 or 7.2
Temperature 27 Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit)

Today I will add some fish and will instal seeded filter media. I will update this thread often and I need your help to guide me in right direction.

First question for now is that I will add fish today with seeded media, after how many days do I need to check water parameters again.

Thanks.

 

[esoxlucius]

How many fish are you adding, and what size are they? Don't get too confident thinking you'll have an instant cycle. I found this out very recently, I added too many fish to my new tank thinking my established media from my other tank would work out. It didn't, and ammonia started showing pretty quick. Water changes, seachem prime and no feeding help me come out of it with all fish ok.

 

[Kashif314]

How many fish are you adding, and what size are they? Don't get too confident thinking you'll have an instant cycle. I found this out very recently, I added too many fish to my new tank thinking my established media from my other tank would work out. It didn't, and ammonia started showing pretty quick. Water changes, seachem prime and no feeding help me come out of it with all fish ok.

I am not going to add any big fish for a while. Adding two fish today. Both cichlids. One is dolphin not big. Other, I don't know the exact name but its not big either.



Tomorrow will add maybe three or four and then will wait for a while to add more. Is this the right approach?

 

[esoxlucius]

Keep a check on your parameters, especially the ammonia. Your parameters will tell you whether you're on the right track.

I'm taking it you bought the dolphin then? Is that the one with the fin issues? Did you establish whether it was being bullied or something more sinister going on. If it's got the lurgy things might go south in your new tank.

 

[tlindsey]

How many fish are you adding, and what size are they? Don't get too confident thinking you'll have an instant cycle. I found this out very recently, I added too many fish to my new tank thinking my established media from my other tank would work out. It didn't, and ammonia started showing pretty quick. Water changes, seachem prime and no feeding help me come out of it with all fish ok.

+1 This is the very reason I use the term "Jump Start" and not instant.

 

[duanes]

Esoxlucius gave excellent advice, watch for any ammonia, if it spikes for any length of time, do a water change to dilute, and closely watch the fish for stress especially that Cyrtocara. If it had a bacterial infection, which was/ would be very difficult to diagnose with just a the pics provided, things could go south for a long time..

 

[neutrino]

IF, your fish has a bacteria issue, that's another matter. As far as simply stocking a new tank seeded with active media, it makes a difference how much of it you added, but the basics are to add fish volume (size and numbers) gradually, as you're doing. Feed lightly at first, check the water quality results as mentioned, and don't be in a hurry to add more fish. A rough way to estimate how much fish volume you can add initially is to envision the filter your active seeded media would fill and the tank size you'd use that filter for, i.e. 10 gal tank, 20 gal tank, 30, or whatever, then add how much fish volume you'd keep in such a 10, 20, or whatever size tank-- best to start on the conservative side.

Each round of fish added I'd feed the tank lightly at first, then more normally after two-three days, check the results, if no ammonia/nitrite, add another small amount of fish, feed lightly at first, then more normally after a few days, check the results, and so on. The light feeding each round partially compensates for the new fish. At least that's how I do it-- inexact science determining the actual number and size of fish to add, how long to wait before adding any more, etc., but those are the basic principles I follow. I tend to add new fish later rather than sooner, unless the fish are quite small.

If you end up having to use meds to treat a fish, that could change things if it's a product hard on beneficial bacteria. Note-- a fully mature filter with good media volume is more resilient to some meds than a new or partially cycled filter, which would be more fragile.

 

[deeda]

Since this is a newly set up tank, do your water tests every day about the same time and write the test result numbers down so you can keep a reference.

 

[Far2lively]

Since this is a newly set up tank, do your water tests every day about the same time and write the test result numbers down so you can keep a reference.

When setting up new tanks I check water parameters every 2 days and do water changes where necessary. Yes taking a note of nitrites, nitrates and ammonia is a good idea as you know where you’re at then.

 

[Kashif314]

Keep a check on your parameters, especially the ammonia. Your parameters will tell you whether you're on the right track.

I'm taking it you bought the dolphin then? Is that the one with the fin issues? Did you establish whether it was being bullied or something more sinister going on. If it's got the lurgy things might go south in your new tank.

+1 This is the very reason I use the term "Jump Start" and not instant.

Esoxlucius gave excellent advice, watch for any ammonia, if it spikes for any length of time, do a water change to dilute, and closely watch the fish for stress especially that Cyrtocara. If it had a bacterial infection, which was/ would be very difficult to diagnose with just a the pics provided, things could go south for a long time..

IF, your fish has a bacteria issue, that's another matter. As far as simply stocking a new tank seeded with active media, it makes a difference how much of it you added, but the basics are to add fish volume (size and numbers) gradually, as you're doing. Feed lightly at first, check the water quality results as mentioned, and don't be in a hurry to add more fish. A rough way to estimate how much fish volume you can add initially is to envision the filter your active seeded media would fill and the tank size you'd use that filter for, i.e. 10 gal tank, 20 gal tank, 30, or whatever, then add how much fish volume you'd keep in such a 10, 20, or whatever size tank-- best to start on the conservative side.

Each round of fish added I'd feed the tank lightly at first, then more normally after two-three days, check the results, if no ammonia/nitrite, add another small amount of fish, feed lightly at first, then more normally after a few days, check the results, and so on. The light feeding each round partially compensates for the new fish. At least that's how I do it-- inexact science determining the actual number and size of fish to add, how long to wait before adding any more, etc., but those are the basic principles I follow. I tend to add new fish later rather than sooner, unless the fish are quite small.

If you end up having to use meds to treat a fish, that could change things if it's a product hard on beneficial bacteria. Note-- a fully mature filter with good media volume is more resilient to some meds than a new or partially cycled filter, which would be more fragile.

Since this is a newly set up tank, do your water tests every day about the same time and write the test result numbers down so you can keep a reference.

When setting up new tanks I check water parameters every 2 days and do water changes where necessary. Yes taking a note of nitrites, nitrates and ammonia is a good idea as you know where you’re at then.

Thanks a lot guys. Yes, its the same dolphin I was talking about. It has no more tattered fins or anything. It seems he took a strong beating from where he came to the fish store. He is perfectly fine without any damages or any visible damage or infection to body. Swimming activity and eating food like crazy.