cycling help

[doviiman]

Don't change the water until you have 0ppm nitrites. If your ammonia zeroes out, and you still have nitrites, add enough ammonia to get it back to 4ppm. The purpose of the water change is simply to get rid of nitrates, the end product of the nitrogen cycle. Your tank will be cycled when you can add ammonia (to 4ppm) and ammonia and nitrites are 0ppm within 24 hours. Until you can add ammonia and have 0ppm ammonia and nitrites within a day, your tank is not fully cycled. I had nitrites at around 5ppm for 11 days, when it suddenly dropped to .25ppm. In the last three days, my nitrates went from 7.5 to 160+ppm. At that point, I changed out enough water to get 0ppm nitrates and moved my fish. At .25ppm nitrites, my tank was not fully cycled, and it took another two weeks before I had 0ppm nitrites. I jumped the gun. It would have been better if I had waited for the nitrites to completely zero out before I moved my fish.

Ok, good information, thanks.. So now I wait. I jstu add a couple airstones and turned 1000W titanium heater. Tank is readding 77deg, but I have it set on the controller to go to 85 to help in the cycling process.
Does adding fake plants, wood or rocks, effect the cycling process?

 

[doviiman]

*It IS possible to have high readings of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates at the same time. A family emergency kept me from properly caring for my tanks, and within 2 weeks my tanks were messed up badly! I have since corrected everything in my tanks, and very thankful that none of my fish have had any illness from the nasty conditions they had to put up with. Good luck with your new tank.

How'd you fix the situation, several water changes??

 

[JK47]

How'd you fix the situation, several water changes??

If your doing a fishliess cycle there is no need for water changes. You've jump started your cycle by adding seeded media, that's a good thing. As soon as ammonia and nitrite drop to zero do a 50% water change and add your fish. You will have a mini cycle or cloudy tank most likely when you add your live stock so be ready for it, it's no big deal. A water change every 2 days after adding fish will keep things in check until things balance back out with the new stock. Remember to stock up slowly.

 

[doviiman]

If your doing a fishliess cycle there is no need for water changes. You've jump started your cycle by adding seeded media, that's a good thing. As soon as ammonia and nitrite drop to zero do a 50% water change and add your fish. You will have a mini cycle or cloudy tank most likely when you add your live stock so be ready for it, it's no big deal. A water change every 2 days after adding fish will keep things in check until things balance back out with the new stock. Remember to stock up slowly.

Ok, got it! I guess this is the painful part, sitting an waiting. Does adding large rocks, wood or fake plants effect the cycle process?

 

[pacu mom]

No.

 

[pacu mom]

Also, when your tank is truly cycled, you should be able to add ammonia 2-4ppm and have zero ammonia and nitrites within 24 hrs. Your nitrates should be off the charts at that point, and you should change out enough water to get the nitrates really low (or to zero, if you prefer). Two back-to-back 60% wcs should remove most of the nitrates. Depending on how much ammonia the tank was cycled to, will determine how much BB you colonized. Since the majority of the colonized BB reside in your filter media, changing out most of the water is not going to hurt the BB. 4ppm ammonia equates to a huge amount of fish waste. If you added a ton of large fish whose total production greatly exceeds 4ppm per day, your tank should not go into a mini cycle.

 

[doviiman]

Also, when your tank is truly cycled, you should be able to add ammonia 2-4ppm and have zero ammonia and nitrites within 24 hrs. Your nitrates should be off the charts at that point, and you should change out enough water to get the nitrates really low (or to zero, if you prefer). Two back-to-back 60% wcs should remove most of the nitrates. Depending on how much ammonia the tank was cycled to, will determine how much BB you colonized. Since the majority of the colonized BB reside in your filter media, changing out most of the water is not going to hurt the BB. 4ppm ammonia equates to a huge amount of fish waste. If you added a ton of large fish whose total production greatly exceeds 4ppm per day, your tank should not go into a mini cycle.

I

I am excited to see how this cycle works out. I'll be patient and let it take it's course.Though I have to admitt, I am ready to put some fish in there, like now. ha,ha,ha
I am going to add a few pieces of rocks and wood in there and let it do its thing.
I will watch the results and keep posting them.
Thank you...

 

[pacu mom]

For a long time, I kept a log of water changes and nitrate levels. Eventually, I only tested for nitrates, since I never ever had nitrites after the tank was cycled. I have a stable tank, though, since I don't add more fish. Eventually, your tank will have enough BB to sustain just what is in the tank. Adding more large fish then would effect the cycle, so ammonia, nitrites and nitrates should be monitored. I'm a form person. Here's my form to monitor conditions in my tank.

 

[doviiman]

For a long time, I kept a log of water changes and nitrate levels. Eventually, I only tested for nitrates, since I never ever had nitrites after the tank was cycled. I have a stable tank, though, since I don't add more fish. Eventually, your tank will have enough BB to sustain just what is in the tank. Adding more large fish then would effect the cycle, so ammonia, nitrites and nitrates should be monitored. I'm a form person. Here's my form to monitor conditions in my tank.

I am on board with you, I printed out several sheets yesterday and even put it in a little binder. I am going to attempt to log as I go, thought I have to admiit, I am not the most discipline when it comes to tracking and logging things.

 

[pacu mom]

After a while, the numbers were so predictable, I finally stopped testing. Now I test only after an incident like a fairly long power outage.