Cycling question

[deckard_wa]

Your tank is nowhere near cycled yet. You haven't even had your ammonia spike yet, and your nitrite spike can last quite a while. I'm sorry but you're looking at maybe another month yet.

Impatience now could lead to a lot of heartache later, so please wait it out

 

[Ianab]

How long the tank takes to cycle depends on the size, fish size, water temp, plants, pH, how much you feed etc.

With a decent size tank, small fish it could take a while. (thats a good thing).

But most important is not to add more fish untill the ammonia AND nitrite readings are both ZERO.

I know it's hard resisting getting those new fish, but it's just not worth the risk, or you are going to end up cycling the tank with your expensive new fish

Cheers

Ian

 

[pdbrady]

First of all the test kit the LFS is using is the same as the one you would buy. Your tank is just starting to cycle. first you would see a peak in ammonia, then a peak in nitrites and then once you see nitrates with no ammonia or nitrites then you tank is cycled. I would buy a test kit, even the test strips do fine, and test your water yourself.

Bingo.
What book says that?! That's retarded!

 

[ksfishguy]

If you don't have money for a test kit, run your tank with the white clouds for a few months, read some articles on cycling (google it). If you take things slow you will be fine.

 

[PoopSmart]

Honestly depending on what cichlids you want to buy, most would be fine cycling a tank (as long as you don't fully stock it on the first day) http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/fishcyclefw.shtml. Just ask the LFS for some "dirty water" (established aquarium water) or a handful of their gravel thats in their aquariums and that will speed up the cycle ten-fold.

But buy your own test kit because you don't need to know exactly how much nitrite, ammonia or nitrate is in the tank. All you need to know is that there is ammonia, and once the test strip shows nitrite, then you are halfway there, and then once the strip shows ONLY nitrate your tank is cycled.

So theoretically you only need a nitrite/nitrate tester. Once you have only nitrates and no nitrites then its cycled.

If you are really really impatient, ask the LFS is they have BioSpira. It is the beneficial bacteria that is in an aquarium. Make sure it is in a refrigerator because it has to be kept cold.