Day 2 of cycling

[coldreptiliancalculations]

Hi my aquarium is at only day 2 of cycling and already the water is very cloudy

Should I do a water change or just leave it be? Is it a beneficial bacteria bloom? Just curious what's

 

[RyanScanner]

Is it fish less cycling or fish in?
Most likely a bacterial bloom, turn your lights off. Unless you cycled with plants (not recommended).
Bacterial blooms, white gel on your drift wood and algae blooms are all part of cycling. Once it finds it’s balance and you are no longer testing any trace of ammonia or nitrite you’re done.

 

[coldreptiliancalculations]

Is it fish less cycling or fish in?
Most likely a bacterial bloom, turn your lights off. Unless you cycled with plants (not recommended).
Bacterial blooms, white gel on your drift wood and algae blooms are all part of cycling. Once it finds it’s balance and you are no longer testing any trace of ammonia or nitrite you’re done.

Fish in cycle

Thanks for all the knowledge and advice!

 

[RyanScanner]

Fish in cycle

Thanks for all the knowledge and advice!

Then just stick with 1 or 2 fish and slowly build up the bioload. If the nitrates go above 40ppm do a 30-50% water change. If you have started with a bunch of fish and not pre cycled I’d advise 50% water change every 2 days until your nitrifying bacteria have caught up and you are testing 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.

 

[coldreptiliancalculations]

Then just stick with 1 or 2 fish and slowly build up the bioload. If the nitrates go above 40ppm do a 30-50% water change. If you have started with a bunch of fish and not pre cycled I’d advise 50% water change every 2 days until your nitrifying bacteria have caught up and you are testing 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.

I'm going to do a 50% water change since I started with 4 platys in a 20 gallon

 

[duanes]

Without seasoned media, a nomal cycle ca take 6 to 8 weeks.
So do lots of water changes.

 

[coldreptiliancalculations]

Without seasoned media, a nomal cycle ca take 6 to 8 weeks.
So do lots of water changes.

My LFS said 3 weeks weird I'll definitely let it cycle longer than that as you suggested q

 

[tlindsey]

3 weeks

Only possible if you had added seeded media or beneficial bacteria to jump start the cycle.

 

[coldreptiliancalculations]

Only possible if you had added seeded media or beneficial bacteria to jump start the cycle.

I have some stability arriving tomorrow thankfully

 

[duanes]

If along with the 4 platies, you purchased at least 8 plants that immediately take, you may then be able to short citcuit the time it takes to grow a large population of beneficial bacteria, enough of a population to process toxix=c ammonia, because they will be among those plants.

Cycling is the process of building a large enough bacterial population to consume all the ammonia produced by the fish.