Did my tank ever cycle?

[sashimimaster]

I started up a new 30g a few weeks ago. I soaked the filter media and bio wheel in an old tank for about 3 days and filled it half up with water from the old tank. I've had 3 goldfish and a few rosys in there for about 2 weeks and my nitrites/nitrates have not shown anything. It's like it never cycled.

Does it take more time or did I bypass the cycling process?

 

[epond83]

What about Ammonia?

The procces is breaking down ammonia to nitrites, then nitrites to nitrates.

So if there are fish in a tank being feed you will get nitrates if the tank is fully cycled.

 

[sashimimaster]

Didn't check for Ammonia. I added some when I first started it. I figured goldfish give off plenty of ammonia and I waited a week before I started checking for Nitrites. It's going on 3 weeks and it's not showing anything.

 

[Industrial]

Didn't check for Ammonia. I added some when I first started it. I figured goldfish give off plenty of ammonia and I waited a week before I started checking for Nitrites. It's going on 3 weeks and it's not showing anything.

I am going to guess there was enough bacteria on the media that you added that the tank is cycled enough for a small bioload. It probably didn't even need to cycle because it had cycled bacteria in it already.

 

[TheCanuck]

I always bypass my cycles when setting up a new tank. thats because i always have liverock laying around and live sand. SW is much easier to do it in, but i have done it once in FW.

 

[sashimimaster]

Kool, so I'm ready for more fish.

 

[frasertheking]

Kool, so I'm ready for more fish.

id check ammonia first if thats high then your in trouble

 

[BODYDUB]

The BB should have attached itself to your new media. But are you using a strip test or liquid??????

 

[sashimimaster]

Just a strip tester. The colors look exactly the same as when I test the old tank.

 

[Toby_H]

You can't "bypass cycling"...

To recap your situation...

You soaked media in a mature tank for 3 days... Was water being pushed through the media or was it simply sitting idle in the tank? If it was placed in the fitler or used as a prefilter with water being pushed/pulled through it then there is a pretty good chance this 'seeded' the media with bacteria... but if you just tossed it in then there is not a very good chance you got any quantifiable amount of bacteria seeded in/on it...

Transferring 'old tank water' from the old tank is not a sufficient way to transfer bacteria. While bacteria can become dislodged and 'swim' in open water, this is not common enough for using old tank water to have any measuable value in cycling a new tank...

You added liquid ammonia to this tank 3 weeks ago right? You added a few Goldfish to this tank about 3 weeks ago right? You've been feeding these fish right?

If any or all of that is true than you have an ammonia source...

Thus if the tank is cycled and you are ready for fish, then you will have a measuable nitrate reading... if there is no measurable nitrates, and no measurable nitrites... chances are your fish are suffering in ammonia polluted water...