Is my fish tank cycled?

[MineralMagic]

Due to this should i

Sound like you're really almost there though but if I were you I'd pick up an ammonia test kit too. You will need it in the future including if the increased biology causes the ammonia level to raise at all once you drop the peacocks in..

That leads me to my next question, should i put all the peacocks in at once, or in batches? i'd much rather just get them all in one go, as my only 'lfs' is an hour away from me, he-he. And, wouldn't the cichlids just establish territories? I plan to have 7

 

[xraycer]

Ammonia is the most toxic of the 3, and will kill your fish first, so this is the most important test to have.

In regards to adding fish, it is best to add fish in small batches, but if your circumstance doesn't allow for it and you have to add a large batch then you need to do 30% water change every day until your bb catches up. How will you know when the bb is sufficient? You will need the ammonia test kit used in conjunction with the nitrite and nitrate kit you already possessed. As already stated: 0 ammonia; 0 nitrite; some nitrate....you don't want 0 nitrate.

0 nitrate would be the ultimate in a cycled tank but that story is for another time.

 

[Skalper666]

Yeah it is better to add them together for those reasons but the ammonia may raise (there are good bacteria additives and ammonia neutrilizers if it does) like I stated in my last post. BTW I meant bioload not biology (darn autocorrect).

 

[Woefulrelic]

After buying a liquid test kit ($20), live rock ($80), fish tank with a filter, heater and light ($400), saechem prime ($12), seachem safe ($15), and soon to buy 8 peacocks at $15 a pop, i dont have the money for a liquid test kit, over $70 at my lfs. I think i can do without it,

If you already have a liquid test kit it's fine. I assumed because you said strip you were using the submersible strips. If you live in the US Amazon has them under $25. Ammonia is important to test, very toxic to fish and we can't be sure the cycle is entirely successful until ammonia and nitrites are zero. After a week I would be a bit weary of the test readings you have. Here's a link to the test kit I mentioned. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002...r+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51HhyNdl5fL&ref=plSrch

 

[MineralMagic]

If you already have a liquid test kit it's fine. I assumed because you said strip you were using the submersible strips. If you live in the US Amazon has them under $25. Ammonia is important to test, very toxic to fish and we can't be sure the cycle is entirely successful until ammonia and nitrites are zero. After a week I would be a bit weary of the test readings you have. Here's a link to the test kit I mentioned. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002...r+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51HhyNdl5fL&ref=plSrch

I meant to say a strip test kit, i don't have a liquid one.

 

[MineralMagic]

Ammonia is the most toxic of the 3, and will kill your fish first, so this is the most important test to have.

In regards to adding fish, it is best to add fish in small batches, but if your circumstance doesn't allow for it and you have to add a
large batch then you need to do 30% water change every day until your bb catches up. How will you know when the bb is sufficient? You will need the ammonia test kit used in conjunction with the nitrite and nitrate kit you already possessed. As already stated: 0 ammonia; 0 nitrite; some nitrate....you don't want 0 nitrate.

0 nitrate would be the ultimate in a cycled tank but that story is for another time.

Okay, well the bb is ammonia then? i can do water changes every second day, i have intensive homework on the others. XD

 

[MineralMagic]

If you already have a liquid test kit it's fine. I assumed because you said strip you were using the submersible strips. If you live in the US Amazon has them under $25. Ammonia is important to test, very toxic to fish and we can't be sure the cycle is entirely successful until ammonia and nitrites are zero. After a week I would be a bit weary of the test readings you have. Here's a link to the test kit I mentioned. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002...r+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51HhyNdl5fL&ref=plSrch

I dosed the tank with prime yesterday and the nitrite has definitely gone down, its looks lighter then it was, but i really can't distinguish between whether its 0.5 or 0. Would i be able to get the ammonia test kit at the same time as i get the fish? as i said, my lfs is 1 hour away, and i can really only go there when i plan to get the fish.

 

[duanes]

Unless you have some kind of already seasoned media in the tank, 1 week is not enough time to run a full cycle.
A cycled tank means sufficient bacterial populations have accumulated to a point where they use all the ammonia and nitrite produced.
It usually takes at least 4 weeks to reach that stage, without an already established population using some kind of seasoned media.
Bacteria reproduce fast, but one week is pushing it.
I would guess there is still plenty of free ammonia.

 

[xraycer]

Okay, well the bb is ammonia then? i can do water changes every second day, i have intensive homework on the others. XD

BB stands for beneficial bacteria. These bacterias are what "consumes" the ammonia and nitrite, and the end product is nitrate. Nitrate while no where near as toxic is still detrimental to fish health long term. Nitrate are not consumed by these bacterias, and the easiest way to remove nitrate is through water change. Water change is the removal of a portion of the tanks water and then adding fresh water to refill. Aim for 50% weekly at a minimum, but the more the better. If your tap water is treated city water it'll probably have chlorine and/or chloramine in it, which are also toxic to fish. You will need to neutralize these disinfectant with dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime

 

[Kittiee Katt]

BB stands for beneficial bacteria. These bacterias are what "consumes" the ammonia and nitrite, and the end product is nitrite. Nitrite while no where near as toxic is still detrimental to fish health long term. Nitrite are not consumed by these bacterias, and the easiest way to remove nitrite is through water change. Water change is the removal of a portion of the tanks water and then adding fresh water to refill. Aim for 50% weekly at a minimum, but the more the better. If your tap water is treated city water it'll probably have chlorine and/or chloramine in it, which are also toxic to fish. You will need to neutralize these disinfectant with dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime

Hey X, you wrote nitrite instead of nitrate.

To the op, nitrate is the end result, I think xraycer was typing to quick.