240 gallon tank has been up for 1 week and 5 days now. I have 2 cichlids, 1 featherfin cat, 1 med pleco and 6 inch aro. I use some bacteria from an establish tank. Water was ok all week till today. Tested water and has 1 ppm of ammonia and nitrites. Nitrates at 0 and ph level 7.8. Tap water is measure at 7.8. Should I go ahead and do a 20-25% water change or add some prime and let the tank finish cycling? Any suggestions is welcome.
Nitrites and Ammonia at 1 ppm
- Thread starter kainester
- Start date
I am far from an expert, but it looks like your tank hasn't cycled yet, with o nitrates. Prime can't hurt. Let the tank do it's thing. If the fish are hearty, they should pull through, but I wouldn't add anything you love yet.
Water change and prime, get that ammonia level down. What exactly did you use from the established tank and put in your new tank? Gravel? Bio media? If you can add more bacteria from your established tank to help speed up the cycle. Till then just water change to keep the ammonia levels from turning lethal.
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When i bought my 125g i added water and filter media from my other est tanks and the tank was cycled right away. By doing a wc the cycle takes longer but your fish aren't at risk.
HotSlime- I place biomedia from the establish tank... though the biomedia was only in the establish tank for 1 week and probably did not collect enough BB. But I did add about 10 gallon of the water from the establish to my new tank. I took your advice and pull the sponge filter from the establish tank to the new tank. Thanks for your help....
Adding water from an established tank doesn't help with cycling a new tank, it is just water, BB isn't found floating around in it.
You are correct, the media being in the old tank for 1 week didn't grow any or enough BB to be transferred. You would need to take media that has been in the old tank for months in order to transfer any BB to the new tank.
Prime and water changes are your best bet now. Keep the ammonia and nitrites down and your fish will be fine. Also, feed lightly or you risk adding to the ammonia spike. Once you start to get nitrate readings, your tank is cycling but still keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite. Only when the reading for ammonia and nitrite is ZERO is your tank done cyclying. This process could take between 6-8 weeks.
You are correct, the media being in the old tank for 1 week didn't grow any or enough BB to be transferred. You would need to take media that has been in the old tank for months in order to transfer any BB to the new tank.
Prime and water changes are your best bet now. Keep the ammonia and nitrites down and your fish will be fine. Also, feed lightly or you risk adding to the ammonia spike. Once you start to get nitrate readings, your tank is cycling but still keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite. Only when the reading for ammonia and nitrite is ZERO is your tank done cyclying. This process could take between 6-8 weeks.