2nd week of fishless cycle with no change
- Thread starter fishlover25
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You don't need to dose ammonia every day. The bacteria wont starve to death in a day or even a week. As long as they're kept in their water environment, the BB can lay dormant for a long time from what I've read. You hear people claim it will die immediately if not given a steady source of food. I don't buy it at all.
I would dose the ammonia to get nitrites towards the top of the scale on the API master test kit, or just over scale, then wait for nitrates. You should be about there. The mistake I made was I continuously kept the ammonia to 4-5ppm, even when nitrites were high. This made nitrites go SO high that the cycle stalled. I had to do several massive water changes to bring nitrites down to a readable level. Almost immediately after doing that, nitrates took over. I'm talking a matter of 2hrs or so. Once I read 0,0,5 and it stayed there for 2 days or so, I fully stocked my tanks. I've never seen ammonia or nitrites again. Only nitrates.
I would dose the ammonia to get nitrites towards the top of the scale on the API master test kit, or just over scale, then wait for nitrates. You should be about there. The mistake I made was I continuously kept the ammonia to 4-5ppm, even when nitrites were high. This made nitrites go SO high that the cycle stalled. I had to do several massive water changes to bring nitrites down to a readable level. Almost immediately after doing that, nitrates took over. I'm talking a matter of 2hrs or so. Once I read 0,0,5 and it stayed there for 2 days or so, I fully stocked my tanks. I've never seen ammonia or nitrites again. Only nitrates.
I just tested my tank today and ammonia is down to .5ppm after being about 2ppm yesterday so the bacteria is still there 
My nitrites are off the charts. It is a magenta color instead of the purple on the color scale. And my nirates are about 20-40ppm. So since my nitrites are off the chart, I should be doing a massive water change correct? Just until the nitrites are back to being readable?
If that is the case and a 80% water change is not enough to bring the nitrite back to being readable, do I do a water change again right after testing or let the water sit for a day and then do the water change?
And once my cycle is down where I have 0,0,<20 can I add fish that same day or wait until the next day?
My nitrites are off the charts. It is a magenta color instead of the purple on the color scale. And my nirates are about 20-40ppm. So since my nitrites are off the chart, I should be doing a massive water change correct? Just until the nitrites are back to being readable?If that is the case and a 80% water change is not enough to bring the nitrite back to being readable, do I do a water change again right after testing or let the water sit for a day and then do the water change?
And once my cycle is down where I have 0,0,<20 can I add fish that same day or wait until the next day?
Congrats!
If you've got 20-40ppm nitrates and the ammonia is being consumed, you are basically there.
I'd bet that if you did several large water changes now, you'd see nothing but nitrates from now on.
What you are describing is about exactly how it played out for me. I changed the water until I saw 0,0,5 and began adding fish.
If you've got 20-40ppm nitrates and the ammonia is being consumed, you are basically there.
I'd bet that if you did several large water changes now, you'd see nothing but nitrates from now on.
What you are describing is about exactly how it played out for me. I changed the water until I saw 0,0,5 and began adding fish.
Congrats on Cycling your tank !
When my 60 gal started producing 40-60 ppm of Nitrates I did 3 75% water changes that day, the next day nitrates were 20 ish, everything else 0. Furstrated I thought the nitrates test were faulty, then I think FD suggested I test my tap, to find that my tap alone is 5-10 ppm Nitrates, so ... yeah.
Congrats again man I know you've been waiting on this a while.
I would personally say once your readings are 0/0/<10 add a couple of small fish, or one fish ~ 3" the bio load will produce different levels then feeding ammonia, test daily, and look for ammonia spikes, once it spikes it should fall, then you should be able to introduce a couple of fish every week to slowly increase your bio load, this gives the bb time to grow and adjust to the tank's fish.
When my 60 gal started producing 40-60 ppm of Nitrates I did 3 75% water changes that day, the next day nitrates were 20 ish, everything else 0. Furstrated I thought the nitrates test were faulty, then I think FD suggested I test my tap, to find that my tap alone is 5-10 ppm Nitrates, so ... yeah.
Congrats again man I know you've been waiting on this a while.
I would personally say once your readings are 0/0/<10 add a couple of small fish, or one fish ~ 3" the bio load will produce different levels then feeding ammonia, test daily, and look for ammonia spikes, once it spikes it should fall, then you should be able to introduce a couple of fish every week to slowly increase your bio load, this gives the bb time to grow and adjust to the tank's fish.
I would do water changes to get the nitrites WAY down and just measure the params daily to verify ammo and nitrates stay down and you have nothing but nitrates. I would not add any more bottled ammonia at this point.
Before you add fish, change water until you're at 0,0,5. Check the params daily to verify no ammo and nitrites, do your weekly WC's and enjoy your happy, healthy fish and watch them light up when you approach the tank.
What type of filtration do you have on this 29? FWIW, I've got a cheapy TopFin 30 HOB, a sponge bubbler and a corner box bubbler in my 29. If anyone needs a well seeded bubbler to start up a new tank, I got it!
Before you add fish, change water until you're at 0,0,5. Check the params daily to verify no ammo and nitrites, do your weekly WC's and enjoy your happy, healthy fish and watch them light up when you approach the tank.
What type of filtration do you have on this 29? FWIW, I've got a cheapy TopFin 30 HOB, a sponge bubbler and a corner box bubbler in my 29. If anyone needs a well seeded bubbler to start up a new tank, I got it!
my tank is finally done cycling. Ammonia and nitrite are gone withing 24 hours. Going to pick up my fish on Saturday. I have decided on stocking it with 10 neon tetras, 2 dwarf gouramis, 6 corys, and some ghost shrimp. Since neon tetras are not that hardy, I think I should start with the corys and the gouramis only and once the tank is cycled for a couple more weeks, add the neon tetras. What do you guys think?
Congrats on the successful fishless cycling!
That's not a bad plan with the neons. I know I originally purchased 15 of them for my 29g and lost 5 within days, BUT I did have a huge outbreak of ich days following, so they were likely sick when I got them.
I still have 10 neons, 4 emerald corys, 5 bloodfin tetras and a very much growing female pearl gourami. It's a very happy tank.
Get some sinking pellet food for the corys. They'll eat flakes that settle out in the substrate if the other critters don't get to it first.
FWIW, I have to feed my corys after dark or the other fish will attack the pellets first.
That's not a bad plan with the neons. I know I originally purchased 15 of them for my 29g and lost 5 within days, BUT I did have a huge outbreak of ich days following, so they were likely sick when I got them.
I still have 10 neons, 4 emerald corys, 5 bloodfin tetras and a very much growing female pearl gourami. It's a very happy tank.
Get some sinking pellet food for the corys. They'll eat flakes that settle out in the substrate if the other critters don't get to it first.
FWIW, I have to feed my corys after dark or the other fish will attack the pellets first.
Well went to the store today and they did not carry female dwarf gourami so there goes my plan for them. Then they had a sale for the blue gourami (3 spot gourami) so I got one of those instead. I also got 3 platies (plan to use the fry as food) since I liked the color. So right now I have a blue gourami, 6 bronze (green) cories, and 3 platies. Hopefully the 10 missing neons is not over stocking the tank. What do you guys think?
Yup. 20 fish in total. The blue gourami can get up to 6 inches. Hopefully he doesn't pose a threat to the tetras. At the moment he's been ok with everyone but does bug them once in a while with his two whiskers. He kept doing that during feeding today but not attacking or enough to keep the other fish from eating.
Also tested my water and both ammonia and nitrite are at 0 so I guess I did a good job at cycling my tank.
Also tested my water and both ammonia and nitrite are at 0 so I guess I did a good job at cycling my tank.