I think....I'm cycled???! Can it be? Advise please!

1077

Bacterial supplement's in my view don't hurt anything (maybe render early nitrate reading's), but I don't see any evidence that they work well for everyone.
Hard to say how much bacterial colony has developed when using fish food's to feed it as opposed to liquid ammonia.
Shrimp method is difficult as well if your trying to guess as to how many fishes to start with.
Is why It is best in my view to begin with two or three fish and stock slowly with week to ten day's between new fishes.
Ammonia method produces a large bacterial colony (constant dosing ammonia), and some report that they have stocked their tank's fully within day's of performing the large water change at the tail end to lower the nitrate's.
Plant's can help keep toxic ammonia from harming fishes but one or two plant's does not cut it.
When your Nitrites,ammonia, read zero for three or four consecutive day's,and nitrate reading is there,then you'll be ready to perform 50 % water change and add some fishies(slowly ,few at a time).
Many are those who wait patiently for the tank to mature, and then add too many fish,overfeed the fish, and young bacterial colony is overwhelmed temporarily which in turn produces elevated ammonia,nitrites,= sick ,dead,fish.
Does not hurt anything,ever,to test water and perform water changes regularly.
Only time water changes are maybe stressful for fish,,is when they are far and few between and sudden change in enviornment(even for the better),,comes as a shock to osmoregulatory function's as they try to adapt to sudden change in pH,GH.
In addition,,the rate that bacterial colony develop's is influenced by variables such as temp,(bacteria develop better at tropical temp's as opposed to cooler temp's)
pH (bacterial colony prefer ph above 7.0 and develop more slowly at lower pH)

FlyingFish47

Ah, my pH is very low so that might be it (constantly sits at 6.4 maybe 6.6 but no higher) same as the tap water before treatment. I have a heater on to keep the tank at about 25'C, even though our room tmep is the same.

redchigh

Several bits of advice:
Ammonium is not non-toxic, it's just a lot less toxic than ammonia.
Ammonium can be used by plants and bacteria, but it is a little less efficient.
Personally, I've had fish die from 0.01ppm nitrite. Any amount of ammonia or nitrite is toxic.
Some forms of ammonium won't show up on some tests.
A shift in ph (say, from a waterchange or decoration) can make the ammonium suddenly turn back into the highly toxic free ammonia, resulting in massive fish loss.
Bacteria require oxygen to neutralise ammonia and nitrite- lack of waterchanges can result in depleted oxygen and high co2-which can shift ph. (see above)
When I start a tank, I seed the filter with all the crud I can get off of my other media, and add 1 tsp of sugar for every 10 gallons once or twice a week. I stock from day 1, and have no ammonia. I also use plants, but only a few in my new tanks.
An airstone can speed up a cycle, and help the fish survive the cycle.

Paradise Fish are very hardy, but ammonia can easily damage their gills (permenantly), reducing their ability to respirate.


Lots of entertwined elements- safest course would be waterchanges every 1-2 days with a double dose of prime in the added water.

Thats my advice, for what it's worth.

Fredsterbit

Alright then seeing that this is about cycling, can someone help me with my cycling anomaly? I've had the tank for about a month and a half now. It contains 2 zebra danios and 3 golden danios. I've tested the water, my test kit says that it contains .25ppm of ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, ph is around 7.6. The thing is.. it's been like that for a week now. Took it to a local pet store, and they tested 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, 0ppm nitrate, 8.0ph. At some point the ammonia was rising, and then it just stopped rising.. and it's been like that since. The fish are in good health. It is somewhat planted and has some algae but it's under control. So, I don't know what it is. It is also a 20g tank. Water changes occur once to twice a week around 20%.

redchigh

Try adding a tsp of sugar to the filter basket in the morning with a water change, and do both three times a week. After a couple weeks, begin weaning off the sugar/wc (go to twice a week with 1/2 tsp, then once a week with 1/4 tsp, then cut the sugar, keep up the wc you're doing now, and let me know how it went.)

It boosts co2, so if the fish gasp at the surface add an airstone temporarily.
Posted via Mobile Device