Jstkpswming

So everybody knows, i started my tank a month and a half ago. i set everything up and added 1 fish. At the time i was still researching and didnt realize the nitrogen cycle. LFS told me i could add a fish after a day! Well after i learned about the cycle i went and bought test strips (oops!). I misinterpreted them thinking my tank was cycled. I bought a master test kit and for 5 weeks i let my lonely fish live in my tank while doing daily water changes of 20%. ammonia stayed consistently at .25ppm. During that time i had never gotten a reading on nitrites. Another LFS told me its cause i was doing too many water changes and needed to add a couple more hardy fish. So i get 5 zebra danios. All the fish at this point are doing ok but after a week of more fish and fewer water changes i still have no nitrite readings. im worried about the fish and that my tank is not making any progress in the cycle. it has now been over 6 weeks. How long do nitrites usually show up? and how much ammonia is required to adequatly feed the bacteria? obviously my next fish tank will be fishless cycle. but i dont have another tank to transport so im looking for the quickest way to cycle with fish. Also if it helps, i changed out the filter at 1 month (left the biological part stay in the tank) and i rearranged the decor and leveled the gravel several weeks back. will this kill the bacteria? Sorry for the long post but definitely getting frustrated. Any help is always appreciated

Thanks

agabr123

well, the advice from your lfs is somewhat correct. you're not getting a reading of nitrIte because of the water changes, BUT the water changes are necessary to keep your fish healthy. since you have fish in the tank you need to do 50% daily water changes, but that means that your cycle will be prolonged for a LONG time. your best bet if possible is to return the fish you have now and use something else as a source of ammonia so that you don't have to do the water changes and your tank will be able to cycle much faster

Lucy

Cycling really is frustrating. After 6 weeks, you should have gotten a nitrite reading.
Do you have any nitrates? What test kit are you using?

hssea

couldnt he had possibly missed the nitrite reading. I would ck nitrates if they are there then i would think you just missed the nitrite readings

Jstkpswming

using the API master test kit. ammonia is 1ppm, nitrite is 0ppm and nitrate is 0ppm. in the past week after stopping water changes ammonia rose from .25ppm to 1ppm but hasnt gone any higher.

kimb

My tank was very similar until I was able to get a couple of cups of gravel from an established tank. Even then 2 full weeks until a trace (and mean trace) of nitrites started to show up. When you say you changed filter but not biological part...do you mean you changed the pad/insert? That is what I did and my much more knowledgable friends said I basically got rid of the good stuff It is frustrating, but it will happen. Good luck

Jstkpswming

Thanks for the info. kimb, it gives me hope!

0morrokh

I would not let your ammonia get up to 1 PPM, as that can be toxic to the fish...keep doing water changes even though it means you will have to wait a long time for the tank to cycle.

Nate McFin

I havent used myself so I have zero experience with what I am about to ask...
Would Tetra Safe start work since there are fish in there already? Maybe someone who knows the stuff would be able to answer.

Shawnie

yep it sure would..and a great suggestion to get this cycle completed!! and if you do get some TSS, read the directions carefully as there is no water changes with it for 7-10 days ...so id do a big 60% water change right before adding it goodluck!

Jstkpswming

well i have continued my water changes and have ordered tetra safe start online. Thanks so much for the tips everyone. This forum is great, everyone really is very helpful! I will let you know how the TSS works, and how my fish are doing. I'll even take some pics!

Thanks again!

Brad

Jstkpswming

another thing... would it be advisable to change out the carbon filter before adding the TSS so that the bacteria can seed into a cartridge that will be in there longer. Thereby letting it seed into the gravel etc. while i eventually change to yet another filter after a month or so? Speaking of filters, i have the aqueon filter system with carbon cartridges, they seem to get clogged after just a few weeks, so ive been swooshing them in tank water that has been removed. how long do these cartridges last? I dont really trust the 1 month instructions on the packet. Can you just keep swooshing them until they are perma clogged?

Thanks again pictures to come in the following weeks

Llama

activated carbon usually has a life of maxiumum one month. Then some starts actually LEECHING back whatever it had adsorbed before. So yes, replace after a month. The sponge filters you can keep reusing until they collapse into a mess - but its advisable to hide its replacement in the tank for a week or so, so it absorbs some bacteria as well, otherwise it might throw you into a minicycle

Jstkpswming

So put the new filter in the tank for a week or so before switching it into the filter? How many fish should I have in tank when adding TSS. Currently i have a Marble Lyretail Molly and 4 Zebra Danios. Will that be sufficient enough ammonia production for the bacterial growth? I was thinking about adding 1 or 2 more fish. Also should they be of the hardier species or does TSS work so well that i could add fore instance neon tetras?

Thanks again

Llama

There should be instructions on the bottle. TSS doesn't ALWAYS work, so I wouldn't add any more fish until I'm 100% sure that it worked. The Danois and the Molly should produce enough.

If you're replacing a filter SPONGE (not the carbon, its usually a blue thing), you should place the sponge in the aquarium for around a week so that it can collect its share of bacteria, so you don't lose everything when you remove the older sponge.

agabr123

with the tetra safe start you're supposed to fully stock your tank with whatever you plan on adding, and you add the entire bottle of TSS at the same time. however, considering that it may not work, i'd just use it with the fish you have now. if it works like it's supposed to, then in a few more weeks you can add fish (to give enough time for the bacteria to establish so you don't overwhelm it)

ER9

BioSpira works as well to speed up the cycle. make sure your not adding water conditioners like Prime that lock up ammonia. I think Tetra makes one called AquaSafe that dechlorinates tap water without locking up ammonia thereby allowing it to be available for your cycle process.

Jstkpswming

does stress coat lock up ammonia? that is the only water conditioner i have been using.

ER9

not 100% sure to be honest. i use tetra's aqua safe which was recomended to me a while ago which supposedly does not convert NH3 to nh4.

what part of the filter did you change out? what exactly does yor filter consist of? meaning what media does it use?

most filters use a sponge, bio stone and carbon or some similar variation. if you changed the carbon and sponge you could have screwed things up. i wouldn't personally touch the filter media until the cycle is complete and even then you have to be carefull because alot of the bacteria live in the filter media (including the carbon). if your not careful and throw it away or wash it out wrong you can destroy it upsetting your cycle.

generally when you do filter maintenance (which you generally dont want to do on the day of water change, except cleaning out debris from the filter tubes) you change your carbon (usually once a month, you dont even need to use it) and lightly rinse out the sponge using only your aquarium water to do so. sometimes i will very lightly rinse the biostone with aquarium water if its excessively dirty.

by using aquarium water you dont kill any of the bacteria. generally its a good habit to do filter maintenance mid week between water changes...not on the same day. your already removing some or alot of good bacteria via water change and gravel vac....leaving it in the filter at this time helps keep a bit of a buffer from a bacteria crash preventing a mini cycle or in your case allowing your tank to cycle.

if it was my tank i would only be doing the minimal amount of maintenance right now...carefully monitoring your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate twice a day. do small water changes (only as much as you need to ) just to keep water parameters safe so fish dont die. other than that try to leave things alone as much as possible to let the natural cycle play out. it can take a couple months sometimes. my curent tank took almost two months.

Jstkpswming

Ok so today i got my TSS and before i added it, i changed out my filter(i use an aqueon power filter 10 and it uses AC cartridges and has a permanent holster for housing BB), gravel vaccumed everything and did 90% water change. Basically starting fresh with TSS. Put the whole 100ml bottle in as directed and now just waiting for 7-10 days to test parameters.

I also got two more fish to make sure the bioload will be sufficient for keeping the bacteria alive. Is my tank stocked about right? I have 4 Zebra Danios, 1 Marble Lyretail Molly, 1 Gold Gourami, and one Giant Danio.

Pics to come soon. I love the Gold Gourami's color! Hadn't seen one in person until today.

Thanks

Jstkpswming

TSS worked like a charm!

Lucy

That's great news!

Nate McFin

Thanks for the update and congrats!