SCUGrad

I got a brand new tank the other day. We set her up, filled it with water, added Azoo AquaGuard (it's an Asian brand of water conditioner) and let it sit for one day with the filter running. The pet shop owner (someone who is very experienced in raising fish locally) said that after a day of this, we can add the fish. I read about the nitrogen cycle and wondered if it shouldn't be longer but he said it wasn't necessary and that he has had success even after just one day.

That doesn't sound right but given his experience and my own experience (I had an aquarium twenty years ago) I believed him. I put in the fish (seven neon tetra, four zebra fish, one cory cat more to come later. So far they're ok. It's been about a couple of days.

Am I worrying about nothing?

Lucy

Hi Thanks for filling in your aquarium info.
Since you have fish, your tank is going to cycle.
Cycling can be very hard on fish as it can weaken them and effect their immune system. You can only try to lessen the effects for them.
As you probably learned from reading about the nitrogen cycle ammonia is created from fish waste and left over food.
Ammonia is toxic to your fish. In a few weeks bacteria will develop and convert the ammonia into nitrites, which is also toxic.
In a few more weeks another bacteria will develop that convert the nitrite into nitrate which is only harmful in high amounts (over 20ppm)
It would be a really good idea to get a test kit. The API master kit is highly recommended and very accurate. Much more so than the strips.

Very shortly, if not already the ammonia is going to begin effecting your fish.
I would suggest for you to start doing daily water changes until the cycle is complete. You can use Prime as your dechlorinator. That'll detox the ammonia for 24 hours between water changes.
In a cycled tank your readings will be 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite with some nitrates showing.

I'm sorry you were misinformed
Good luck with your tank.

pepetj

Unless the product contains heterotrophic bacteria -the info I found on it doesn't even imply that- you seem to be on the way of cycling with fish, in my honest opinion.

In situations like this I would consider using products such as Tetra Safe Start (there are others) that provides autotrophic bacteria instantly and will cycle your tank, safely for the fish in it (it doesn't work without fish in the tank), given you follow directions accordingly.

Option B, would be to use heterotrophic bacteria, like the ones in the Cycle product, and keep adding with somewhat frequent partial water changes (say at least twice a week) until your tank fully cycles (I figure, not sure, but this way it may take several weeks, likely 6 to 8 if not more).

Option C, return the fish (most LFS usually will hold them for you for free if they sold them to you) and do a fishless cycle, then get your fish back.

Either way I would get a liquid reagent based test kit to monitor water parameters.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

Lucy

This option won't allow your tank to cycle properly. The product Cycle will use up the ammonia and not allow the proper bacteria to develop.
If you stop using it, the cycle will most likely crash.

Good suggestion on the TSS.

SCUGrad

Thanks to you both.

Gee...people are awfully helpful around here. I've been on other forums before and I don't think I've ever received answers less than 24 hrs after posting.

SCUGrad

The place where I bought the fish doesn't sell test kits! I'll see if I can find something locally before I order something from abroad. Also, aren't there electronic test kits?

Lucy

I've got a battery powered pH ki but it's really not accurate. I don't know if there are others or not. There's one for ammonia that you stick in your aquarium, I don't know how reliable it is.
I'd trust the API Master kit before I trusted any other.

gmen4life

ask you fs for some dirty filters or used gravel that may help

Lucy

You have to be careful with this. Most fish stores have centralized filtering systems. If one tank should have disease you could transfer that disease to your tank through the media or gravel.
Best to ask a trusted friend with a healthy tank for some gravel or a peice of filter media.

SCUGrad

Ok...let me see if I understand this correctly. I want to detoxify ammonia from the tank which is why you want the beneficial bacteria that comes from old filter media or gravel. You can also detoxify ammonia by adding Colonize and Tetra SafeStart to introduce the bacteria.

wooza

No, you don't actually HAVE to add the bacteria. i just added pure ammonia and the bacteria naturally begins to develop. The bottled bacteria just speeds things up i think, and even more so if you add some seeded media.

aquarist48

Good morning. Due to the fact that fish are in the tank additional ammonia isn't necessary. The fish will produce more than enough. Also since you've already added chemicals when you started the tank should you decide to use Tetra Safe Start (TSS) I would suggest starting over from scratch with fresh water. Best of luck!

Seeding your aquarium with filter media from another tank will speed up the cycle tremendously. Daily water changes of 30 to 50%, adding some Prime or Amquel + with each water change will detoxify the ammonia and turn it into ammonium (which is not harmful to your fish) for a 24 hour period until it's time for the next water change, and will not harm the cycle. Even though you add the Prime or Amquel + you will still get readings of ammonia (but it's actually ammonium). I'd do the water changes daily until you have readings of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 5-10 nitrates (once you have an API test kit).

SCUGrad

Ok, great. Thanks for the help. All I have to do now is get a test kit.

So far, the fish are doing ok. It's been four days since they were introduced into the tank.

I'd love to know what the ammonia reading is in that tank.

kimb

It can take a few days for the ammonia to build up, and you start to see signs of stress in your fish. If you cannot get a test kit right away, I would assume after 4 days there is ammonia in your tank, and you should begin doing daily water changes with a product like "prime". This will detoxify it as mentioned above for 24 hrs between water changes. If your LFS is reasonable, could you return your fish until your tank cycles? Corys are very sensitive to newly cycled tanks. Good Luck

Lucy

thelastbravewarrior's question has been moved here:
Any Cheap test kits?

lew2000

actually in response to aquariast48 - it is a misconception that ammonium is not harmfull to fish - the link below Page 23 from the Toxicology of Fish (which there are other articles on the web) ammonium is less harmfull to fish - but can still be harmfull. At pH 7.0 ammonia and ammonium are in a somewhat equal balance. below 7.0pH, ammonium ion becomes more prevelant. However, ther is still some harm being done to fish with regard to experssion via gills. Secondarily, Prime and Amquel do not render all ammonia in to ammonium but actuall bind with bisulfates - and when measured by salicylate test kits there is till ammonia and ammonium - wboth of which register with these type test kits.

Just trying to clear up confusion.

The Toxicology of Fish (for reference ammonia/ammonium Page 23

http://books.google.com/books?id=aOf...esult&resnum=1