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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| 1st post, cycle question
I am setting up a 75G tank for my grandmother. It will be two weeks this coming Sunday since we put the water in. I have an Aqua Clear 110 running and 24 hours after the water we added 6 black fin tetras, 2 small anubias, an amazon sword, and some hornwort. The lighting is low with a stock hood and a 35 watt T8 daylight bulb. After the 1st week the ammonia got up to about .50 PPM. Three days ago I tested it and it was between .25 and .50. The last two days the ammonia and nitrites have been 0 and the nitrates are about 5. I have never seen much at all on the nitrite test. I am assuming that it has not cycled this fast but it has been three days now with ammonia and nitrites at zero. The water is crystal clear and the plants all seem to be doing awesom so far. What are your thoughts on how the tank is cycling.
She is just wanting a community tank and does not want to upgrade the lighting right now.
Thanks | 
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| everything needs to cycle(especally in a 75 gallon tank)for at least a week... this should really be common knowledge but i understand that some people dont know this stuff...ill keep checking back to see if you have any more concerns or questions  | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Welcome to Fishlore! Make yourself at home!
Your tank is probably fully cycled. Be careful when adding fish to allow your bacterial colonies to grow and manage the ammonia and nitrites.
In case you haven't, please consider placing the Sword as close to the lamp as possible, the opposite for the Anubias. Hornwort should adapt anywhere. Every other week additions of chelated iron should help your plants.
Pepetj
Santo Domingo | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Welcome to FishLore! 
I wrote this big post, then realized I misread your post.
I'm going to respectfully disagree with Pepe, it seems too soon especially since you've never had a nitrite reading.
What test kit are you using?
Have you tested your tap water for nitrates? | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Hmmm 2 weeks seems fast... Was the filter previously established? Have you added any products like cycle, stability, or TSS? Is the tank only lightly planted?
...
After thinking about it how big are the tetra's? If they're as small as I'm thinking it's possible that with a light bio-load like that your tank may actually have cycled that quickly... | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| The water, filter, gravel, and all major components of the tank were brand new two weeks ago. The water is city tap water that was only treated with de-chlorinator. Four of the black skirt tetras are about the size of a quarter, maybe a shade larger. Then there are two all white tetras, that are just under the size of a quarter. She has been giving them one light feeding each day. I live a little ways from her so I haven't been able to test the water every day. It went about the first five days without ever being tested. The tap water is 0 on the ammonia and nitrites, and just a trace of nitrates when I tested it. The test kit I have is an API master test kit. Also in case it matters the pH tested a little high (about 8.2). Is there any natural ways to drop that a little? Without chemicals if possible. There is also a medium size piece of driftwood in the tank that was in a tank about 2 years ago but has been dry since, so I don't think it has contributed to the cycle any. | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| It could just be that with that light a load in the 75 it was able to cycle quickly. Also fish can aclimate to almost any pH and it's far more stressful for the keeper to try and maintain an altered pH then for the fish to get used to a different one. As long as the pH remains constant the fish aren't too picky. | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| The driftwood should help bring the pH down.
Hang in there, keep testing and keep a log. In a few days you should be able to see where the cycle is going. | |
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October 30th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Welcome to FishLore!
It seems like it would be too fast for that tank to fully cycle. I'm wondering if the plants are absorbing the ammonia and that is why you are getting a zero reading for ammonia.
I would expect to see your ammonia levels start to rise, so keep an eye on them. I think if it were my tank, I would go out and get a bottle of Tetra SafeStart and add it to the tank to make sure you get cycled. I would have to do daily 50% water changes on a 75 gallon tank for several week until the tank cycles.
Best of Luck! | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| WELCOME TO FISHLORE! 
Great advice and info above. Hope to see photos of your grandmother's tank soon | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by jdhef  Welcome to FishLore!
It seems like it would be too fast for that tank to fully cycle. I'm wondering if the plants are absorbing the ammonia and that is why you are getting a zero reading for ammonia.
I would expect to see your ammonia levels start to rise, so keep an eye on them. I think if it were my tank, I would go out and get a bottle of Tetra SafeStart and add it to the tank to make sure you get cycled. I would have to do daily 50% water changes on a 75 gallon tank for several week until the tank cycles.
Best of Luck! | Just thought I'd clarify that if you do go and get Tetra Safe Start add it to the water and leave it for a week without doing water changes. Otherwise it won't work.
If the tank isn't cycled and you start getting ammonia and nitrites and decide not to use TSS then you should be doing daily water changes. | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| welcome to fishlore!!!! what a great thing to help your gram with this..I bet she enjoys it already !! tanks are amazing for all ages
Im going to agree with some of the others..I think you are still in the beginning stages as those small fish, will not produce enough ammonia to fully cycle a 75g tank in 2 weeks....I think after more time, (3-4 weeks) you are going to see another rise in ammonia/nitrites as they produce more...I also agree with john and id try to find some tetra safe start just in case....IF you see another ammonia/nitrites spike(which im pretty sure you will) you can use the tss to fully cycle the tank ....good luck! Quote:
Originally Posted by josh11551 everything needs to cycle(especally in a 75 gallon tank)for at least a week... this should really be common knowledge but i understand that some people dont know this stuff...ill keep checking back to see if you have any more concerns or questions | unfortunately, most of the LFS do not even know this process which in turn many fish keepers dont either ...sad but true...  and im going to respectfully disagree that the tank needs to cycle in at least a week part...unless using tetra safestart or some established media from another tank, it can take MANY weeks especially when cycling with fish ..... | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Could it be that s live plants use ammonia, nitrates and nitrites as fertilizer that this could be the reason for the 0,0,0 readings?
My 125g shows a reading of in between 0 and 5 for nitrates but has quite a few plants in there and was definitly cycled before I added all the plants (I had a reading of about 10) | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by jdhef Welcome to FishLore!
It seems like it would be too fast for that tank to fully cycle. I'm wondering if the plants are absorbing the ammonia and that is why you are getting a zero reading for ammonia.
I would expect to see your ammonia levels start to rise, so keep an eye on them. I think if it were my tank, I would go out and get a bottle of Tetra SafeStart and add it to the tank to make sure you get cycled. I would have to do daily 50% water changes on a 75 gallon tank for several week until the tank cycles.
Best of Luck! | Wow, good catch thropbrian. A simple mispelling can really change the meaning. My last sentance was supposed to say "I would hate to do daily 50% water changes on a 75 gallon tank for several week until the tank cycles. | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Its not the best pick but a quick snapshot I took the other day.
I figured it was too quick to be cycled but I was not sure. I have had some people tell me that with some live plants it will cycle a lot quicker. I don't think I have enough live plants to have that much impact on a 75G. | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I dont think its so much that the tank cycles quicker, its more the plants utilise ammonia and nitrites as well as nitrates as food so the cycle isnt as harsh on the fish. I might be wrong though . | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggly Could it be that s live plants use ammonia, nitrates and nitrites as fertilizer that this could be the reason for the 0,0,0 readings?
My 125g shows a reading of in between 0 and 5 for nitrates but has quite a few plants in there and was definitly cycled before I added all the plants (I had a reading of about 10) | it very well could be but my worries are that 12 inches of fish(that have very little waste or bioload) in a huge 75g tank for such a short time, did not produce a bacteria colony big enough to sustain a cycled tank....so in turn, the plants could be starving the bacteria colony from the ammonia (which we all know a tank needs to properly cycle) Quote:
Originally Posted by flyin-lowe Its not the best pick but a quick snapshot I took the other day.
I figured it was too quick to be cycled but I was not sure. I have had some people tell me that with some live plants it will cycle a lot quicker. I don't think I have enough live plants to have that much impact on a 75G. | the tank looks FABULOUS!!!!! just keep a close eye on things...at least the fishies are ok without ammonia/nitrites in the tank you know that much just be preparred for the bloom which has to happen at some point
Last edited by Shawnie; October 31st, 2009 at 05:00 PM.
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Is there anything that can be done to counter the affects of an bacteria bloom. My grandmother gets worried everytime one little thing goes wrong or looks out of place?
Also what about starting to gradually increase the number of fish or should I wait? If I slowly increase the bio load with hardy fish would that help get it cycled. | |
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October 31st, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by flyin-lowe Is there anything that can be done to counter the affects of an bacteria bloom. My grandmother gets worried everytime one little thing goes wrong or looks out of place?
Also what about starting to gradually increase the number of fish or should I wait? If I slowly increase the bio load with hardy fish would that help get it cycled. | Poor gram...allot of us are that way
can you try to find some tetra safe start? if so, you can add a bunch of different fish(smaller schools im assuming you are trying to achieve?) at the same time you add the safestart..get a bottle thats for a 75g tank(8.45 ozs).....then let it sit for a week and cycle....then give it a month after a completed cycle before you add more fish.... | |
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November 2nd, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I went tonight and did another 15 gal water change. Tested the water again and tonight it was ammonia about.25, nitrite 0, and still about 5 on the nitrates. PH still around 8.2
Some people are telling me that the bio load is to small with only six fish in this tank and others are telling me not to feed the fish because the bio load will be too much. I don't think the plants I have are enough to consume all the ammonia and nitrites at this point. I think it is just going slow because of the small amount of fish in the tank. Still everything looks great, 6 tetras, and 1 light feeding a day. 1 sword, 2 small anubias, and 1 hornwort that has grown about three- four inches in two weeks. Yesterday marked two weeks since I started the tank (today was two weeks for the plants and fish) and I have not had any nitrite readings yet. Last week for three days in a row ammonia was at 0 and its back up a little today. | |
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