midnightwolf

about a week and a half ago i got a ten gallon tank for Buddy(feeder goldfish) and set it up that very day. yesterday i tested his water and here are the results:

ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5
pH: 6.8
and water hardness is fine.

is the tank done cycling yet or should i wait another week just in case?
thanks for your help.

oh yea there was somthing called Alk. and that was to low

Mike19

how did you cycle it in one week, did you use test strips?, it looks cycled but the one week thing is putting me off

midnightwolf

i know its putting me off too, i did use test strips thats why i wanted to check with you before assuming its cycled.

agabr123

id get an API freshwater master test kit, they are liquid and more expensive, but MUCH more accurate, that will give you a much better reading for where you are exactly

midnightwolf

i would love too but i dont have any money left and cant get a paying job because im onley 12 and cant work anywere. have any ideas on ways to get money or a place that would hire me, i would prefere to work with animals cause i do a good job at that.

Lucy

Other than seeding a tank with established filter media (and/or used gravel and decorations) or using TSS I don't know how your tank could have cycled that fast.
Out of curiousity, test your tap water for nitrates.
I agree, a liquid test kit would be more accurate.

agabr123

i'd ask if you can work at a pet store for store credit instead of getting paid, or just volunteer there until they can pay you/give you store credit.

that's a bummer though, you can always take your water to the LFS and ask what kind of test kit they use, if they are using liquid test kits (such as the API), then feel free to let them test your water for you. obviously if they are using the strips then it won't make a difference.

good luck

midnightwolf

they use strips, sadly the last time i asked if they took volenteers or is i could work there they said they cant take volenteers and im too young to work their but i could ask again.

agabr123

bummer....but yeah i'd keep asking, especially since you probably have a lot more knowledge than other people that they would get!

Lucy

Most states have an age minimum to get a real (paycheck paying) job.
I don't know where you live, but you could shovel snow....mow lawns, wash cars, pet sit, dog walking.......be creative.
Volunteering for store credit is a good idea too. Try the local mom and pop type stores, I doubt the chain stores would allow that.

midnightwolf

thank you

midnightwolf

ive looked all over but i cant find a mom and pop pet store in VA.

ill ask the petco nearby me and ask again.

midnightwolf

great, my mom wouldnt let me get a job even if they would let me.

agabr123

aw, thats unfortunate......are there any aquariums near you that you could volunteer at? I know at least down where I live in VA (virginia beach) there is the virginia aquarium (used to be the VA marine science museum), and they take volunteers all the time! maybe your mom would let you do that for a while, and then you'll have the experience to show a store

midnightwolf

i live in fairfax though and my mom wouldnt drive me all the way their. do you know of other jobs the animals dont have to be fish i love cats, dogs, ferrets, rats, hampsters, snankes, lizards and much more!

agabr123

oh i know, i was just seeing if there was anything like that in your area.

well, there is always the DC zoo

midnightwolf

do they take volenteers?

agabr123

i'm not sure but probably, i'd call around and ask or look at their website or something

midnightwolf

wait but the whole point of this was to get money to get a better test kit not volenteer some where. in highshcool their is a petsmart right across the street and they take great care of their fis, the mostly sell SW but they have an smazing reef set up! i could work their after school in about 4-6 years

agabr123

lol yeah i know, but if you volunteer with fish then you can put that on your job application and they will be more likely to hire you

midnightwolf

oh, great point you got their

agabr123

lol, thanks. good luck!!!!!

midnightwolf

wait a minuite i forgot to count the week i was on vacation so the tank has actually been cycling for about 3 weeks. does that mean its cycled?

agabr123

it really depends....hmm, although they aren't accurate, you could buy test strips just to give you an idea. obviously, if they DO show ammonia or nitrite then you're not done and if they DONT show any nitrate then you're not done, but other than that it won't be very accurate. if they show 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5-20 nitrate......i'd give it another couple of days and test again just to make sure.

midnightwolf

nitrate: 0
nitrite: 0
ammonia: 0
ph: 6.5-7.0 (hard to tell with strips)
hardness is good

well do you think its ready?

agabr123

honestly i dont know.....you could be getting a false negative on nitrates...but if that reading is accurate that for some reason your cycle hasn't even started

midnightwolf

it hasnt even started but he might die if he stays in a puny 1 gallon container much longer, what am i going to do! im sooooooo attached to him

agabr123

hmm, did you get readings for ammonia and nitrite before? if so....then it's probably okay to put him in, just do tests every other day and if you see ANY indications of ammonia or nitrite, do 50% water changes daily with prime.

good luck!

midnightwolf

i didnt have test strips earlyer on in the cycle but his water was all cloudy a few days after it was set up. isnt that an ammonia spike. should i get some feeder guppies to put in the tank and see if its okay?

agabr123

hmm, if the water was cloudy that could definitely be a sign......i wouldn't suggest getting feeder guppies. are there any LFS near you that use the liquid tests

if not...i think that it will be safer for your fish to just go in the tank than live in a bowl without a filter and a heater