10 Gallon Aquarium Cycle Questions

[EddieO]

Temp: 85 F
Ammonia: 2.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
pH: 6.6, it just dropped below 7 two days ago

 

[Wraithen]

Temp: 85 F
Ammonia: 2.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
pH: 6.6, it just dropped below 7 two days ago

Since its fishless add some baking soda. Like a quarter teaspoon. Try and keep your cycle above 7.0 at least until the cycle is complete. The tss+ may actually still just be dormant. You could add some araginite or crushed coral in a media bag in your filter. This will leach slowly and should buffer your kh better. At 6.6, you are on the cusp of not having the ability for your bb to reproduce or even stay very active.

 

[EddieO]

Since its fishless add some baking soda. Like a quarter teaspoon. Try and keep your cycle above 7.0 at least until the cycle is complete. The tss+ may actually still just be dormant. You could add some araginite or crushed coral in a media bag in your filter. This will leach slowly and should buffer your kh better. At 6.6, you are on the cusp of not having the ability for your bb to reproduce or even stay very active.

I added the baking soda, that won’t hurt the fish after it cycles tho right?

 

[Wraithen]

Correct. Since you dont have fish in there, the rapid swing upward in kh and ph wont hurt anything. You have to be much more delicate when using this method with fish in the tank. Did you test ph yet? It should increase almost instantly.

 

[EddieO]

Correct. Since you dont have fish in there, the rapid swing upward in kh and ph wont hurt anything. You have to be much more delicate when using this method with fish in the tank. Did you test ph yet? It should increase almost instantly.

pH went up to 7.0 I’m gonna test the other levels now

 

[EddieO]

Correct. Since you dont have fish in there, the rapid swing upward in kh and ph wont hurt anything. You have to be much more delicate when using this method with fish in the tank. Did you test ph yet? It should increase almost instantly.

Ammonia still not moving, don’t understand why and getting very frustrated, why isn’t it cycling

 

[Wraithen]

Ammonia still not moving, don’t understand why and getting very frustrated, why isn’t it cycling

Can I get a picture of your tank setup?

Unless there is something like bleach or antibiotics killing cycle bacteria, I promise you that your cycle is moving, it's just not measurable.

Let me preface what I am going to say with this: I completely understand the cycle, all of the nuances with it, and why everything works the way it does.

I have never done a fishless cycle. There is a way to do a fish in cycle that is perfectly safe and ethical, and I choose that route. With that said, I have held cycles with pure ammonia, and have walked others through the process. I too get very frustrated with this process and give up after a month. I've done this in two states and for some reason can never get a fishless cycle going. Once its started though, I easily grow a bigger colony, or maintain a colony waiting for more fish. I do this in my quarantine tank because I usually only have one while stocking my tank, and that is a 4 time batch project on the best of times, so stocking usually takes me a few months.

Can you also get a picture of the front of the label for the ammonia you are using?

I ask for these pictures to rule out things like a filter that wont work, or added things in the ammonia that you are using.

 

[Wraithen]

How are the tests coming out?

Have you seen a cloudy water situation develop? I would expect that by the end of the day if the tss+ wasn't a complete dud.

 

[EddieO]

How are the tests coming out?

Have you seen a cloudy water situation develop? I would expect that by the end of the day if the tss+ wasn't a complete dud.

Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you in a while, been so caught up in life and work, I gave the tank a few days without testing. Ammonia is dropping which is good, between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm, but nitrite still at 0, is this normal?

 

[Wraithen]

Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you in a while, been so caught up in life and work, I gave the tank a few days without testing. Ammonia is dropping which is good, between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm, but nitrite still at 0, is this normal?

Yes. When using tss, you typically wont see the nitrite spike. It's the one part of the cycle that tss really excels pretty much every time.

 

[EddieO]

Yes. When using tss, you typically wont see the nitrite spike. It's the one part of the cycle that tss really excels pretty much every time.

Can you put fish in a tank with 0.25 ppm ammonia and no nitrite and nitrate? Will it survive if monitored?

 

[Wraithen]

Can you put fish in a tank with 0.25 ppm ammonia and no nitrite and nitrate? Will it survive if monitored?

Depends on ph and temp. The lower ph and temp, the more of it is ammonium. With that said, .25 ammonia at 76 degrees and a ph of less than 8.0, all but the most sensitive fish will be fine.

 

[EddieO]

Depends on ph and temp. The lower ph and temp, the more of it is ammonium. With that said, .25 ammonia at 76 degrees and a ph of less than 8.0, all but the most sensitive fish will be fine.

I lowered my temp to 75, ph is 7.2. I’m gonna add my fish in either tomorrow or Saturday. Gonna monitor the ammonia and other levels, hopefully cycle will finish soon. Will let you know what happens

 

[EddieO]

I lowered my temp to 75, ph is 7.2. I’m gonna add my fish in either tomorrow or Saturday. Gonna monitor the ammonia and other levels, hopefully cycle will finish soon. Will let you know what happens

Have my fish almost a day now. Look great! Monitoring ammonia levels, hope it goes well

 

[EddieO]

Have my fish almost a day now. Look great! Monitoring ammonia levels, hope it goes well

Ammonia is still 0.25 ppm, any reason why there is no sign of nitrite or nitrate yet?