10 Gallon Tank 10 gallon tank question cycling

I am trying to cycle my 10 gallon tank (beginner at keeping fish) and I’m wondering how can I lower my ammonia levels. It went from 4-1ppm and as of today is still at 1ppm since yesterday. I have zero Nitrite and between 0pp-.25ppm nitrates. I did add extra fertilizer to my tank after testing it (unrelated).

 

How long has the tank been cycling?

 

How long has the tank been cycling?

I had to restart the cycling process but it’s been going for a month now, but this week I’ve put more bacteria in my tank and some fishless fuel

 

Ammonia levels are lowered by the bacteria you are trying to colonize. There is no need to lower it unless it exceeds 5ppm, which may slow the process down.

What is the pH? Have you tested your tap water for ammonia and nitrates? What are you putting in the tank other than fertilizer? What is fishless fuel? Why are you adding fertilizer? Plants can use ammonia for food, so there is no need to fertilize. Minerals will be present in the tap water. All you need to add is water conditioner and ammonia at this point. What are you using as an ammonia source?

Much of cycling a tank is simply waiting. 3-6 weeks is normal.

Your ammonia dropped from 4 to 1ppm. That's a change of 3ppm. 3ppm of ammonia will produce about 11ppm nitrate, so unless you are doing water changes or the tank is very heavily planted, your numbers do not add up.

What test kit are you using that allows you to test nitrates that low? There is no need to be able to measure nitrates at such small concentrations because they are essentially nontoxic except at very high levels. My aquarium test kit's low measurement is 5ppm.

 

"Fishless Fuel" is pure ammonia sold by Fritz specifically for aquarium cycling purposes. It has good instructions for proper dosing.

 

Ammonia levels are lowered by the bacteria you are trying to colonize. There is no need to lower it unless it exceeds 5ppm, which may slow the process down.

What is the pH? Have you tested your tap water for ammonia and nitrates? What are you putting in the tank other than fertilizer? What is fishless fuel? Why are you adding fertilizer? Plants can use ammonia for food, so there is no need to fertilize. Minerals will be present in the tap water. All you need to add is water conditioner and ammonia at this point. What are you using as an ammonia source?

Much of cycling a tank is simply waiting. 3-6 weeks is normal.

Your ammonia dropped from 4 to 1ppm. That's a change of 3ppm. 3ppm of ammonia will produce about 11ppm nitrate, so unless you are doing water changes or the tank is very heavily planted, your numbers do not add up.

What test kit are you using that allows you to test nitrates that low? There is no need to be able to measure nitrates at such small concentrations because they are essentially nontoxic except at very high levels. My aquarium test kit's low measurement is 5ppm.

Fishless fuel is the ammonia source that I’ve put in my tank once. And the test kit I’m using is API brand. I have two Anubis is my tank and two Java fern along with an Amazon sword. Waiting to get my Caroliniana to arrive. I have done water changes 2-3 times before I even started testing my aquarium. My tank has essentially been cycling since January but I did have to add more bacteria to my 10 gallon.

Will I be able to get my fishes tomorrow with 0.50ppm ammonia and 0.25 Nitrite and 0-5ppm Nitrate? I really would love feedback as soon as possible. Tank has been cycling for a month. I do have plants!

 

I would wait until the ammonia goes to 0.0 ppm

 

I would wait until the ammonia goes to 0.0 ppm

How can I lower it? It was stuck at 1ppm for two days before dropping it .50ppm. Should I do a partial water change? Or leave it be.

 

You’re very close but any amount of nitrites are very very toxic. You’d be better off waiting about another week, you should be good to go very soon once those nitrites go down and the tank can process the target amount of ammonia down to nitrates in 24 hours.

 

You’re very close but any amount of nitrites are very very toxic. You’d be better off waiting about another week, you should be good to go very soon once those nitrites go down and the tank can process the target amount of ammonia down to nitrates in 24 hours.

Should I do a water change?

 

No, the bacteria needs to process it on its own. Unless you already have fish in there you don’t need to be doing water changes until the cycle is finished.

 

No, the bacteria needs to process it on its own. Unless you already have fish in there you don’t need to be doing water changes until the cycle is finished.

Ok thank you! And no there’s not any fish. Only plants and substrate decorations etc. But are there any other ways I can help it? Or maybe speed it up?

 

Unless you have some filter media from a cycled tank, no unfortunately.

You could, if you really really wanted, add fish now. But you would be doing water changes once or twice every day to keep levels somewhat stable and believe me that gets old pretty quick. Personally I’d play it safe and just wait a bit.

 

How have you been cycling your tank?

 

No, the bacteria needs to process it on its own. Unless you already have fish in there you don’t need to be doing water changes until the cycle is finished.

Ok thank you! And no there’s not any fish. Only plants and substrate decorations etc. But are there any other ways I can help it? Or maybe speed it hp

How have you been cycling your tank?

i have bottled bacteria, ammonia, a sponge from out of someone else tank. Plants. That’s how I’ve been doing it as of lately

 

Are you dosing the ammonia regularly? Otherwise just waiting is letting the bacteria die off it needs to keep getting fed. Doesn't seem like you are reading much ammonia, nitrite, or nitrates. If you are dosing ammonia regularly maybe try dosing more?

 

Are you dosing the ammonia regularly? Otherwise just waiting is letting the bacteria die off it needs to keep getting fed. Doesn't seem like you are reading much ammonia, nitrite, or nitrates. If you are dosing ammonia regularly maybe try dosing more?

I only dosed it once at the beginning of this week. Should I dose it again? Tonight? I have a 10 gallon and I put 40 drops in.

 

I only dosed it once at the beginning of this week. Should I dose it again? Tonight? I have a 10 gallon and I put 40 drops in.

I have personally never used the pure ammonia method but from what I understand you want to add ammonia every single day to try to keep the tank water at 2ppm ammonia. You feed the tank ammonia evey day until your tank water reads 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and a reading on nitrates.

 

I have personally never used the pure ammonia method but from what I understand you want to add ammonia every single day to try to keep the tank water at 2ppm ammonia. You feed the tank ammonia evey day until your tank water reads 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and a reading on nitrates.

Ok! I’ll start dosing tonight then. Thank you

 

Ok! I’ll start dosing tonight then. Thank you

No problem, good luck! One more tip- if you bump the heat up the higher temperature will help speed up the cycle

 

No problem, good luck! One more tip- if you bump the heat up the higher temperature will help speed up the cycle

Thanks! Unfortunately I don’t have one where I can turn it up or down it’s preset and it’s Topfin. But I have been meaning to buy the aquarium co-op one.

 

(Healthy) plants take care of cycling. You don't need to do anything. Aerating the water helps. Create some water flow and keep the water surface clean.

Creating circumstances to speed up the colonisation of "beneficial bacteria" only slows down the colonisation of other "beneficial bacteria" species, that are going to dominate your tank.

I would wait for the nitrites to disappear. Should be fast with (healthy) plants.

 

The API test is not that sensitive for nitrates. My API Master Test Kit can't test at those levels. The lowest reading (above zero) is 5ppm. You may want to double check that you are using the correct cards or reagents. Also, with the nitrate test it's important to really shake the 2nd bottle before the test.

Why have you been doing water changes? It is not needed and will only slow things down. If the ammonia or nitrite get above 5ppm, then it's fine to do a water change. No need to do water changes to remove nitrates while cycling.

Why are you fertilizing? it's not needed and will only confuse your tests results. If your fertilizer has macro nutrients, you should be seeing much more nitrate in your testing. There should be nitrates from the fertilizer as well as any produced by the cycle. With all this going on, it's hard to tell what the cycle is doing.

All you need to cycle a tank is ammonia and water conditioner. Bottled bacteria work sometimes. Often they do not. Fritz does have a good reputation, but people come here often because the bottled bacteria did not work and they are stuck because they didn't learn the nitrogen cycle or the cycling process and don't know how to proceed

You've only added ammonia once in over a month?? Usually, when a tank is cycling, you need to add ammmonia every few days to keep the levels up once the bacteria start establishing themselves. If your tank has been sitting at 1ppm for weeks, something is not right.

What are you using for a filter.

What is the pH.

If I were you I would get a clear understanding of how the nitrogen cycle works as well as how to cycle a tank. Then I would start over. Start a new thread here to track your progress if it helps. You can report your progress and get help asap with any issues before things go off the rails.

Based on your other thread, I would not put fish in until your tank is cycled and that does not appear to have happened yet. It doesn't mater how long you've been cycling. It's not cycled until it's cycled. That could be 2 weeks or 2 months...

I only dosed it once at the beginning of this week. Should I dose it again? Tonight? I have a 10 gallon and I put 40 drops in.

So you only put ammonia in this week and you say the tank has been cycling for over a month. I don't see how if you hadn't added ammonia until this week. Looks like you started cycling this week with the first addition of ammonia.

Do not put fish in yet

 

The API test is not that sensitive for nitrates. My API Master Test Kit can't test at those levels. The lowest reading (above zero) is 5ppm. You may want to double check that you are using the correct cards or reagents. Also, with the nitrate test it's important to really shake the 2nd bottle before the test.

Why have you been doing water changes? It is not needed and will only slow things down. If the ammonia or nitrite get above 5ppm, then it's fine to do a water change. No need to do water changes to remove nitrates while cycling.

Why are you fertilizing? it's not needed and will only confuse your tests results. If your fertilizer has macro nutrients, you should be seeing much more nitrate in your testing. There should be nitrates from the fertilizer as well as any produced by the cycle. With all this going on, it's hard to tell what the cycle is doing.

All you need to cycle a tank is ammonia and water conditioner. Bottled bacteria work sometimes. Often they do not. Fritz does have a good reputation, but people come here often because the bottled bacteria did not work and they are stuck because they didn't learn the nitrogen cycle or the cycling process and don't know how to proceed

You've only added ammonia once in over a month?? Usually, when a tank is cycling, you need to add ammmonia every few days to keep the levels up once the bacteria start establishing themselves. If your tank has been sitting at 1ppm for weeks, something is not right.

What are you using for a filter.

What is the pH.

If I were you I would get a clear understanding of how the nitrogen cycle works as well as how to cycle a tank. Then I would start over. Start a new thread here to track your progress if it helps. You can report your progress and get help asap with any issues before things go off the rails.

For the filter I am using aquarium co-op nano sponge and for fertilizer I am using their brand also. I dose my tank with fertilizer for my plants. And my ammonia levels haven’t been sitting at 1ppm for weeks only for two days.

I am trying to learn everyday about the whole nitrogen cycle but I do have a basic understanding of it. It is all confusing and overwhelming at this point. But okay I will continue to dose the tank with ammonia everyday thank you

I did a few water changes because my tank water looked dirty and had a lot of floaters in it.

 

No worries, not many people truly understand the nitrogen cycle. So you are in good company.

Any biological system constantly produces ammonia. The scale however, is much smaller than the artificial dosage normally advised, which is like feeding a kid water with a fire hose, doing more damage than good. Anyways, enough of my rumblings .

Do your tank a favor and make sure to keep oxygen levels up. The nitrogen cycle is mostly an oxygen cycle. The "beneficial bacteria" require a lot more oxygen than they require ammonia. As a matter of fact, these bacteria don't even require ammonia for survival, but can also utilise other resources. Such as those released by plants.

Anyways, good luck with your journey.

 

2ppm ammonia, 0.25ppm Nitrite, 5.0ppm Nitrate. Am I reading this correctly?

 

Yes you are.