Confused but happy? Did my tank cycle Maybe?

Hey all,

I've had my 10 gallon set up for about 3 weeks. Fresh tank, nothing added from old tanks, everything brand new. I did add Tetra bottled starter bacteria on the first day I set it up. I've been struggling with keeping the water clear and keeping my ammonia levels at a safe level. 2 days ago I tested my water and it said it had about 4.0 ppm ammonia, nitrites was at a 0 (only saw this get up to 1.0 ppm about a week and a half ago) and nitrates was at 40 ppm. In the two days since my last test I only added Prime to help manage the ammonia levels as I'm doing a fish in cycle. This morning I tested the water and I got a 0 for ammonia, 0 for nitrites and 20 for nitrates. My water is crystal clear apart from some haze on the tank glass. Did my tank cycle in 2 days? or has it been cycled and I just didn't know it because one day my nitrates got to about 40ppm (the day after I saw the nitrites) and did a water change.

Please help me!!!

Fish Keeping Newbie

 

Welcome to Fishlore!

I suspect it's just the Prime that's helping with the low ammonia reading, which is only a temporary fix. And the water change makes things hard to tell what's going on exactly- another reason why fish-in cycles are generally not recommended. Without adding Prime and without doing a water change, your tank is fully cycled once it can process 1ppm of ammonia to 0 in 24hrs. Also, water clarity has very little to do with cycle status, so don't use that as a reference in any degree to whether or not your tank is cycled. Hope this helps some

 

Welcome to Fishlore

If I am understanding correctly this tank has been running for 3 weeks with fish in it. If that is the case then I have to think the TSS did what it is supposed to do and sped up the cycling process. For some folks it works, for others not so well.

Since you are now seeing zero for both ammonia and nitrites I have to think the cycle is done. The tank isn't firmly established this soon though so take care not to disturb the bacteria any more than necessary. Gently vac the top of the substrate if needed. Rinse your filter media in water pulled from the tank but only if absolutely necessary. As long as water is running through it freely then don't disturb it.

 

Hey all,

I've had my 10 gallon set up for about 3 weeks. Fresh tank, nothing added from old tanks, everything brand new. I did add Tetra bottled starter bacteria on the first day I set it up. I've been struggling with keeping the water clear and keeping my ammonia levels at a safe level. 2 days ago I tested my water and it said it had about 4.0 ppm ammonia, nitrites was at a 0 (only saw this get up to 1.0 ppm about a week and a half ago) and nitrates was at 40 ppm. In the two days since my last test I only added Prime to help manage the ammonia levels as I'm doing a fish in cycle. This morning I tested the water and I got a 0 for ammonia, 0 for nitrites and 20 for nitrates. My water is crystal clear apart from some haze on the tank glass. Did my tank cycle in 2 days? or has it been cycled and I just didn't know it because one day my nitrates got to about 40ppm (the day after I saw the nitrites) and did a water change.

Please help me!!!

Fish Keeping Newbie

Yes, sounds like it is cycled.

Adding Prime or not has no effect on the cycle.

Right now your tank was able to handle 4ppm ammonia over two days, or 2ppm over a day, which is what we'd expect from a cycled tank. So yeah.

Although to clarify - you did not do a water change over the last two days since you measured 4ppm ammonia, right?

 

Yes, sounds like it is cycled.

Adding Prime or not has no effect on the cycle.

Right now your tank was able to handle 4ppm ammonia over two days, or 2ppm over a day, which is what we'd expect from a cycled tank. So yeah.

Although to clarify - you did not do a water change over the last two days since you measured 4ppm ammonia, right?

Thank you for the feed back! I didn't do any water changes in the past 2 days. I've only done 2 water changes since I've had the tank and that was just to bring the ammonia back to a "reasonable" amount.

 

Thank you for the feed back! I didn't do any water changes in the past 2 days. I've only done 2 water changes since I've had the tank and that was just to bring the ammonia back to a "reasonable" amount.

That's good then. Yeah, your tank is cycled. I dunno where the 4ppm would have came from two days ago, but if we trust the tests, then yeah, you are good.