Cycling With Fish (help!) Day 26

Elo there...I impulsively bought 2 of my first fish (2 bettas). I'm cycling with fish in and I'm on around day 26

I have them each in a 10 gallon tanks, moderately or low planted (java moss, java fern, and anubias) gravel mixed with bds for substrate, and marineland pelican power filters-up to 20 gallon so quite a lot of action in there, and the tanks are heated to around 77 to 80-the heaters kind of suck but oh well they were quite cheap) I was changing about 1.25 gallons every day prior to nitrites...then went up to 2.5 gallons..now that nitrite has been crazy since the other day I did a 5 gallon water change on both. Yikes hope it clears out soon...Aand in the beginning I was using stability (once a day for a week then once a week for 2 week)..now don't plan on using anymore.

Here's my results from a couple days ago (the nitrites snuck up on me!) I was getting a straight 0 for nitrite from these reading and I've been testing ever few days now testing nitrites daily...what level of nitrites should I expect the fish to be safe at until the tank is fully cycled? Btw the tanks are reading very similar so here's just the results from the female betta tank.

Day 21
.75 ppm ammonia
.25 ppm nitrite
0-1ppm nitrate

Day 23
.75 ammonia
1ppm nitrite
5ppm nitrate
(this day I changed out 25%)

Day 25
.4 ammonia
2ppm nitrite
10 nitrate

After this I changed out 5 gallons or maybe around 60%..anywho what's should I keep my nitrites lower than to make sure the fish are safe any comments? I know nitrites are bad either way but it's not realistic to expect 0 when it's cycling so what's safest? Should I expect them to be fully cycled soon? Thanks

 

I’d be doing much larger and more frequent water changes. So like 50%+ daily if the nitrites and ammonia are ever higher than the lowest color of reading.

 

I test every other day but I do change the water every day...last change I did was over 50% so you're saying 50% daily for anything over 0?

Also I noticed the day nitrite and nitrate started going up the females tank started getting algae all over brown and green not crazy amounts but yes obvious; it's brown and green algae is that a good sign or no?

 

Algae is usually a sign of a new tank, not necessarily a cycled tank.

You want to keep it as close to zero as possible for both ammonia and nitrite but I meant if it is over the lowest color reading for a positive result, so I suppose the second lowest color.

 

I just found it interesting that it appeared the exact day the tank started the first stages of cycling

Ok I'll do 50% every day...the bucket is heavy to lug and I end up spilling water all over..I have a pump but will need to get something that attaches to the sink for sure

Thanks

 

And that is why I use 3 buckets

1 - 5 gallon for waste water
1 -4 gallon for sitting it the sink and filling with temp matched treated water
1 - 2 gallon for transferring water from the 4 gallon and using it to pour water into the tank. I would spill it too if I tried lifting more than 2 gallons and trying to pour it in the tank.

I normally just fill my 5 gallon to the 4 gallon mark because that is just about all I can lift while taking it out to water my plants.

I agree with at least 50% water changes daily and dosing the tank with Prime daily also until the nitrites drop to zero. I had to do that with my 55 gallon tank and after the 5th day of water changes the nitrites were gone. They didn't go down at all after the water changes for 4 days but after that 5th one the nitrites were no more.

 

Ooo that's smart; idk why I havn't thought of that...I have 2 5 gallon buckets...one right now I use for java moss I don't know what to do with yet lol...I could use one for filling with 5 gallons of fresh treated water and the other for dumping and carrying back smaller amounts of water. Thanks

And um I tried using tank water to water my lucky bamboo plant (before there were any nitrites) and now it's dying :'( I really liked the plant; I guess that's only a good idea if the tank is fully cycled; I thought it'd like the "nutrients"...guess not.

 

Ooo that's smart; idk why I havn't thought of that...I have 2 5 gallon buckets...one right now I use for java moss I don't know what to do with yet lol...I could use one for filling with 5 gallons of fresh treated water and the other for dumping and carrying back smaller amounts of water. Thanks

Sometime we get in the habit of doing something one way and just can't think of an easier way of doing it. I'm all for the easy way If you really can't think about what to do with it you could send some of it to me

And um I tried using tank water to water my lucky bamboo plant (before there were any nitrites) and now it's dying :'( I really liked the plant; I guess that's only a good idea if the tank is fully cycled; I thought it'd like the "nutrients"...guess not.

Well shoot, that isn't good Do you have salt in your tank? I can't imagine any other reason for water from an aquarium killing any kind of plant unless they are being kept too wet or if there is salt in the water. I am truly amazed at how well all of my plants are doing now that I have set my tank back up. It sat empty for about 6 years but has been back up and running for going on 3 years now.

 

True. Isn't it funny how we can get stuck in a routine that isn't working for us and the solution is always right under our noses. Ooh for now I've used the java moss to decorate the coconut huts in the betta tanks I just don't know if I'm going to put the java moss in empty water bottles to grow out more or ziploc baggies. The more the merrier. Included a pic what I currently have in there (btw the plants actually are fully green the brown algae is coating them)

No salt and I keep the lower part saturated in water as always. I normally just use spring water or something for the bamboo plant so maybe it was a shock to the system...the lower leaves are yellow and wiling...it smelled rancid when I rinsed out the gravel...hopefully it comes back to life! *pray for it please* lol

 

Hopefully your lucky bamboo is just going through a cycle and will soon be back to a healthy happy plant. It does sound like it wasn't happy with tank water

I know your little water pets are happy with all the space they each have. I can see these tanks eventually being filled with plants and your Bettas having fun stalking through the plants. Lots of plants will also help keep the perimeters in check.