Fish-in nitrogen cycle question

So for about ten months now I have had an uncycled heavily planted 10-gallon tank with 4 neon tetras and 10 cherry shrimp. When I first started, I was too hasty in putting the fish in the tank and when I did, it was too late to cycle it. This has happened with my newer tank as well. I have been getting by through weekly doses of ammonia neutralizer, which is keeping my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia all at 0ppm. Now that I'm finally running out of the ammonia neutralizer, I want to try and cycle my tank again. I read up on some fish-in cycling methods but those sounded risky, so I wanted to know if pouring in already cycled water from somewhere else would cycle it for me.

For example, if I took a gallon of water and cycled it so it had nitrates, would I be able to pour that into my uncycled tank to make it cycled? Would it at least jumpstart the process? I'm afraid the nitrates would just die off or dissolve away.
Also, could I take some gravel from my already established tank and put it in the gallon of cycling water to speed the process? Or does that only work with gravel that comes from tanks with nitrates?

 

The water wouldn't do a lot, but the gravel would help some, provided it has the good bacteria on it. What were you using for an ammonia neutralizer?

 

The water wouldn't do a lot, but the gravel would help some, provided it has the good bacteria on it. What were you using for an ammonia neutralizer?

I am using Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer. Also, for the water, I would be adding drops of liquid ammonia as well as the beneficial gravel.

 

How quickly does your ammonia rise if you don't use the neutralizer?

 

I am using Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer. Also, for the water, I would be adding drops of liquid ammonia as well as the beneficial gravel.

Shouldn't need to add ammonia with that many fish. I dont know of that is one of the neutralizers that locks the ammonia in such a way the bacteria can feed off of it. A lot of people use Prime to help keep the ammonia non-toxic but the bacteria can still feed from it, so you would still create the bacteria in your filter you would need to make nitrates.

The process involves a lot of water testing and water changes usually, but makes your fish tank much safer for your fish.

 

I could be mistaken, but if you've had fish in there for 10 months and it's heavily planted, I would think it's already cycled, to my knowledge ammonia neutralizers just convert it to ammonium. I really hope someone gets on here. I am following intently now.

 

What makes you think your tank isn't cycled? Cycling a tank simply means growing ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria. If this tank has had fish in it for 10 months I have to think it has grown both types of bacteria. It is going to happen whether we are trying to cycle or not. We don't have to watch it or have to do anything special for it to happen.

Water doesn't cycle. Bacteria grows on all the surfaces in a tank. It isn't free floating in the water so moving some to another tank won't accomplish anything. Moving some gravel from the tank that has been running for 10 months should help cycle another tank because it will have ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria on it. It is better to move seeded media but gravel should help.

Stop adding any kind of ammonia neutralizer. Keep an eye on the ammonia level. If you start getting an ammonia reading you can keep it down by doing a water change. If it goes up to .50 a 50% water change will get it back down to .25

We don't know if this is going to happen so just keep an eye on the numbers and do water changes as needed.

If you've not already read it this thread may help you understand what is happening and what to expect. Fish In Nitrogen Cycle Simplified | Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum | 414083

Once you fully understand what the nitrogen cycle actually is you will see that it really is a simple process.

 

How quickly does your ammonia rise if you don't use the neutralizer?

It doesn't rise often, probably 0.5ppm a month at most.

 

It doesn't rise often, probably 0.5ppm a month at most.

I agree with the others, ten months is enough for a tank to 'naturally cycle'. You have plenty of life in your tank, honestly if it was not cycled you'd be reading a lot more than 0.5ppm a month. Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer seems to work exactly like the other typical conditioners like Prime, i.e. detoxify ammonia but does not actually remove it, and so it can also be read with test kits.

So yeah, all in all, I'd say your tank is probably more or less cycled. Like others have suggested, just keep an eye on your ammonia and don't let it rise too high.

 

It doesn't rise often, probably 0.5ppm a month at most.

How often are you doing water changes? How much do you change each time? I am really surprised to hear that you are seeing any ammonia in a tank that has been up and running for 10 months. At this point all I would expect to see is nitrates and since there normally isn't a bacteria to remove the nitrates we keep them down by doing water changes.

 

How often are you doing water changes? How much do you change each time? I am really surprised to hear that you are seeing any ammonia in a tank that has been up and running for 10 months. At this point all I would expect to see is nitrates and since there normally isn't a bacteria to remove the nitrates we keep them down by doing water changes.

I only do water changes every 1-2 weeks, and it's only 15%. For that entire ten months my nitrate tests read 0ppm, but many other people in this thread said it may already be cycled. I haven't put in the neutralizer for about 20 days now and I just tested for ammonia and NO3 and it said 0ppm.

 

I only do water changes every 1-2 weeks, and it's only 15%. For that entire ten months my nitrate tests read 0ppm, but many other people in this thread said it may already be cycled. I haven't put in the neutralizer for about 20 days now and I just tested for ammonia and NO3 and it said 0ppm.

I do have to ask if your are using the API test for nitrates are you following the instruction exactly as they are written? You need to shake bottle #2 like your life depended on it. You need to break the sediment loose from the bottom of the bottle so it can be well mixed throughout the bottle. Once you add drops from each of the 2 bottles you need to shake the test tube for a full minute and then wait another full 5 minutes for the color to develop. If all these steps aren't followed you won't get an accurate reading.

I am one that has to think this tank is cycled after being up and running for 10 months. Since there has been an ammonia source in their this whole time the tank will have grown the bacteria to eat the ammonia. The waste from that bacteria is nitrites. If you are seeing no nitrites then you also have nitrite eating bacteria. The waste from that bacteria is nitrates.

I have to think you do have nitrates in this tank but for some reason they aren't registering. If you have only been changing out 15% of the water every other week I suspect the nitrates are actually fairly high unless you have somehow managed to grow the bacteria that removes them. I've never accomplished it but some folks do.

Although you weren't testing it your tank should be cycled. As I said before all you really have to do to cycle a tank is provide an ammonia source and give it time. Your fish were the ammonia source.

 

I have to think you do have nitrates in this tank but for some reason they aren't registering. If you have only been changing out 15% of the water every other week I suspect the nitrates are actually fairly high unless you have somehow managed to grow the bacteria that removes them. I've never accomplished it but some folks do.

I reckon it's probably just the heavily planted nature of the tank, soaking up all the nitrates produced.

 

I reckon it's probably just the heavily planted nature of the tank, soaking up all the nitrates produced.

Possibly, but it is unusual never to have seen any.

 

I do have to ask if your are using the API test for nitrates are you following the instruction exactly as they are written? You need to shake bottle #2 like your life depended on it. You need to break the sediment loose from the bottom of the bottle so it can be well mixed throughout the bottle. Once you add drops from each of the 2 bottles you need to shake the test tube for a full minute and then wait another full 5 minutes for the color to develop. If all these steps aren't followed you won't get an accurate reading.

I am one that has to think this tank is cycled after being up and running for 10 months. Since there has been an ammonia source in their this whole time the tank will have grown the bacteria to eat the ammonia. The waste from that bacteria is nitrites. If you are seeing no nitrites then you also have nitrite eating bacteria. The waste from that bacteria is nitrates.

I have to think you do have nitrates in this tank but for some reason they aren't registering. If you have only been changing out 15% of the water every other week I suspect the nitrates are actually fairly high unless you have somehow managed to grow the bacteria that removes them. I've never accomplished it but some folks do.

Although you weren't testing it your tank should be cycled. As I said before all you really have to do to cycle a tank is provide an ammonia source and give it time. Your fish were the ammonia source.

So I did not know I was supposed to shake the bottle, but I did that this time and shook the tube for one minute and let it sit there for five, but it is still bright yellow and reading 0ppm. However, I did do another ammonia test and shook that bottle as well, and ended up getting 0.25ppm.

 

So I did not know I was supposed to shake the bottle, but I did that this time and shook the tube for one minute and let it sit there for five, but it is still bright yellow and reading 0ppm. However, I did do another ammonia test and shook that bottle as well, and ended up getting 0.25ppm.

If you are shaking bottle #2 really well and putting 10 drops from each of the 2 bottles and still seeing zero nitrates then I have to wonder how heavily planted this tank is? It is unusual to be seeing no nitrates at all in a cycled tank but it does happen. It is very possible with the low bio-load in this tank for the plants to be removing all the nitrates. 4 neon tetras and a few shrimp wouldn't be producing a lot of ammonia so wouldn't be producing a lot of nitrates.

 

If you are shaking bottle #2 really well and putting 10 drops from each of the 2 bottles and still seeing zero nitrates then I have to wonder how heavily planted this tank is? It is unusual to be seeing no nitrates at all in a cycled tank but it does happen. It is very possible with the low bio-load in this tank for the plants to be removing all the nitrates. 4 neon tetras and a few shrimp wouldn't be producing a lot of ammonia so wouldn't be producing a lot of nitrates.

Thank you for the help! Here is a picture of my tank.

I didn't think it was that many plants in there to suck out all the nitrates, but I think that may be the case here haha.

 

Floating plants are fantastic at pulling nitrates out of there. I do think that is where yours are going.

 

I'm not surprised that tank is reading 0 nitrates. I've had tanks that were planted similarly test at 0 nitrates for months at a time even with heavier bio-loads. I think we can be pretty confident that's the case here.

 

What makes you think your tank isn't cycled? Cycling a tank simply means growing ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria. If this tank has had fish in it for 10 months I have to think it has grown both types of bacteria. It is going to happen whether we are trying to cycle or not. We don't have to watch it or have to do anything special for it to happen.

Water doesn't cycle. Bacteria grows on all the surfaces in a tank. It isn't free floating in the water so moving some to another tank won't accomplish anything. Moving some gravel from the tank that has been running for 10 months should help cycle another tank because it will have ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria on it. It is better to move seeded media but gravel should help.

Stop adding any kind of ammonia neutralizer. Keep an eye on the ammonia level. If you start getting an ammonia reading you can keep it down by doing a water change. If it goes up to .50 a 50% water change will get it back down to .25

We don't know if this is going to happen so just keep an eye on the numbers and do water changes as needed.

If you've not already read it this thread may help you understand what is happening and what to expect. Fish In Nitrogen Cycle Simplified | Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum | 414083

Once you fully understand what the nitrogen cycle actually is you will see that it really is a simple process.

Mattgirl I just got Dr Tims One & Only in the post today, I was wondering wich way to add it to my aquarium, I'm on my 9th day into my fish in cycle and I've been using prime
Ammonia 2.0 ppm
Nitrites 0.25 ppm
Nitrates 20 ppm
Ph 7.5
I've been doing a water change every day Ormiston a day if needed, idone a water change about 12 hours ago using prime but I want to ad this dr tims one and only, any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Cool because I had TSS and added it 1 hour after the prime then got told this,is it the same with tetra filter active?
So is it OK to use both Dr Tims One & Only with prime then, I've looked n looked and Thurs nothing that says wait any time, but after using the Dr Tims can you use the prime say 24 hours after? Thanks

 

Mattgirl I just got Dr Tims One & Only in the post today, I was wondering wich way to add it to my aquarium, I'm on my 9th day into my fish in cycle and I've been using prime
Ammonia 2.0 ppm
Nitrites 0.25 ppm
Nitrates 20 ppm
Ph 7.5
I've been doing a water change every day Ormiston a day if needed, idone a water change about 12 hours ago using prime but I want to ad this dr tims one and only, any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks

I will let someone else answer this question. I have never used any kind of bottled bacteria so the only advice I can give is something I've read. For the most part I am not comfortable giving advice on something I've not personally used.

In my humble opinion lots of confusion is caused by adding bottled bacteria. Without it we know exactly what to expect. We will have an ammonia spike followed by a nitrite spike and then we will see nitrates going up. It isn't unusual to see all three at the same time but eventually both ammonia and nitrites will drop to zero. When fish in cycling just keep ammonia and nitrites down to negligible levels. The fish will be safe and the tank will cycle, normally within 4 to 6 weeks.