Freshwater Cycling ????

So I saved a comet and fancy goldfish so I couldn’t do a fish less cycle. Last time I established an aquarium I did the fish less cycle and it was the best thing I ever did.

I have a 20 gallon tank that is on day 8 of being up and running. I have been using Tetra test strips while waiting for my API master kit. When I started the aquarium and make water changes I treat with stress coat, add beneficial bacteria, and add aquarium salt (to replace what I removed with water changes). I do an 8 gallon water change every 2 to 3 days.

Yesterday my readings were as follows:

PH 8.2
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.0 PPM
Nitrate 5.0 PPM

I did an 8 gallon water change today and my readings were as follows:

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.0 PPM
Nitrate 5.0 PPM

It’s been a while, how do I know when my tank is cycled? What should I be looking for with my test readings?

Thanks in advance, you folks have been fantastic.

 

You will know the tank is cycled when you are see a constant 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite reading once it has spiked and your nitrates go up between water changes.

I don't think adding salt is necessary. You may want to gradually remove what you have added.

Edited to add: You may want to run all the tests on your source water. it is good to have a baseline on the water you are adding. I am wondering if the nitrates you are seeing are actually in your source water since you are early in this cycle.

 

First off, I would stop adding salt. Just continue to do daily water changes without it. You know your tank is cycled when you are getting nitrates and ammonia and nitrite are a constant zero. If your levels are really what you see here, then your tank is probably cycled. 0 ammonia and nitrite, with some nitrates usually indicates that the tank is cycled. If the levels of ammonia and or nitrite exceed.5 i would do a 50 percent water change, goldfish should be able to handle more but I would do one since exposure to both is very harmful. Also you probably know this but keeping a comet goldie and a fancy can and probably will be challenging.

 

At least a month. Try to keep your ammonia around 1ppm for a fish in cycle, no higher than 2ppm for sure. I would ignore the nitrates until they are around 20-40ppm.
Wait until your ammonia drops without water changes or rises above 1ppm before you do a water change. At too low of levels youre basically just stalling your cycle and making it take longer. Your cycle will be completed when your ammonia and nitrate constantly read 0 and your nitrates constantly climb. It should be very noticable with goldfish.

 

You will know the tank is cycled when you are see a constant 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite reading once it has spiked and your nitrates go up between water changes.

I don't think adding salt is necessary. You may want to gradually remove what you have added.

Edited to add: You may want to run all the tests on your source water. it is good to have a baseline on the water you are adding. I am wondering if the nitrates you are seeing are actually in your source water since you are early in this cycle.

Great advice, I tested my source water for PH and Ammonia, but not Nitrates and Nitrites. I will listen, I promise, but why no aquarium salt?

 

Great advice, I tested my source water for PH and Ammonia, but not Nitrates and Nitrites. I will listen, I promise, but why no aquarium salt?

Aquarium salt is not necessary, especially not for goldfish. If you don't have anything to test the salinity then the levels might go up and down too.

 

First off, I would stop adding salt. Just continue to do daily water changes without it. You know your tank is cycled when you are getting nitrates and ammonia and nitrite are a constant zero. If your levels are really what you see here, then your tank is probably cycled. 0 ammonia and nitrite, with some nitrates usually indicates that the tank is cycled. If the levels of ammonia and or nitrite exceed.5 i would do a 50 percent water change, goldfish should be able to handle more but I would do one since exposure to both is very harmful. Also you probably know this but keeping a comet goldie and a fancy can and probably will be challenging.

Thanks for your help, the comet and fancy Goldie have been together for quite some time. I rescued them from a tank in my school, the owner was going to put them in an outdoor decorative pond. Here in Maine it gets to freezing at night, I couldn’t stand the thought of them going from 70 to 32 degrees overnight. They get along well at the moment.

 

Thanks for your help, the comet and fancy Goldie have been together for quite some time. I rescued them from a tank in my school, the owner was going to put them in an outdoor decorative pond. Here in Maine it gets to freezing at night, I couldn’t stand the thought of them going from 70 to 32 degrees overnight. They get along well at the moment.

Thats nice, thanks for getting them out of that situation. If they get along right now then I don't see any reason to move them.

 

Aquarium salt is really only useful for some ailments and livebearers like guppies and swordtails. It can also be rather harmful for some plants and fish. Unless you get ich or something i wouldn't waste it.

 

Great advice, I tested my source water for PH and Ammonia, but not Nitrates and Nitrites. I will listen, I promise, but why no aquarium salt?

I don't think salt is a necessary addition to a freshwater tank. Sometimes salt can be used under certain conditions when medication is needed but is not normally needed.

 

You will know the tank is cycled when you are see a constant 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite reading once it has spiked and your nitrates go up between water changes.

I don't think adding salt is necessary. You may want to gradually remove what you have added.

Edited to add: You may want to run all the tests on your source water. it is good to have a baseline on the water you are adding. I am wondering if the nitrates you are seeing are actually in your source water since you are early in this cycle.

Okay I just finished testing my source water (it’s not straight from the faucet, I keep 10 gallons on hand that sits overnight). Here are my source water readings:

PH 7.4
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrate 0.0
Nitrite 0.0

 

Okay I just finished testing my source water (it’s not straight from the faucet, I keep 10 gallons on hand that sits overnight). Here are my source water readings:

PH 7.4
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrate 0.0
Nitrite 0.0

This is good. This tells us that your tank is producing nitrates. It looks like the bottled bacteria you added is helping to speed this cycle up. Did you add anything from the tank these fish were in before you got them? Just about anything from that tank would have had BB on it and would help jump start this tank.

 

Okay so my readings today are as follows:

PH 7.8
Ammonia .25 PPM
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0 PPM

I did not do a partial water change yesterday and I’m not sure if I should do one today????

 

Okay so my readings today are as follows:

PH 7.8
Ammonia .25 PPM
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0 PPM

I did not do a partial water change yesterday and I’m not sure if I should do one today????

I wouldn't. As long as you are seeing numbers like this you can go for up to a week before you do another water change.

 

I wouldn't. As long as you are seeing numbers like this you can go for up to a week before you do another water change.

Thank you so much. What numbers should I look for to do a partial water change?

 

Thank you so much. What numbers should I look for to do a partial water change?

If the ammonia goes up close to one or if you start seeing nitrites. We want to see the ammonia dropping down to zero although a lot of folks report never seeing a true 0 with their API test kit, the nitrites staying at zero and the nitrates gradually going up.

 

Thanks, I’m a bit confused. I know I want a 0 for ammonia and nitrites. Do I want a 0 for nitrates too?

 

Thanks, I’m a bit confused. I know I want a 0 for ammonia and nitrites. Do I want a 0 for nitrates too?

No, you will have some nitrates. They are the waste product of the ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria. They will continue to go up until they are lowered with water changes or in some cases plants will lower them but most of the time not all the way to zero.

 

Great, thanks. So when I consistently have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites my tank is cycled?

 

Great, thanks. So when I consistently have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites my tank is cycled?

Normally you will have a nitrite spike. When it spikes and then both it and the ammonia consistently stay at zero and your nitrates gradually go up you can be assured that your cycle is complete. Some folks have reported never getting the nitrite spike after adding bottled bacteria though.

 

So I’m wondering if I have a bit of a miracle. No water change since 4/24. My readings are as follows:

PH 7.8 this has been a stable reading

Ammonia 0 (it was .25 yesterday and went down with no water change)

Nitrite 0.0

Nitrate 5.0

 

I would like to see those nitrates going up but these numbers are looking really good. I think the cycling Gods are blessing you for saving these wonderful creatures.

It sounds like you managed to get a really fresh bottle of bottled bacteria and it is doing what they claim it can do.

 

I was thinking it’s good karma coming my way. After I did fishless cycling with my last 50 gallon tank I swore I would never do fishless cycling again. But, I had to save these guys. I will say the fancy one seems to have grown overnight.

 

Update today!

PH is at 8.0 it has consistently been 7.8

Ammonia 0 (this has been the case for the most part)

Nitrite 0 (since I got my API kit last Thursday this has been the case)

Nitrate 10 (this seems to be a consistent climb)

I should do a partial water change when my Nitrate reaches 20 PPM?

 

Update today!

PH is at 8.0 it has consistently been 7.8

Ammonia 0 (this has been the case for the most part)

Nitrite 0 (since I got my API kit last Thursday this has been the case)

Nitrate 10 (this seems to be a consistent climb)

I should do a partial water change when my Nitrate reaches 20 PPM?

Great report !!!! I am happy to see 0 ammonia and nitrites and the nitrates going up. I think it would be safe to allow the nitrates to go a bit higher than 20 but it would be great if you could keep them that low. If I am counting right it has only been 4 days since your last water change. I wouldn't go longer than a week before doing another one even if the nitrates haven't reached 20 by then. I find it easier to keep them under control if they aren't allowed to go too high before lowering them with a water change.

 

Thanks this response is very helpful.

 

Update today, 4/29/2020!

PH is back at 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

Update today, 4/29/2020!

PH is back at 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

I also added some dwarf water lettuce and red root ( Phyllanthus fluitans). How long to leave the light on per day.

 

I also added some dwarf water lettuce and red root ( Phyllanthus fluitans). How long to leave the light on per day.

This is a difficult question for me to answer. If they are left on for too long algae often starts to grow. I think a good all round number would be about 8 hours though. You could try longer and then just cut back if algae becomes a problem.

 

So my update today (after doing a 4 gallon partial water change last night).

PH 7.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5 (down from 10 before the partial water change)

How long do I go on with this process and know I’m cycled? I’m thinking I may have had my nitrite spike before I purchased my API master test kit.

 

So my update today (after doing a 4 gallon partial water change last night).

PH 7.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5 (down from 10 before the partial water change)

How long do I go on with this process and know I’m cycled? I’m thinking I may have had my nitrite spike before I purchased my API master test kit.

I am strongly leaning toward this being a cycled tank. As long as the numbers continue like this I think we can be confident that it is. The slowly rising nitrates along with 0 ammonia and nitrites scream cycled tank to me. I have to think you just missed the nitrite spike.

 

That’s what I’m hoping, I am thinking of giving these guys a good home with a friend who has a 50 gallon established tank. I know a 20 gallon long term is not sufficient. I miss having a community tank and if I’m cycled I may just do that. I’m assuming I can increase the temperature of my tank and make that switch rather easily, just being cautious not to over or under stock.

 

That’s what I’m hoping, I am thinking of giving these guys a good home with a friend who has a 50 gallon established tank. I know a 20 gallon long term is not sufficient. I miss having a community tank and if I’m cycled I may just do that. I’m assuming I can increase the temperature of my tank and make that switch rather easily, just being cautious not to over or under stock.

That sounds like a very good plan

 

Update 5/1/2020 - day 16!

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

 

Update 5/1/2020 - day 16!

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

I am thinking it is time to rehome these little guys to a bigger home, raise the temp and stock with your choice of community fish.

 

So I re-homed my goldfish yesterday. I cranked my tank up to 77 and added 2 platies and 3 guppies (2 female and 1 male). I drip acclimated them and they seem to be doing great. Tested my water today and here is what I’ve got for readings:

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

When should I do my first partial water change after adding new fish?

I also have a 5 gallon tank that I’m not using so here are my thoughts:

Add a small Tetra filter to my 20 gallon. Rather than use the the filter cartridge that comes with that add an aquarium sponge to populate with bacteria. Then if I should need to have a nursery or sick tank move that filter over. I would keep my current filtration system as well. Would this be too much in my 20 gallon?

Also when could I add my next stick of fish? I’m still thinking I want to go with neon tetra (about 8). But, I’m not sure because of my PH or 7.8. I would drip acclimate them as I did with the others.

Thanks to all of you that helped me walk through the fish in cycling of my tank. It was really great to have your support.

 

As long as you are seeing no ammonia or nitrites you can wait at least a week before doing a water change. I would wait about a week before adding more fish. Maybe add them just after doing your first water change.

Adding the extra filter is a great idea. I don't think it will be a problem running both filters. I run 2 cascade 300 HOB filters along with 2 dual sponge filters in my 55 gallon. None of my fish seem to mind all the water movement. With this kind of pre-planning you will always be able to set up another tank quickly.

 

Here are today’s results:

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

Does PH swing a bit depending on time of day? Mine looks like it could be a 7.8-8.0. It’s been a very consistent 7.8 all along.

PS The guppies and platies are doing great.

 

It can kinda go up and down depending on the time of day. It is best to test it at approximately the same time of day each time. Now that your cycle is complete you shouldn't have to test it daily though. Since I have to add crushed coral to my tanks I check mine every few months to make sure it is holding steady.

 

Thanks, what does the crushed coral do?

 

Thanks, what does the crushed coral do?

I have very soft water. It is very very low in minerals. The CC raises the KH so raises and keeps my PH stable.