Is My Nitrogen Cycle Complete ? With Pictures!!!

There are many instances of cycles not seeing nitrites. I think the key indicator is that a certain ammonia is converted to nitrates within 24 hours with zero ammonia or nitrites left.
When fishless cycle you have to add ammonia to keep that bacteria alive.

HI all, I was so surprised by the support on this forum previously. Thank you so much for your input and the shared learning experience. For those of you that are interested in my little project here, I had to begin the cycle again. It’s taken some time as I’ve been in and out of exams although on the 22nd of May I began the cycle again. I had set the tank to exactly 28 degrees Celsius. Adding water conditioner, then dosed the tank to 2ppm ammonia. It has stayed consistent ever since. My readings 5 days later are in the photos below. With the readings of my nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and the pH. The beneficial bacteria had also been added. Let me know what you guys think and if I’m missing anything so far. Does this look normal ?

 

Your bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrites isn’t established yet.

Be patient, it will happen.

Curious, what type of B.B. did you add?

 

Your bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrites isn’t established yet.

Be patient, it will happen.

Curious, what type of B.B. did you add?

I added aquasonic’s bioculture, there’s a picture attached for you

 

I just jumped in on page #3, didn’t know this thread was ongoing.

Since you’v Been through it before, you know it’s a 4-8 week process.

Can you get any seasoned media to add to your filter? Will speed things up.

Otherwise, just kick back and wait while continuing to dose to 2ppm ammonia.

Good luck.

 

I just jumped in on page #3, didn’t know this thread was ongoing.

Since you’v Been through it before, you know it’s a 4-8 week process.

Can you get any seasoned media to add to your filter? Will speed things up.

Otherwise, just kick back and wait while continuing to dose to 2ppm ammonia.

Good luck.

Your help is much appreciated! My friends have an incredible massive healthy fancy goldfish tank they’ve been upkeeping for years. I’ll ask to borrow something from their tank to speed up my process.
How long do you believe I should be dosing to 2ppm ammonia? For the entire time until the cycle is complete ? Thank you Hunter

 

Do you have a liquid test kit like the API master test kit?

If so, test every 2-3 days. I would test ammonia only initially. When it does from 2ppm to less than 1 in a 2 day period. I would start testing nitrites and nitrates.

You want 0 nitrites and your ammonia to go from 2ppm, to 0 in a day or so before adding fish.

Once your cycle is done, reduce nitrates via a large water change, then add fish.

After you introduce fish, test for everything every other day for 2 weeks. If you have 0, 0, nitrates after 2 weeks, just test for nitrates.

I haven’t done an ammonia, nitrite test for months in my established tanks.

After weeks of nitrates tests, I learned how often I needed to do water changes so I basically quit doing any test unless I add stock.

 

I added aquasonic’s bioculture, there’s a picture attached for you View attachment 441915View attachment 441916

Nitrospira is really good at converting salts (urea, etc) to Ammonia, not so good at the rest of the process. Nitrosomnas and Nitrobacter are the preferred duo for Ammonia and Nitrite conversion. Not sure where you live, but some Dr Tims (Europe)/Seachem Stability (US)/or similar will speed up the process. Keep the Nitrospira for when you add fish.

 

The two stages of bacteria grow at different rates.
When your ammonia drops to zero, you'll need to redose it to two or that bacteria will die. This is while waiting for the second bacteria to grow converting nitrites to nitrates.
Also, there are a lot of people that report bad batches of bacterial starters, even when not expired. In particular, ones that require refrigeration.
Getting a little media from your friends tank will be a huge boost.

 

be sure you get media from the filter, not just something from the tank. good luck sorry you had to start over, but soon enough you'll have some fishies

 

Nitrospira is really good at converting salts (urea, etc) to Ammonia, not so good at the rest of the process. Nitrosomnas and Nitrobacter are the preferred duo for Ammonia and Nitrite conversion. Not sure where you live, but some Dr Tims (Europe)/Seachem Stability (US)/or similar will speed up the process. Keep the Nitrospira for when you add fish.

That’s very helpful! Thank you. I’ll try and find something similar nearby with nitrosomnas and nitrobacter. I’m in Australia, so I have to find dupes of what you guys have over in America. Thanks again!

be sure you get media from the filter, not just something from the tank. good luck sorry you had to start over, but soon enough you'll have some fishies

Thank you so much, getting this right will be very rewarding. Then I can finally figure out what to keep in the tank!! thank you for your advice, I’ll borrow some filter media!

The two stages of bacteria grow at different rates.
When your ammonia drops to zero, you'll need to redose it to two or that bacteria will die. This is while waiting for the second bacteria to grow converting nitrites to nitrates.
Also, there are a lot of people that report bad batches of bacterial starters, even when not expired. In particular, ones that require refrigeration.
Getting a little media from your friends tank will be a huge boost.

Fantastic. Thank you for your guidance throughout my quite lengthy process. I do hope that this shall be my final attempt at cycling before I add fish. I’ll add another dose of ammonia today it’s looking a little lower than the last reading. Thanks again!

 

The two stages of bacteria grow at different rates.
When your ammonia drops to zero, you'll need to redose it to two or that bacteria will die. This is while waiting for the second bacteria to grow converting nitrites to nitrates.
Also, there are a lot of people that report bad batches of bacterial starters, even when not expired. In particular, ones that require refrigeration.
Getting a little media from your friends tank will be a huge boost.

For those of you that are interested I am FINALLY seeing results in this tank. This process has been extremely rewarding. I followed your advice and found success with seachems stability (which I have been adding now for a week) and seachems prime which I added initially to the tank. The results are pictures below. The temperature has stayed a consistent 28 degrees Celsius. And I’m finding little growths of bacteria sticking to little parts in the tank, I’ve added photos of this!!! Sorry for updating on this really old post although without your help and support this wouldn’t have happened. Thank you all!

 

I have fantastic news. After months of waiting I finally ordered myself a stunning betta from Fishchick aquatics here in Australia. The tank has completely cycled, I slowly began to add some neon tetras (trying not to overwhelm the filter). And finally added my incredible betta to the tank who is getting on pretty well with the other residents... take a look at the photos!! Just a side note I am currently cycling and aquascaping a 120Litre tank to eventually put them into as I feel as if this 48L tank is still a little bit small for the betta. The ammonia creeped up to 0.25 after adding the neon tetras although I test the water every few hours and do water changes to ensure that everything is safe until the tank gets used to the fishes bioload! Let me know if you have any advice to offer, I would greatly appreciate it!
Thank you all for guiding me throughout this process! I owe it all to you.
Here is a link to the YouTube video that the seller provided:

 

Beautiful fish and the tank is very attractive as well. Much help from very good folks and your willingness to follow has yielded nice results. Well done.

But that center piece of blanched coral with its sharp edges is not the best choice for the tender fins on that beautiful Betta unless it is a soft edged reproduction.

 

Beautiful fish and the tank is very attractive as well. Much help from very good folks and your willingness to follow has yielded nice results. Well done.

But that center piece of blanched coral with its sharp edges is not the best choice for the tender fins on that beautiful Betta unless it is a soft edged reproduction.

Thank you ever so, I truly appreciate the support and kind words! They had to sedate the betta ever so slightly to ensure minimal stress during flight time. The little coral is completely made out of super soft silicone type material which is easily manipulatable. It looks like rock although I assure you it is so soft! This was a necessity as the fluval edge tank has a tiny opening, and we had to 'squish' that quite large object in lol. He is very inquisitive and likes to explore everything. Thank you again!!

 

Thank you ever so, I truly appreciate the support and kind words! They had to sedate the betta ever so slightly to ensure minimal stress during flight time. The little coral is completely made out of super soft silicone type material which is easily manipulatable. It looks like rock although I assure you it is so soft! This was a necessity as the fluval edge tank has a tiny opening, and we had to 'squish' that quite large object in lol. He is very inquisitive and likes to explore everything. Thank you again!!

Your new finbaby sounds stunning! I was concerned when I heard about the centerpiece too. Now I’m just jealous. The whole tank sounds beautiful. Will you be adding plants?

 

Your new finbaby sounds stunning! I was concerned when I heard about the centerpiece too. Now I’m just jealous. The whole tank sounds beautiful. Will you be adding plants?

Thank you so much! Funny you asked that, I am looking at many aquascaping philosophies for a new 120Litre tank I just bought. There will be an abundance of natural plants and greenery, and so would like it to look as close to nature as possible. That one should take 4-6 weeks after cycling (and give the plants a chance to grow) And once that is done I will introduce the betta and friends into their larger tank which will be 3 times the size! I absolutely love this hobby, (obviously thanks to everyone on here that made the process much easier for me)

 

I am very happy for you. Both your tank and 'specially your Betta are beautiful.

I just wanted to point out once one goes through the cycling process it is possible that one never has to go through it again. With a little pre-planning one can instantly cycle another tank with seeded media from the cycled tank.

Now that you have a cycled and established tank you can run extra media in the tank. Give it time to grow the necessary bacteria (at least a month) and then just move the cycle (the bacteria on the media is the cycle) over to the new tank.

OR

If one is just moving up to a bigger tank and plan on breaking down the smaller tank one can move everything including filter (or filter media), water and fish over to the new tank. By moving everything fish and bacteria will just think that have had a big water change. The bacteria isn't in the water but it is the water both your fish and the bacteria are used to so keeping it keeps them happy.

 

The little coral is completely made out of super soft silicone type material which is easily manipulatable. It looks like rock although I assure you it is so soft!

Very nice, was not aware of that availability.

 

I am very happy for you. Both your tank and 'specially your Betta are beautiful.

I just wanted to point out once one goes through the cycling process it is possible that one never has to go through it again. With a little pre-planning one can instantly cycle another tank with seeded media from the cycled tank.

Now that you have a cycled and established tank you can run extra media in the tank. Give it time to grow the necessary bacteria (at least a month) and then just move the cycle (the bacteria on the media is the cycle) over to the new tank.

OR

If one is just moving up to a bigger tank and plan on breaking down the smaller tank one can move everything including filter (or filter media), water and fish over to the new tank. By moving everything fish and bacteria will just think that have had a big water change. The bacteria isn't in the water but it is the water both your fish and the bacteria are used to so keeping it keeps them happy.

Thank you that’s really kind of you!!!! I’m beyond thrilled to finally have such graceful little creatures in the tank. I just bought an abundance of plants, wood, smooth rocks etc.. as I am not really happy with how small the 48 litre aquarium is. He does have quite an amount of swimming space and is so interested in everything in the tank. I’m afraid he will snag his little fins on the heater as he enjoys circulating in and around those areas. That’s why I wanted the larger tank which already has the inbuilt filter, heater and all of that. You can’t leave these things to chance.

I’ll take your advice! I genuinely think it would be nice to add him to the larger tank soon. Just to confirm there would be no harm done by moving EVERYTHING (including the water) the filter, sand, etc to the tank I have now ?! Everything’s already cycled in my current tank but if I moved it all over, would it then be considered cycled due to the filter/ water and substrate move ?

Very nice, was not aware of that availability.

Thank you so much! I did get worried sometimes as he is so explorative and likes to surprisingly fit into places in which I thought he wouldn’t be able to such as circulating around the back of the heater, swimming under the little silicone centrepiece etc. I took it OUT today out of fear he might get too courageous and get stuck somehow. I replaced it with a few plants as a substitute and he seems to like the shift of natural plants much more. It’s better to be safe than sorry even though I initially believed it to be safe. I ended up taking your advice. Thank you for caring. He will be moved into a much more spacious tank very soon, which I am in the process of aquascaping!!

 

Thank you that’s really kind of you!!!! I’m beyond thrilled to finally have such graceful little creatures in the tank. I just bought an abundance of plants, wood, smooth rocks etc.. as I am not really happy with how small the 48 litre aquarium is. He does have quite an amount of swimming space and is so interested in everything in the tank. I’m afraid he will snag his little fins on the heater as he enjoys circulating in and around those areas. That’s why I wanted the larger tank which already has the inbuilt filter, heater and all of that. You can’t leave these things to chance.

I’ll take your advice! I genuinely think it would be nice to add him to the larger tank soon. Just to confirm there would be no harm done by moving EVERYTHING (including the water) the filter, sand, etc to the tank I have now ?! Everything’s already cycled in my current tank but if I moved it all over, would it then be considered cycled due to the filter/ water and substrate move ?

As long as you do it fairly quick and don't allow anything to dry out your cycle should just continue on. I noticed in your reply to Rok that you have removed your silicon coral decoration. If it had been in there during the cycling process it too would have held some bacteria but the majority of it lives on your filter media so by removing it you did remove some bacteria but not enough to really make a big difference.

Since this is a brand new cycle and is still establishing itself. Drastic changes could possibly disrupt it. I know you want to add and establish some plants in the bigger tank. If it were me doing it I would set up the new tank. Get everything in there that you plan on having in it other than the few plants you already have in your smaller tank. Leave them in there for now for not only your Bettas comfort but also it will give them time to grow some bacteria.

If you are going to use the same type of substrate just don't add the full amount because you are going to want to transfer the substrate from the smaller tank to the bigger one when you are ready to make the move. Planning out the steps to take pretty well guarantees a successful move of the cycle (bacteria).

Don't clean your filter media for at least a week before the move. That filter media is the one thing one never wants to over clean. A dirty filter pad is a healthy filter pad. Always when cleaning this media use water you have removed from the tank after a water change and even then just clean it enough to keep water flowing through it. You don't want to replace it until it is literally falling apart or water will no longer flow through it freely and even then you don't want to toss it. you will want to carefully cut it up and put it in the filter housing along with new media.

When you are ready to make the move be sure nothing is going to interrupt you in the middle of it. Remove the same amount of water from the big tank as you have in your smaller tank. Start by moving all the decorations (plants and whatever else you have in the small tank) over to the bucket of water you removed from the larger tank. You want to keep everything wet and submerged as much as possible.

Now transfer the substrate from the small tank to the bigger one. If this step would be easier with less water you could go ahead and move some of it over to the new tank at this point. You want to keep the filter running during all of this. You can run it on either tank as long as there is enough water in the tank for it to work.

Once the substrate is moved go ahead and put all the decorations in place. Transfer the rest of the water and move the filter if you've not done so yet. Since that artificial coral piece is super soft I don't think he would hurt himself on it but only you can make the decision whether it is safe or not.

If you find that this move is distressing your Betta you may want to move him to a holding container until the move is completed. Just fill that container up with water from his original home. This might be the best option even if he is not being distressed.

Since both the cycle and Betta will just think they have had a large water change acclimation shouldn't be necessary for your Betta but if you would feel more comfortable doing so slowly adding some of the new tank water to the container he is in would work.

I think I have covered every step but if you have questions ask away and I will do my best to answer them.

 

As long as you do it fairly quick and don't allow anything to dry out your cycle should just continue on. I noticed in your reply to Rok that you have removed your silicon coral decoration. If it had been in there during the cycling process it too would have held some bacteria but the majority of it lives on your filter media so by removing it you did remove some bacteria but not enough to really make a big difference.

Since this is a brand new cycle and is still establishing itself. Drastic changes could possibly disrupt it. I know you want to add and establish some plants in the bigger tank. If it were me doing it I would set up the new tank. Get everything in there that you plan on having in it other than the few plants you already have in your smaller tank. Leave them in there for now for not only your Bettas comfort but also it will give them time to grow some bacteria.

If you are going to use the same type of substrate just don't add the full amount because you are going to want to transfer the substrate from the smaller tank to the bigger one when you are ready to make the move. Planning out the steps to take pretty well guarantees a successful move of the cycle (bacteria).

Don't clean your filter media for at least a week before the move. That filter media is the one thing one never wants to over clean. A dirty filter pad is a healthy filter pad. Always when cleaning this media use water you have removed from the tank after a water change and even then just clean it enough to keep water flowing through it. You don't want to replace it until it is literally falling apart or water will no longer flow through it freely and even then you don't want to toss it. you will want to carefully cut it up and put it in the filter housing along with new media.

When you are ready to make the move be sure nothing is going to interrupt you in the middle of it. Remove the same amount of water from the big tank as you have in your smaller tank. Start by moving all the decorations (plants and whatever else you have in the small tank) over to the bucket of water you removed from the larger tank. You want to keep everything wet and submerged as much as possible.

Now transfer the substrate from the small tank to the bigger one. If this step would be easier with less water you could go ahead and move some of it over to the new tank at this point. You want to keep the filter running during all of this. You can run it on either tank as long as there is enough water in the tank for it to work.

Once the substrate is moved go ahead and put all the decorations in place. Transfer the rest of the water and move the filter if you've not done so yet. Since that artificial coral piece is super soft I don't think he would hurt himself on it but only you can make the decision whether it is safe or not.

If you find that this move is distressing your Betta you may want to move him to a holding container until the move is completed. Just fill that container up with water from his original home. This might be the best option even if he is not being distressed.

Since both the cycle and Betta will just think they have had a large water change acclimation shouldn't be necessary for your Betta but if you would feel more comfortable doing so slowly adding some of the new tank water to the container he is in would work.

I think I have covered every step but if you have questions ask away and I will do my best to answer them.

Oh my goodness, thank you. I was thinking before how overwhelming this might possibly be and how careful I must act during the move. I appreciate you putting things into perspective for me! You truly went above and beyond. The silicone centrepiece was just added a few days ago which was long after the cycle completed so there wasn’t too much B.B. on it. I am very careful not to disrupt other parts of the tank that might consist of ‘the good stuff’. It might be helpful to wait a little bit so that the fish can settle in to the current tank as the betta only arrived 2 days ago. It would be nice to allow him time to recover from his trip and I’ll make sure I don’t touch the tank he is currently in too much until he settles in.
So perhaps after a week I will get everything ready as you stated to! The thing I am most worried about is freaking the little guy out. I will check all the pH, and other water parameters are accurate to that of the current tank before the big move. He seems like a super chill fish, so I don’t think he would freak out too much but just to be 100% sure. I will revisit your post when it’s time for his big move and utilise all of this great advice. Thank you for your guidance. You are very helpful!

 

You are very welcome. I am glad I was able to put you at ease when it comes to making the move. I agree that it would be best to give him time to get settled in before he gets disrupted again. Although they are tough little guys there is a limit and I am sure being bagged up and shipped had to have been stressful for him.

Waiting also gives you time to decide exactly the way you want the new tank to look before the move so you shouldn't have to make many changes once he had been moved over. I know you are gonna be a very good fish Mom.

Please feel free to tag me if you have questions. I am very happy to help.

 

You are very welcome. I am glad I was able to put you at ease when it comes to making the move. I agree that it would be best to give him time to get settled in before he gets disrupted again. Although they are tough little guys there is a limit and I am sure being bagged up and shipped had to have been stressful for him.

Waiting also gives you time to decide exactly the way you want the new tank to look before the move so you shouldn't have to make many changes once he had been moved over. I know you are gonna be a very good fish Mom.

Please feel free to tag me if you have questions. I am very happy to help.

I can’t wait to truly get into the hobby with all of the cycling problems aside! I have small pellets for him, bloodworms, and tomorrow I’ll grab some more variety for him to test what he prefers, perhaps the frozen variety?! He is fitting in extremely well and seems very happy in this tank although can’t wait to see how he responds when he is placed in the larger tank! Your right, plenty of time to make arrangements and adjustments perfect before he is introduced. Again, thank you! I couldn’t have done it without knowledgeable people like yourself. I shall update you on the move, it should be a fun journey!

 

You probably already know this but I want to mention it, just in case. If you have freeze dried bloodworms be sure to soak them in some tank water before giving them to him. They tend to swell a bit and it is best to get that part over with before he eats them.

 

You probably already know this but I want to mention it, just in case. If you have freeze dried bloodworms be sure to soak them in some tank water before giving them to him. They tend to swell a bit and it is best to get that part over with before he eats them.

Thank you so much for that tip! I always soak any food before feeding the fish. I appreciate the reminder! Strangely my nitrite levels are weirdly a little high today. I’m at 0.25ppm. Weird as yesterday they were at 0. I did a 25% water change and then added prime which apparently ensures nitrites are not going to harm the fish. Is this normal ? I’ll keep checking the nitrites, ammonia and nitrates every 5 hours to ensure everything is safe. The fish seem extremely happy. Is there anything else I can do ?

Just then my levels were at 0ppm ammonia, 0.25ppm nitrite and 0ppm nitrates.

 

Occasionally there will be tiny glitches in a fairly new cycle. As long as you have Prime to neutralize them your cycle and your Betta should be fine. You of course can run the tests every 5 hours or so but as long as you have prime, every 24 hours should be alright. At least doing it as often as you are you will be right on top of it if it should spike any higher.

I have noticed this happens often when a tank has been started with a bacteria booster during a cycle. I don't understand why it happens but since I spend a lot of time on this forum I do see it often. Seeing a very small lingering ammonia reading well after the cycle should be complete seems to happen the most often when a product called Stability is being or has been used.

I have often seen low levels of nitrite showing up in tests well after they should not show up again and it seems each time it happens I read back or ask questions and find that a bacterial booster has been used sometime during the cycling process.

One of the best things about having a cycled tank and using that cycle to set up a new tank as you plan on doing one shouldn't feel the need to use a booster so the phantom ammonia or nitrite readings shouldn't happen.

Are you checking your PH to see if it has changed? The water changes and the new plants could have dropped your nitrates to zero but it is a bit of a concern since you are registering that tiny amount of nitrite. A low PH changes ammonia to ammonium and ammonium isn't a good food supply for your bacteria.

 

Occasionally there will be tiny glitches in a fairly new cycle. As long as you have Prime to neutralize them your cycle and your Betta should be fine. You of course can run the tests every 5 hours or so but as long as you have prime, every 24 hours should be alright. At least doing it as often as you are you will be right on top of it if it should spike any higher.

I have noticed this happens often when a tank has been started with a bacteria booster during a cycle. I don't understand why it happens but since I spend a lot of time on this forum I do see it often. Seeing a very small lingering ammonia reading well after the cycle should be complete seems to happen the most often when a product called Stability is being or has been used.

I have often seen low levels of nitrite showing up in tests well after they should not show up again and it seems each time it happens I read back or ask questions and find that a bacterial booster has been used sometime during the cycling process.

One of the best things about having a cycled tank and using that cycle to set up a new tank as you plan on doing one shouldn't feel the need to use a booster so the phantom ammonia or nitrite readings shouldn't happen.

Are you checking your PH to see if it has changed? The water changes and the new plants could have dropped your nitrates to zero but it is a bit of a concern since you are registering that tiny amount of nitrite. A low PH changes ammonia to ammonium and ammonium isn't a good food supply for your bacteria.

Hey mattgirl!!! Thank you very much for the explanation, I just tested the pH and its reading 7.6 god forbid this is too high ? The nitrites went down to ALMOST 0ppm today but the nitrate is between 0ppm and 5ppm. I just did my 25% water change and added some prime to neutralise whatever is going on. Thank you for your help

 

Hey mattgirl!!! Thank you very much for the explanation, I just tested the pH and its reading 7.6 god forbid this is too high ? The nitrites went down to ALMOST 0ppm today but the nitrate is between 0ppm and 5ppm. I just did my 25% water change and added some prime to neutralise whatever is going on. Thank you for your help

A PH of 7.6 is great. I think it takes a PH of 6.5 or less before one starts having problems with their cycle. You are nowhere near there so your are in good shape. It is also wonderful to hear that the nitrites are going down too. It sounds like your little glitch is has just about worked itself out.

 

A PH of 7.6 is great. I think it takes a PH of 6.5 or less before one starts having problems with their cycle. You are nowhere near there so your are in good shape. It is also wonderful to hear that the nitrites are going down too. It sounds like your little glitch is has just about worked itself out.

Help is needed ASAP!!! I tested my water 4 times today. Nitrites dropped a little everything seemed to go well and suddenly NITRATES SPIKED to 40ppm in a matter of like 4 hours after having little to none in the afternoon. I have been panicking ever since I learnt of this. Everything was going fine and then THIS atrocity is happening. I did a 25 percent water change and added prime ofcourse and then one again after 4 hours to try not to shock the fish too much. I took out all of the neon tetras as I feel as if they were potentially too much on the bioload and the cycle couldn’t handle it. I am so confused...what have I done. It’s currently 1am here. I’ll wake up at maybe 3 or 4am to do another small waterchange. This is going to be a very rough night. I’m sorry for panicking but I take this very seriously and if there are any measures I can take, please suggest them ALL. Thank you in advance

 

First and foremost Please calm down. Nitrates are going to happen long as fish are producing ammonia. The nitrates are the end results of ammonia to nitrites and finally nitrates. This just means that your cycle jump started and is working perfectly.

I would put the neons back in there if you are planning on having them in your tank. High nitrates means your cycle is strong and is doing its job. Nitrates are removed by water changes. Plants will use some of them but water a change lowers them quickly. If they were 40 a 50% water change will get them back to 20. The amount of nitrates should soon level out once everything is in balance.

By removing the neons you have removed some of the ammonia that is feeding the bacteria you are growing. Without them in there some of the bacteria will start dying off. This is why some folks experience a minI cycle when setting up a bigger tank. Even though they have moved everything from the smaller tank and it should do an instant cycle if they added more fish, thus more ammonia, it takes time for enough bacteria to grow to process the added amount of ammonia the new additions are adding.

By leaving the neons in this tank, when you move all of them to the bigger tank you will have enough bacteria to support an instant cycle. If they aren't in this tank and you add them to the bigger tank when you set it up you will experience a minI cycle.

 

First and foremost Please calm down. Nitrates are going to happen long as fish are producing ammonia. The nitrates are the end results of ammonia to nitrites and finally nitrates. This just means that your cycle jump started and is working perfectly.

I would put the neons back in there if you are planning on having them in your tank. High nitrates means your cycle is strong and is doing its job. Nitrates are removed by water changes. Plants will use some of them but water a change lowers them quickly. If they were 40 a 50% water change will get them back to 20. The amount of nitrates should soon level out once everything is in balance.

By removing the neons you have removed some of the ammonia that is feeding the bacteria you are growing. Without them in there some of the bacteria will start dying off. This is why some folks experience a minI cycle when setting up a bigger tank. Even though they have moved everything from the smaller tank and it should do an instant cycle if they added more fish, thus more ammonia, it takes time for enough bacteria to grow to process the added amount of ammonia the new additions are adding.

By leaving the neons in this tank, when you move all of them to the bigger tank you will have enough bacteria to support an instant cycle. If they aren't in this tank and you add them to the bigger tank when you set it up you will experience a minI cycle.

You are an absolute lifesaver. Thank you for putting my mind at ease I truly thought I must have done something wrong. I was operating under the impression that perhaps after cycling for 4 weeks, something like this wouldn’t have happened, so it came across as extremely frightening when confronted with nitrates so high. I do hope that this is a very rare occurrence although I’ll keep a close eye out on the water parameters. Also WC’s will be done extremely slowly to prevent stress.
I’ll begin by putting the neons back gently.
I can’t thank you enough for your prompt response and assistance during this time. Rookie mistakes...

 

Nitrates are one of the main reasons for weekly water changes. Since there isn't a bacteria that eats them water changes are necessary to keep them in check. I have a hard time keeping mine down in my 55 gallon almost over stocked tank so consider a slight hint of orange in what is almost red in my test tube close enough. That not quite orange but not totally red tells me that my nitrates are between 30 and 40.

I can easily keep my lightly stocked 5 and 10 gallon tanks 10 or less with weekly water changes.

Your cycle is still getting settled in. Once it is fully established it should be in perfect balance and these surprise spikes should stop happening. Jumping up to 40 in a short period of time isn't unheard of. I understand your concern when it happened. I wish I had thought to warn you that is was a possibility.

 

Nitrates are one of the main reasons for weekly water changes. Since there isn't a bacteria that eats them water changes are necessary to keep them in check. I have a hard time keeping mine down in my 55 gallon almost over stocked tank so consider a slight hint of orange in what is almost red in my test tube close enough. That not quite orange but not totally red tells me that my nitrates are between 30 and 40.

I can easily keep my lightly stocked 5 and 10 gallon tanks 10 or less with weekly water changes.

Your cycle is still getting settled in. Once it is fully established it should be in perfect balance and these surprise spikes should stop happening. Jumping up to 40 in a short period of time isn't unheard of. I understand your concern when it happened. I wish I had thought to warn you that is was a possibility.

So basically the bacteria supporting the cycle is adjusting to the volumes of ammonia currently being produced by the fish! That’s a fantastic way of looking at it, with water changes basically being the only way to get rid of nitrates. My main concern was, if the nitrates are going to severely make the fish uncomfortable or cause harm. As you see I hadn’t done much research on what to expect after those four weeks of cycling, I thought that was it. Hopefully after this spike I shall be seeing more stable water conditions. 55 gallons is quite the large tank, what percentage of a water change do you end up doing per week ? I’m trying to get ideas of what I should be changing weekly as the tank just purchased is approximately half the size of yours at 31.7 gallons. You are a great teacher, I am taking careful notes of all of the information you have provided here. You are a great help, thank you

 

I normally change out 30% (about 16 gallons) of the water each week. Some weeks if the nitrates are higher than I am comfortable with I do 40% (about 22 gallons). I would do larger water changes but since I still do it with buckets 40% is about all I can handle. Lifting buckets really gives me a workout If I ever go to a python type of water changing system I could easily do 50% a week but I would still want to put the water I remove from the tank in a bucket. I use it to water both house and outdoor plants. They love it.

With a 31 gallon tank 15 gallons (approximately 50%) would be plenty but your test for nitrate will help you determine how much is needed. Most folks try to keep the nitrates at 20 or lower. You will know if your test shows 40 then a 50% water change should lower them to 20. But if they are lower than that less water will need to be changed.

Water changes are mostly to lower the nitrates but it is also necessary to replenish the necessary minerals most of our drinking water contains. Over time all the minerals are used up and a water change is needed to replace them. Taking care of a tank can seem complicated but once understood they are pretty straightforward.

I am really happy that I have been able to both help and also put your mind at ease during what can be a stressful process.

 

HI there!

You have given me an idea, it would be ideal to get my hands on water change only buckets and to additionally put the water to good use for outdoor plants. I can imagine how 40% would be enough for anybody with such a large tank! Great lesson here concerning water changes!!

Today, thankfully the nitrates have plummeted down to 10ppm just as you had predicted. All the fish are looking very happy! I owe many thanks to you for educating me on exactly was occurring at the time to ensure I had not ruined everything and instilling much awareness It has been quite the journey which is what is so interesting about fish keeping!! There is always something new. Do you sterilise syphons, nets, or anything you put in the tank weekly for water changes ? Just incase of bad bacteria build up etc... I'm still trying to master the regimen and am curious what the advanced individuals in this hobby have faith in. I am truly thankful for ALL of your help yesterday, I couldn't have gotten through it otherwise!

 

It actually makes my heart sing when I am able to help someone by sharing my limited knowledge gained from years in this interesting hobby. I remember when I first started I had absolutely no idea how to take care of the fish I bought and then housed.

Most of my education came from trial and error. There was no internet but I did have a 10 page leaflet that gave me the basics. No where in it did it explain cycling a tank or even told me a tank needed to be cycled.

I made mistakes and at times lost fish because I didn't know any better but for the most part I was successful and it didn't take long before I was totally hooked. That was well over 30 years ago and I love the hobby as much today as I did way back then.

I see folks struggling and just want to take them by the hand and say do this, this and this and your tank will cycle and your fish will be safe but each tank is different in some small way. Maybe the composition of there source water is different and reacts differently. I love to dig down and finally find the problem and when we do, we have success stories to tell.

You have been a joy to teach. You actually read, understand and implement my suggestions. It seems to me like reading comprehension throughout the general population is at an all time low right now and that saddens me greatly. There could still be bumps in the journey and I will be here to hold your hand through them and help if at all possible.

I'm not meaning to brag and if it sounds like it please forgive me but I know how to successfully cycle a tank. I know what to expect during the process. I will admit that I know next to nothing about stocking ones tank after a successful cycle and I know next to nothing about medicating ailing fish or how to diagnose the problem to begin with. I leave those things to those that know much more than I do. I think it was Clint Eastwood that said in one of his movies "A man must know his limitations". I do know and admit mine.

I actually use 3 bucket to take care of my tanks. 1 - 5 gallon for waster water. 1 - 4 gallon bucket for fresh treated water and 1 - 2 gallon bucket for refilling the tank. These buckets never get used and have never been used for anything else. I keep them away from any kind of air freshener sprays. Even then I always rinse out the 2 fresh water buckets to remove any dust that might have collected between water changes.

I don't sterilize any of the equipment I use. But I do keep it all in the buckets away from any kind of contaminates. The equipment I use to take care of my tanks never gets used for anything else. After use I do run my net under very hot water and make sure it is dry before putting it back in the bucket. If someone has a disease break out in one of their tanks sterilization would be necessary to keep from spreading it from tank to tank though and a final one once the problem is taken care of.

I always wash my hands before doing anything with my tanks. One can use soap to wash ones hands but they must be rinsed well and then rinsed some more. Since my 55 gallon in 21 inches deep I also make sure to wash my arms before a water change. I usually stir my sand a bit with my fingers and clean the inside of the glass so my arm is going to be in there at least up to the elbow.

 

I can only imagine how insanely difficult it must have been to not have vast resources like the internet at your fingertips 24/7 like current times. You certainly utilised technology to help others and in the process continue to educate yourself. If I had 30 years of fishkeeping experience I would feel as if I had earned the right to brag, I would not even call it bragging, it's more being proud of the collective achievements which got you to the place you intended to always be. It was very inspirational reading your post, many hobbyists will never admit that they weren't always perfect. This is 30 years of work and it is humbling to be taught by somebody with such experience and passion for the hobby.

I shall be off to buy three water change buckets, the basics are what makes the hobby easier. It would be nice to follow your routine also with ensuring that everything is hygienic and safe to put in the tank and be reused time and time again! Today my water tested 0ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites and less than 5ppm nitrates. If you have ever owned a betta, what amount would you usually feed? I am currently switching up between HikarI Betta bio-gold pellets (One tiny pellet a day soaked for 10 mins) then occasionally the next day I will feed one or two black worms soaked... and occasionally a small amount of brine shrimp. I alternate between those three on different days. Am I underfeeding? What feeding regimen do you usually follow?

 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words. I do love sharing what I have learned over the years. Some folks think my way is an old fashion way but it just plain works and for the most part works well without the unexpected mystery glitches. I am thinking that your cycle has worked its way through the bottled bacteria it started with and you now have a good strong colony of bacteria. Those number are perfect.

If at all possible you may want to add an extra filter to this tank. A sponge filter would be perfect. If you could run it for at least a month it would be well seeded and will help when you get ready to move your cycle over to your bigger tank. The more seeded media you have the better and less chance of a minI cycle after the move.

I did have Bettas lots of years ago. I actually bred them one time just to see if I could. That was quite the experience 'specially when the fry got big enough and I had to separate the males. I had lots and lots of 1 gallon glass jars that had to have a water change every other day. Once was enough

I don't think I ever bought specialty food for them but I actually wasn't aware there were foods made just for them. There may not have been such a variety back then. I've never seen the actual size of the betta bio-gold so can't visualize how much food a single pellet is. I think if it were me I would feed him at least 2 twice a day on the days you feed the pellets if they are really small. If bigger than I am visualizing maybe 1 twice a day. All of this to say. I would feed him a small amount at least twice a day. I just thought of something as I was typing this. Is he also eating some of the food you're feeding the neons? It that is the case feeding him his special food once a day may be best.

Lots of folks fast their fish one day a week but I have never done that. It is very possible that I overfeed but my fish seem to be slim, trim and healthy.

With my molly fry I usually feed just a pinch of flakes 3 times a day. Now that they are getting bigger I will cut that down to twice a day and then down to once. I feed my big tank once a day. I watch them eat to make sure they clean it all up. With so many corys living in the bottom of my tank none of the food that hits the bottom goes to waste.

I have danios and a variety of tetras. I feed them mostly Tetra-min tropical crisps but occasionally they also get freeze dried tubifex and blood worms. Corys get a special treat of shrimp pellets and/or HikarI sinking wafers at night but not every night.

I can't forget Elbert, my bristle nose pleco. I keep a piece of zucchinI in there for him just about 24/7/365. He seems to pout if he doesn't have it there to munch on and I also drop algae wafers in there for him at least 5 days a week.

 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words. I do love sharing what I have learned over the years. Some folks think my way is an old fashion way but it just plain works and for the most part works well without the unexpected mystery glitches. I am thinking that your cycle has worked its way through the bottled bacteria it started with and you now have a good strong colony of bacteria. Those number are perfect.

If at all possible you may want to add an extra filter to this tank. A sponge filter would be perfect. If you could run it for at least a month it would be well seeded and will help when you get ready to move your cycle over to your bigger tank. The more seeded media you have the better and less chance of a minI cycle after the move.

I did have Bettas lots of years ago. I actually bred them one time just to see if I could. That was quite the experience 'specially when the fry got big enough and I had to separate the males. I had lots and lots of 1 gallon glass jars that had to have a water change every other day. Once was enough

I don't think I ever bought specialty food for them but I actually wasn't aware there were foods made just for them. There may not have been such a variety back then. I've never seen the actual size of the betta bio-gold so can't visualize how much food a single pellet is. I think if it were me I would feed him at least 2 twice a day on the days you feed the pellets if they are really small. If bigger than I am visualizing maybe 1 twice a day. All of this to say. I would feed him a small amount at least twice a day. I just thought of something as I was typing this. Is he also eating some of the food you're feeding the neons? It that is the case feeding him his special food once a day may be best.

Lots of folks fast their fish one day a week but I have never done that. It is very possible that I overfeed but my fish seem to be slim, trim and healthy.

With my molly fry I usually feed just a pinch of flakes 3 times a day. Now that they are getting bigger I will cut that down to twice a day and then down to once. I feed my big tank once a day. I watch them eat to make sure they clean it all up. With so many corys living in the bottom of my tank none of the food that hits the bottom goes to waste.

I have danios and a variety of tetras. I feed them mostly Tetra-min tropical crisps but occasionally they also get freeze dried tubifex and blood worms. Corys get a special treat of shrimp pellets and/or HikarI sinking wafers at night but not every night.

I can't forget Elbert, my bristle nose pleco. I keep a piece of zucchinI in there for him just about 24/7/365. He seems to pout if he doesn't have it there to munch on and I also drop algae wafers in there for him at least 5 days a week.

Hello there Mattgirl!

Very sorry for the late response, I missed the notification. That is extremely interesting, I would love to breed Bettas in the future with the same intentions which you had. Just to see if it was possible. The parameters are so pristine and perfect but I have experienced neon tetra disease. It appeared within 24hours and I had to take out the infected tetra. I’m venturing off to a fish store which has agreed to quarantine the tetras which are not yet infected in an empty tank they have, with that being said, I have learnt apparently that the disease can only spread if other fishes feed of the dead infected carcus of the tetra disease fish. So the others aren’t infected just yet, although I can’t sacrifice my betta for the sake of chance. Cardinal tetras (resistant to tetra disease) or Molly’s May be my next option but I will be quarantining them for a while before they are able to go in the main tank. Every day there is something new to deal with but I guess overall it is a learning experience. Here is a photo of my infected tetra.

 

I am thrilled to hear that your cycle has finally gotten established and is no longer hitting you with surprises.

But shoot. I am sorry to hear that you are now dealing with diseased fish. I am so glad you discovered the problem and was able to remove the affected fish. Hopefully you caught it quick enough and it will not spread to your other little guys. (I am assuming these were new additions and not the ones you had when we last talked) That is very good of your LPS to take them in for quarantine,

This is one of the main reasons it is a good idea to have a quarantine tank and a plan to keep them in quarantine for at least a month. It is so much better to discover a problem before it has a chance to infect ones main tank. I have heard horror stories of folks losing all of their fish because they didn't quarantine. If your fish store quarantines their fish before selling them I wouldn't think it would be necessary for you to have to do it but if they sell them soon after receiving them then it is.

This is a case of do as I say, not as I do. I have never quarantined. I guess I have been lucky though. I love my little neon tetras so have been doubly lucky not to have been hit with this disease since it does seem to be fairly prevalent in neons over the past few years. I am down to 6 of them right now. Sadly, although I love them, I probably won't be getting anymore once I lose these. They are the only fish I lose on a regular basis and it breaks my heart each time I lose one.

Thankfully as far as I know it only affects neons so even though they were in with your betta for a short time he should be alright.

I have heard that Cardinals are a tougher fish and they are beautiful little guys too. If I am remembering correctly they get a bit bigger than the neons so that too is a plus. If you decide on Mollies just be sure to get all males or you will soon have lots more

I started with 3. I wasn't paying attention to what I was getting so ended up with 2 males and one female. I now have 17 mollies of various sizes. I wasn't going to try to save any of the fry but I couldn't help myself. I caught as many as I could and moved them to a grow out tank. I also moved the female over to a 10 gallon tank with some of the fry to protect her from the attention from the males. I have to keep a very close eye on the 2 fry that are still in my main tank along with the 2 adult males. If either or both of the fry end up females I will have to remove them. I don't want any more babies

In all my years of fish keeping this is the first time I have had live bearers. I actually regret the purchase now but will give them best life I can now that I have them. I do plan on trading some of the fry back to my LFS once they are big enough.