Need Help With Cycling New Tank

A little more info, higher pH and temp make ammonia more toxic. Some fish give off more waste, I.e. more ammonia. Lots of variables. Ammonia of 2ppm in 72° with pH of 6.8 would be fine, 2ppm at 79° and pH of 8.0 would likely kill any fish.

Have you read this thread? I guess I don't understand why you feel the need to add even more confusion for this young lady. All of this isn't information that will help her with what is going on right now and will just confuse her more.

 

I was trying to help explain why it's important to monitor, especially ammonia and do water changes. And why the fish store guy wasn't giving good advice. If you think it's too much info and confusing, I can delete it.

 

I was trying to help explain why it's important to monitor, especially ammonia and do water changes. And why the fish store guy wasn't giving good advice. If you think it's too much info and confusing, I can delete it.

Thank you. I know you were just trying to help but it really is more than she needs at this point.

 

Yes I do have a cycled tank with a “sponge” filter. It doesn’t look like a typical sponge filter but the sponge part is removable so I assumed it was. I’ve attached a photo. In my new tank I have just a normal filter. I just...I dunno. This has been taking so long and and all these different answers are just making me as confused as before. I’m just going to ask a few more questions and hopefully this thread will have a good conclusion:

When I’m adding B.B. how many times do I have to change the water while doing a fish in cycle? (getting mixed reviews and honestly need one more confirmation)

Can I just move my whole “sponge” filter and just plonk it into my new tank with my new filter and let them both run while my Betta is still the new tank?

The fish personnel has a Facebook account for his shop. It’s called labyrinth aquarium if you want to search it up. I'm going to clarify what the fish guy had said. He says not to change the water for five weeks so the good bacteria will have time to establish while my fish is still in the tank and me everyday adding the BB for two weeks. After five weeks, I can change the water once a week. Hope that cleared any confusion. I’m really honoured for everybody’s helpful suggestions and I hope my Betta will survive this cycling process

 

Just move the sponge filter from the cycled tank over to the new tank and run both it and the new filter at the same time. The sponge filter should be filled with the good bacteria if your small tank is cycled and should instantly cycle your new tank. In 3 or 4 weeks the new filter should be seeded with the good bacteria and you can either keep it running in the new tank or you can move it back to the smaller tank and your Mum can then get her Betta if that is what she wants to do.

If you do it this way there is no need to add bottled bacteria because the seeded sponge should supply all you need. This is the way we that have been doing it for a very long time do it when we set up a new tank. We take seeded media (in your case it is the sponge filter) from our cycled tank and move it to the new tank to instantly cycle the new tank.

The bacteria does not live in the water so water changes will not hurt your cycle but the fresh water will keep your fish healthy. You just have to choose who you are going to trust to give you sound advice.

 

Ah ok thank you so much! May I run both filters in the new tank while my fish is inside? It won’t hurt him in anyway am I correct? Also do I just do partial water changes every week as normal when both filters are in the tank? Thanks

 

You just run both filters. I didn't catch the 2nd style, you just want to make sure there isn't too much water flow blowing your betta around. Yes, regular water changes, just like normal.

 

I've never used Stability myself, but here's my take on it. Stability contains a "temporary" bacteria that will process some (but not all of the ammonia). This leftover ammonia can then feed the bacteria you really want, and your tank finally cycles. So basically instead of doing daily water changes to keep the ammonia level down, stability allows you to go long without a water change because it process some of the ammonia, leaving a smaller amount behind.

It is my understanding that Stability detoxifies ammonia, it doesn't remove it. Therefore, you'll still detect elevated ammonia in the tank during cycling, but it isn't as much cause for concern because it is harmless to the fish.

I've had 0.5 ppm of ammonia, 0 ppm of nitrite, and about 5ppm of nitrate in my 10 gallon tank for the past week despite daily water changes. I'm thinking I may be overstocked (4 glofish/tetra, three neon tetra, two corys). Except shouldn't I be getting some nitrite reading considering my ammonia is slightly elevated? For as long as I have been testing (six weeks), I have never had any nitrite, only nitrate. Confused.

 

I use Zeolite......I swear by it! I use it in my filtration canister as well as in a knee high stocking while doing my water changes! Seachem Prime and Stabilizer should always be added while starting your tank along with your water changes... I run my hose directly into the stocking or in its direction. I sometimes feel people add too many chemicals at once, I try the less is more when it comes to using chemicals, don’t be impatient Rome wasn’t built in a day. My secret weapon is Purigen also I canister. I love it, it’s keeps my tank crystal clear like glass and lasts for months! My tank has 6 parrot Cichlids, 4 albino cat fish,a clown pleco and 3 small Otocinclus catfish. It’s a 75 gallon tank, complete with a UV sterilizer as well as a wave maker to add oxygen to the tank. Hope this makes it easier for you...

 

I've been using Prime and Stability with my water changes. I've been doing 50% WCs for the past few days, so I add 0.5mL of Prime and 2.5mL of stability. I fill my bucket incrementally using a 1 gallon container, and drop the Prime and Stability into the container and shake it up before pouring it into the bucket.

 

Hello people! I got a new tank for my Betta and got everything set up (Heater, filter, decorations ect.) I'm rather impatient so I bought Continuum Bacter Gen F, which apparently is bacteria that supposedly helps me cycle my tank faster. I'm very new at this process so I read the instructions and it told me that I just have the put 1 capful of Bacter Gen F every 25 gallons, in a cup of aquarium water and put it into the aquarium daily for every 2 weeks. The bottle doesn't seem to mention adding any type of ammonia source which got me puzzled. As far as I know, doesn't bacteria use ammonia for food or something? I'll attach a photo of the labels and bottle itself. If I do need ammonia for the bacteria to survive, can somebody please give me some helpful and detailed instructions on how to do a fishless cycle with this certain product please. I have fish flakes with me but no test kit right now;(. Any advice would be great and thank you!

For what it’s worth . I added live plants right away . A couple of black mollies . In two weeks I’m good to go . Took actually a month before the water was crystal clear . All water parameters were right on . If your water has that slight white haze , don’t worry . Be patient and it will clear . This is what worked for me .

 

I use Zeolite......I swear by it! I use it in my filtration canister as well as in a knee high stocking while doing my water changes! Seachem Prime and Stabilizer should always be added while starting your tank along with your water changes... I run my hose directly into the stocking or in its direction. I sometimes feel people add too many chemicals at once, I try the less is more when it comes to using chemicals, don’t be impatient Rome wasn’t built in a day. My secret weapon is Purigen also I canister. I love it, it’s keeps my tank crystal clear like glass and lasts for months! My tank has 6 parrot Cichlids, 4 albino cat fish,a clown pleco and 3 small Otocinclus catfish. It’s a 75 gallon tank, complete with a UV sterilizer as well as a wave maker to add oxygen to the tank. Hope this makes it easier for you...

You’re doing all that on a cycled tank? Not the Purigen, I mean zeolite and stability?

OP: keep doing what you’re doing. Patience, young grasshopper.

mossman stability is supposed to add beneficial bacteria, but I don’t think bacterial additives do anything. It definitely doesn’t detoxify anything, that’s what Prime does. Ive cycled tanks without it in 2 weeks, with it in 5 weeks, and many other amounts of time to show me no correlation. I work at a LFS, so Ive tried many different ones.

 

My tank is crystal clear, fish are thriving and it works for me! Parrot cichlids, plecos, YoYo loaches, albino cats, levels are on point, very little maintenance...... I only use Stability when adding new fish, and Prime when doing a water change.....I use a Magniflow c360 and couldn’t be happier. Very happy tank!