Need Help With New Tank.

hello, sorry if this post is in the wrong area, I just started cycling my 20 gallon tank for about a week, I made sure I really washed everything going into the tank, but yesterday before I went to put some decrations in my tank all the sudden when I was moving the gravel around the new decorations I noticed white cloudy water, so I am running a filter and an air pump to hopefully clear this up, I have a heater in the tank but haven't used it yet, just had a couple of questions, how long is best to cycle the tank? and wanted to know what I should do about the cloudy water, should I do a water change or just let it be?

thank you very much

 

HI there,
Welcome to FishLore!
I believe that the cloudy water is an effect of the gravel and the water, it should clear up in 2 days since you have a filter. Water changes could also help but since you're cycling I would do a water change once in two days depending on your water parameters.

Cycling a tank usually takes 2 months max. You can really tell how long is it best to cycle a tank but to determine if you can add fish or not is when your water parameters are good. Once your Ammonia and Nitrite levels reach 0 and Nitrate is 5-20 ppm you should be able to add fish slowly.

 

thank you, that is very helpful to know I plan to try to do a water test after water clears up some in the next few days

 

Welcome to FishLore!

Cycling a tank is a biological process that takes as long as it takes. There is no set time and everyone's time to cycle will be different. From your question, I'm not 100% sure you understand the nitrogen cycle (words will be link to article explaining it). Many people have the false impression that cycling a tank is just a matter of letting the tank run without fish for some arbitrary amount of time. But in reality (as the article will explain) it is really a process that begins when ammonia is introduced into the water.

In a nutshell what happens is that once there has been ammonia in the water for about 3 weeks or so, a bacteria grows in your filter media that consumes the ammonia in the water as it passes thru the filter. But this bacteria then releases nitrites (which are toxic). But after having nitrites in the water for about 3 weeks or so, a second bacteria grows on your filter media that consumes nitrites and releases much less toxic nitrates. You then keep your nitrates level low enough to be non-toxic by performing weekly partial water changes.

A tank is cycled when the bacteria colony that "converts" the ammonia into nitrites is large enough to keep your ammonia level at 0ppm at all times, and your bacteria colony that "converts" nitrites into nitrates is large enough to keep your nitrite level at 0ppm at all times.

So this leads to why you should never change your filter media (just rinse it a bucket of dirty tank water) because replacing it, would remove all your bacteria and leave you uncycled.

 

Welcome to FishLore!

Cycling a tank is a biological process that takes as long as it takes. There is no set time and everyone's time to cycle will be different. From your question, I'm not 100% sure you understand the nitrogen cycle (words will be link to article explaining it). Many people have the false impression that cycling a tank is just a matter of letting the tank run without fish for some arbitrary amount of time. But in reality (as the article will explain) it is really a process that begins when ammonia is introduced into the water.

In a nutshell what happens is that once there has been ammonia in the water for about 3 weeks or so, a bacteria grows in your filter media that consumes the ammonia in the water as it passes thru the filter. But this bacteria then releases nitrites (which are toxic). But after having nitrites in the water for about 3 weeks or so, a second bacteria grows on your filter media that consumes nitrites and releases much less toxic nitrates. You then keep your nitrates level low enough to be non-toxic by performing weekly partial water changes.

A tank is cycled when the bacteria colony that "converts" the ammonia into nitrites is large enough to keep your ammonia level at 0ppm at all times, and your bacteria colony that "converts" nitrites into nitrates is large enough to keep your nitrite level at 0ppm at all times.

So this leads to why you should never change your filter media (just rinse it a bucket of dirty tank water) because replacing it, would remove all your bacteria and leave you uncycled.

thank you I just bookmarked the links you sent, this is my first time setting up a tank, the links they were very easy to understand, I am looking at a product that was mentioned
Seachem Ammonia Alert
there is also one that comes with a PH test as well. I am thinking of buying the double pack and just doing regular water tests with regular test kit to make sure results are correct, and when you say not wash the filters media I assume you mean during the beginning set up? I did buy drops to dechlorinate water and stress coat came with the package which I haven't used either yet.

 

"Don't wash the filter media" means you want to only rinse the filter media in dirty tank water. Some people do it weekly, or monthly - depending on the type of filter and what fish you have. Most tap water contains things that will kill the good bacteria in your filter that you have built up via the nitrogen cycle.

Welcome to fishlore & the fish keeping hobby! People here have a wealth of information and have taught me a lot! Keep asking questions!