New 10 gal tank, new hobbyist

I've searched and searched and haven't found a thread with quite the same issue but if there is, please let me know.

I am brand new to this (mild manic buy) and purchased a 10 gallon tank setup, Seachem Prime, lots of live plants, and a betta, albino pleco, snail, and some ghost shrimp to start me out. My local petstore told me to just dump everything in and let it run its course. As you can imagine, I somehow only have a snail and a shrimp who are currently on a vacay in one of my professor's tanks.

I then opted for fishless cycling after doing much more research after the fish loss (I know, I know, I should've done better but never expected fish to be that hard I suppose), and voila, the answer to my problems, the Nitrogen Cycle and New Tank Syndrome. I took everything out of my tank - gravel, plants, filter floss, ammonia reducing sponge that came with the filter, decor - and washed everything, replaced the filter, filled it back up with treated tap water, and decided to do it right this time. Bought Dr. Tim's ammonia, the API water kit, and Seachem Stability.

I didn't follow the recommended dosage on the ammonia, because I had read some forum blibs on it, and only dosed to an initial 2 ppm. 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates. Expected. I dosed Stability per the instructions. On the morning day 3, I had 1-2 ppm ammonia, 0.25 ppm nitrite, and 5 ppm nitrate; the night of day 3 I had a solid 1 ppm ammonia, 2 ppm nitrite, and 40 ppm nitrate. The morning of day 4 I had 0 ammonia, 2 ppm nitrite, and 80 ppm nitrate, and later that night had 0 ammonia, 0.25 ppm nitrite, and 20 ppm nitrate. Same parameters the next morning (day 5) except now closer to 10 ppm nitrate. I did a 50% water change and even had my roommate look, and she said it looked like 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and between 5-10 ppm nitrate (I thought the nitrite had a slight purple tint but she said it was so negligible that she would consider it 0). Dosed up to 0.5 ppm ammonia to feed the bacteria. This morning when I woke up, I had 0.25 ppm ammonia, between 0 and 0.25 nitrite (again, that small tint of purple), and 20 ppm nitrate.

I think everything is going like it should and I'm getting closer, but now I'm not sure because I haven't seen this in any other forums. I've been testing twice daily so I have a morning reading and a night reading and a better grasp on what I'm doing right or wrong for if I get more fish tanks in the future (very probable). Should I keep dosing ammonia? Am I close? Do I dose my last day of Stability tomorrow and let go, wait for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite (wouldn't my nitrate also get to 0 if there's no nitrite feeding that bacteria)? Part of me feels like a total idiot even though I shouldn't because I'm new, but I know I'm at least trying my darndest.

 

Sounds like you are close. Keep dosing ammonia until the bacteria can process all the nitrite.

What is in your filter curently? Cartridges, sponge, biomedia?

 

Sounds like you are close. Keep dosing ammonia until the bacteria can process all the nitrite.

Thank you! Should I dose every time it hits 0? If so, how much should I dose it back up to?

 

2ppm ammonia is the normal dose.

 

2ppm ammonia is the normal dose.

Thank you so much for your advise!

 

Don't give up! You found the right forum! Keep asking questions! Everyone will help you! I felt like an idiot too at first when I was cycling my 55g, but it was such an exciting feeling once it was done! It just took me alot of patience Lol!

 

I always get a positive reading for ammonia in my cycled, stocked tanks. It's never really going to read 0 ammonia exact.

I'd throw in the snail and/or shrimp now. .25 ammonia isnt going to stop a snail. After a week then you can try a betta again. Tank s/ finish cycling during the week you have just the snail/shrimp if it's not already finished.

 

I've searched and searched and haven't found a thread with quite the same issue but if there is, please let me know.

I am brand new to this (mild manic buy) and purchased a 10 gallon tank setup, Seachem Prime, lots of live plants, and a betta, albino pleco, snail, and some ghost shrimp to start me out. My local petstore told me to just dump everything in and let it run its course. As you can imagine, I somehow only have a snail and a shrimp who are currently on a vacay in one of my professor's tanks.

I then opted for fishless cycling after doing much more research after the fish loss (I know, I know, I should've done better but never expected fish to be that hard I suppose), and voila, the answer to my problems, the Nitrogen Cycle and New Tank Syndrome. I took everything out of my tank - gravel, plants, filter floss, ammonia reducing sponge that came with the filter, decor - and washed everything, replaced the filter, filled it back up with treated tap water, and decided to do it right this time. Bought Dr. Tim's ammonia, the API water kit, and Seachem Stability.

I didn't follow the recommended dosage on the ammonia, because I had read some forum blibs on it, and only dosed to an initial 2 ppm. 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates. Expected. I dosed Stability per the instructions. On the morning day 3, I had 1-2 ppm ammonia, 0.25 ppm nitrite, and 5 ppm nitrate; the night of day 3 I had a solid 1 ppm ammonia, 2 ppm nitrite, and 40 ppm nitrate. The morning of day 4 I had 0 ammonia, 2 ppm nitrite, and 80 ppm nitrate, and later that night had 0 ammonia, 0.25 ppm nitrite, and 20 ppm nitrate. Same parameters the next morning (day 5) except now closer to 10 ppm nitrate. I did a 50% water change and even had my roommate look, and she said it looked like 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and between 5-10 ppm nitrate (I thought the nitrite had a slight purple tint but she said it was so negligible that she would consider it 0). Dosed up to 0.5 ppm ammonia to feed the bacteria. This morning when I woke up, I had 0.25 ppm ammonia, between 0 and 0.25 nitrite (again, that small tint of purple), and 20 ppm nitrate.

I think everything is going like it should and I'm getting closer, but now I'm not sure because I haven't seen this in any other forums. I've been testing twice daily so I have a morning reading and a night reading and a better grasp on what I'm doing right or wrong for if I get more fish tanks in the future (very probable). Should I keep dosing ammonia? Am I close? Do I dose my last day of Stability tomorrow and let go, wait for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite (wouldn't my nitrate also get to 0 if there's no nitrite feeding that bacteria)? Part of me feels like a total idiot even though I shouldn't because I'm new, but I know I'm at least trying my darndest.

It is very normal to read 0.25ppm ammonia even if it should be zero. I'd recommend if you see that, consider it zero.

As for the way to proceed, what you should do is re-dose ammonia when both ammonia and nitrite reads zero. Once both ammonia and nitrite can read zero within 24 hours of re-dosing ammonia, then your tank is cycled.

As for how much ammonia to dose, the three concentrations often thrown about is 1ppm, 2ppm, and 4ppm.

1ppm is approximately how much ammonia a fully stocked tank produces from regular feeding. 2ppm is for tanks that are very heavily fed. 4ppm is basically a stretch goal, for those who wants to go the extra mile and ensure they have plenty of nitrification capacity lest something bad happens, like a fish dying.

I used to recommend 2ppm, but now find 1ppm to be plenty. It is up to you though.

P.S. If you wonder why your nitrate seems to jump all over the place, it is because the nitrate test kit is affected by the presence of nitrite. The way nitrate tests work is that the first bottle contains zinc or similar that actually converts a small portion of nitrate to nitrite, then the remainder of the test measures that as a proxy. Hence likely why you saw nitrate shot up to 80ppm when there was quite a bit of nitrite, then suddenly it dropped again. If you want to know more, see here:

.

You also no longer need to dose the bottled bac product.

I would also not recommend stocking the tank yet. Ammonia-dosing is the best method of cycling, the only way to really establish nitrifiers. No point in tossing live stock now.

 

Thank you so much for your advise!

Like MasterPython, I’d suggest dosing your tank to 2.0 ppm.

And if I’m reading your original post correctly, your tank has only been cycling for about 6 days? And you replaced the filter about 6 days ago, after your fish died?

If those things are true, I would not assume that a 0.25 ppm ammonia test result is zero (or a false positive) as Azedenkae suggested. It seems to me that you are far too early in the cycling process to make that assumption.

How long were the fish in your tank?

 

Sorry for the late reply, I've been wrapping up my Bachelors and now finally have some time to myself.

My tank was stable after a day or so of my post and remained stable, so I think I was in the clear. But then I was gifted 4 fancy guppies. 2 killed each other, and then the other 2 started fighting so they were removed and taken back.

Thennnnn I noticed my betta. I'm pretty sure it's ich, and now unsure of how to treat since I have 6 snails and a yellow pleco. I've dosed with StressCoat and now trying to figure out the best way to take care of my dude.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been wrapping up my Bachelors and now finally have some time to myself.

My tank was stable after a day or so of my post and remained stable, so I think I was in the clear. But then I was gifted 4 fancy guppies. 2 killed each other, and then the other 2 started fighting so they were removed and taken back.

Thennnnn I noticed my betta. I'm pretty sure it's ich, and now unsure of how to treat since I have 6 snails and a yellow pleco. I've dosed with StressCoat and now trying to figure out the best way to take care of my dude.

The first photo (left) was at 7:15am and the second (right) was at about 8:20am so I don't know what the heck is happening. I've read to dose with aquarium salt and increase the temp if ich is suspected but I also know the temp will mess with my pleco and the salt will mess with my snails.

 

Sorry for the late reply, I've been wrapping up my Bachelors and now finally have some time to myself.

My tank was stable after a day or so of my post and remained stable, so I think I was in the clear. But then I was gifted 4 fancy guppies. 2 killed each other, and then the other 2 started fighting so they were removed and taken back.

Thennnnn I noticed my betta. I'm pretty sure it's ich, and now unsure of how to treat since I have 6 snails and a yellow pleco. I've dosed with StressCoat and now trying to figure out the best way to take care of my dude.

The first photo (left) was at 7:15am and the second (right) was at about 8:20am so I don't know what the heck is happening. I've read to dose with aquarium salt and increase the temp if ich is suspected but I also know the temp will mess with my pleco and the salt will mess with my snails.

He ended up passing a few hours after due to aggressive and fast body rot, not ich, from i think stress. RIP Uno. I got another betta who is settling in nicely and all thank parameters are fantastic.