Hi all,
I'm doing a fishless cycle of a 125 litre tank. It's had a filter, gravel and water in it for about 2 weeks and added some liquid bacteria. I haven't turned the heater on because the room temperature water is 23/73 degrees, which seems fine for an empty tank, and I've been ghost feeding it a pinch of fish flakes every day.
After 1 week I did a complete water change because, despite my best efforts on set up, I thought my gravel was making the water a little cloudy. I added a bit more liquid bacteria and of course treated the water etc.
Anyway, two weeks later I ran some water tests and I have 0 ammonia, but 3 for Nitrite and 30 for Nitrate.
I was a bit surprised to see 0 for ammonia - so I was just wondering whether in not testing for 2 weeks I have just got past that first part of the cycle without noticing, or whether something is wrong e.g. the tank hasn't had enough ammonia from the fish flakes.
Your thoughts most appreciated.
Did I just miss the ammonia part of the cycle?
- Martinspuddle
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As your running fishless cycle without added ammonia this isn't unusual.
Two points I will make, firstly with this type of cycle which can be unstable and take a longer cycle period you only need a small pinch of food once a week.
Seconded, you don't do any water changes for the whole cycle until the levels have stabilized.
This type of aquarium cycling is not something I'd advised for a beginner and is not there's not always a guarantee of success. It's best done with a plant aquarium, a non planted aquarium can take a six weeks to a few months to complete.
I do it for new set ups but I've been keeping fish for nearly forty years.
Your better of reading our Aquarium Cycling guide. Link: https://www.aquariumforums.co.uk/aquarium-cycling
I'll let the other members continue from here.
Two points I will make, firstly with this type of cycle which can be unstable and take a longer cycle period you only need a small pinch of food once a week.
Seconded, you don't do any water changes for the whole cycle until the levels have stabilized.
This type of aquarium cycling is not something I'd advised for a beginner and is not there's not always a guarantee of success. It's best done with a plant aquarium, a non planted aquarium can take a six weeks to a few months to complete.
I do it for new set ups but I've been keeping fish for nearly forty years.
Your better of reading our Aquarium Cycling guide. Link: https://www.aquariumforums.co.uk/aquarium-cycling
I'll let the other members continue from here.
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE!
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- black ghost
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The tank hasn’t had enough ammonia. If you’re using fish food you have to first grow a third type of bacteria to break down the fish food. That takes a few weeks. Now that there’s ammonia being produced it’s going straight through to nitrite, and now slowly to nitrate. Those bacteria will build up, but they have a limited ammonia supply so there’s no way of testing if you have enough for fish.
Thanks @Martinspuddle & @black ghost . I'm not completely sure I understand what has been going on in my tank over the last fortnight - but it sounds like a bottle of ammonia and the plants that I'd planned on getting later would be the next thing to get hold off (I was worried that ammonia would melt the plants but apparently not if I stick with low amounts, as per that guide you kindly linked to).
Can I just ask though - have the nitrites that I have produced, come from the conversion of ammonia from my ghost feeding - even though I'm not reading any ammonia in the tank now? Did I miss a phase of higher ammonia levels over the last fortnight, or has there simply not been one (in which case, where have these nitrites come from)?
The other thing I do have at my disposal is, of course, my current 24 litre tank - which is hosting my 5 danios, 2 plattys, and 2 rams until the new 125l tank is ready. Would you advise anything like an 'instant cycle' by moving across the filter, heater, plastic ornaments and old gravel (in a washing bag) as well as the fish in one go? And then gradually removing that stuff when the water readings indicate stability? (Presumably in this sort of scenario I wouldn't actually have to turn on the old (small) filter unit - just have it in the tank so that the bacteria covered sponges are in the water?)
Many thanks
Can I just ask though - have the nitrites that I have produced, come from the conversion of ammonia from my ghost feeding - even though I'm not reading any ammonia in the tank now? Did I miss a phase of higher ammonia levels over the last fortnight, or has there simply not been one (in which case, where have these nitrites come from)?
The other thing I do have at my disposal is, of course, my current 24 litre tank - which is hosting my 5 danios, 2 plattys, and 2 rams until the new 125l tank is ready. Would you advise anything like an 'instant cycle' by moving across the filter, heater, plastic ornaments and old gravel (in a washing bag) as well as the fish in one go? And then gradually removing that stuff when the water readings indicate stability? (Presumably in this sort of scenario I wouldn't actually have to turn on the old (small) filter unit - just have it in the tank so that the bacteria covered sponges are in the water?)
Many thanks
- Martinspuddle
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There probably just not been enough to cause an ammonia spike.
As you already have your 24 litre, if you move water, decor, filter media and stock into your new aquarium there shouldn't be any issues. Do a water change 50% water change the following day and do daily testing for the first couple of weeks.
Just don't be tempted to add anymore stock for a while till the bacteria has had chance to settle.
As you already have your 24 litre, if you move water, decor, filter media and stock into your new aquarium there shouldn't be any issues. Do a water change 50% water change the following day and do daily testing for the first couple of weeks.
Just don't be tempted to add anymore stock for a while till the bacteria has had chance to settle.
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE!
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- black ghost
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The ammonia has been produced gradually, and there were already Nitrosomas there to convert it to nitrite.
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When I've swapped tanks I've just moved the filter, decor and fish straight over and not had any problems.