PLEASE NOTE - the record below is on a 70 litre tank, cycling with fish

I like a lot of beginners did not find this forum, knowing about fishless cycling or understand testing etc. till after I bought my first fish.

I have typed up a table of the first 45 days - It might help any beginners who find themselves in that position.

I ran the tank empty (no fish) for 7 days to let it settle and my tap water readings were PH 7.8 Am 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 10.

From day 45 onwards I have had Am 0 Nitrite 0 and Nitrate between 10 & 40 depending on when I have done my Maintenance Clean which I now do weekly. I also have green algae growing so I would say that day 45 was when the tank first matured.


Day/Detail............................................PH...Am...Nitrite...Nitrate...WaterChanges
01..Intro 1st Fish 2 x Guppy..................8......0........0........10........None
02..Waited
03..Waited
04..Waited ........... I assume I had ammonia spike in these few days but no tests were done so i have no record
05..Waited
06..Waited
07..Waited
08..........................................................8......0........1.0......10........None
09..Waited
10..Waited
11..Waited
12..........................................................8......0........1.0......10........25%
13..................................................................................................25%
14..Home Test Kit Purchased.................8....0.25.....0........10........25%
15..........................................................8......0........0........10........None
16..........................................................8......0........0........10........None
17..........................................................8....0.25.....0........10........25%
18........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
19........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
20........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
21..5 x Guppy & 1 x Bristlenose...........7.8.....0........0........10........None
22........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
23........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
24........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
25........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
26........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
27........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
28........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
29........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
30..6 x New Mollies..............................7.8.....0........0........10........None
31........................................................7.8.....0........0........10........None
32..Guppies had babies (lots)..............7.8...0.25...0.25.....10........25%
33........................................................7.6...0.25...0.25......10.......lfs said No
34........................................................7.4.....0.......0.5.......10........15%
35..Babies into Box approx 18.............7.4.....0.......0.5.......20........15%
36........................................................7.2.....0.......0.5.......20........15%
37........................................................7.2.....0......0.25......10........None
38........................................................7.2.....0......0.25......10........None
39........................................................7.2.....0......0.25......10........None
40........................................................7.2.....0......0.25......10........None
41..1 x Molly to lfs agressive................7.2.....0......0.25......15........None
42........................................................7.2.....0......0.25......20........None
43........................................................7.2.....0.......0.1.......20........None
44........................................................7.2.....0.......0.1.......20........15% Maint
45........................................................7.4.....0.........0........20........None

From this point onwards readings have only gone up and down in the Nitrate column increasing from 10 upwards until weekly water change then down again, averaging at around 20.

On day 56 I added 2 more Guppy and 4 Platy and the reading did not change at all.

Hopefully this may be helpful to some beginners - all fish tanks will show different readings at different times but seeing a pattern may help.

Good Luck to anyone starting out.

so am i right in thinking the nitrate level doesnt have to be 0?

hi kirsty .. most water comes out of the tap with a nitrate reading, mine comes out at 40ppm.

You say that you left the tank running with no fish for 7 days? I was told to wait 2 weeks but would i be ok to introduce fish earlier than this?

I was told 7 days. I waited 10 however. day 2 with fish and they seem happy

I don't get it. How can your tank have cycled if it has never had any significant ammonia or nitrite readings??

Good point, when i did a fishless cycle on my tank the ammonia and nitrite went off the scale

I was always told to leave tanks standing for two weeks. I now add filters from established tanks, live plants, and 3-4 flakes of fish food per day to get the cycle going.

do your tiger barbs get on ok with your angels?

QUOTE(Notsofab @ Sep 30 2005, 01:01 PM)

I don't get it. How can your tank have cycled if it has never had any significant ammonia or nitrite readings??

Perhaps his tap water has ammonia? Mine tests at 1 ppm from the tap and .25 from the drinking water filter. I also have a tank that seemed to cycle on its own during the 2 week, no fish, start-up. Now that we have fish, only the Nitrate levels seem to rise between water changes.

This post has been edited by Corey: May 15 2007, 10:43 AM

the levels of ammonia generated by fishless cycling are significantly higher than those that you would encounter cycling with fish (providing it is done sensibly) this is to enable you to fully stock after the cycle is done as opposed to adding just a few fish at a time and letting the bacteria build up gradually.

you wouldn't really expect to see 4/5ppm of ammonia with a cycle with fish, that would surely kill your fish

Also the weekly water changes would have diluted the levels.