Fish in cycle

[Bking426]

18 days ago I started a fish in cycle. My betta came in the mail earlier than I’d anticipated. I threw in my two ghost shrimp, two mystery snails, and eventually slowly some Rasboras. I also have sand substrate and added live plants. I changed the carbon filter cartridge to floss and fluval biomax. I’ve been dosing prime and stability daily. Here’s tonight’s readings. My ammonia is starting to slowly go down. Now my nitrites are going higher and nitrates are showing up. I’m hoping the end is near because fish in cycling stresses me lol. This is my first cycle. Anyway I’ve been dosing tons of prime. Like last night. But still getting ammonia readings. Can the ADI test not tell a difference? I’ve been doing water changes. Tonight about 45%. I guess I’m just curious if I’m doing it right.

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[Colin_T]

Ignore the nitrate readings at this stage because nitrate test kits also pick up nitrite and read it as nitrate.

If your ammonia has gone up and is coming down, and your nitrites are starting to go up, then you are about half way through the cycle.

In a couple of days the ammonia should drop to 0 and stay there and your nitrite will continue to go up. You will need to keep doing big water changes each day to keep the nitrite levels as low as possible. You should only feed the fish a small amount once every couple of days until the filters have cycled.

In a couple of weeks the nitrite levels will come down to 0 and the true actual nitrates will start to go up. When the ammonia and nitrite have both gone up and come back down to 0, and the nitrates start to go up, the filter has cycled and you can feed the fish each day and start adding more fish.

 

[Bking426]

I’m glad to know I’m at least halfway through! Glad it didn’t stall or anything. My next tank I’ll definitely do a cycle first before the fish. Hopefully! lol


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[Bking426]

Just now

did a water change


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[Byron]

Just a technical note that wasn't mentioned by Colin...Seachem's Prime does detoxify ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. However, this detoxification is temporary, 24-36 hours, 48 at absolute maximum, and if any of these are still present, they revert back to the toxic form.

Second, out test kits like the API will read ammonia, nitrite or nitrate present whether it is toxic or not. So after using Prime, if nitrite was present and Prime detoxified it, a test will still show "nitrite" even though not toxic (at that time).

Also, do not add Prime to an aquarium unless doing a water change; it is not intended as a "tonic" and keeping in mind the above that the detoxified ammonia/nitrite/nitrate are still present, you want to do a water change of 50% or more and use Prime for the changed water.

 

[Colin_T]

... My next tank I’ll definitely do a cycle first before the fish. Hopefully!

You won't have to cycle your next tank like this. If you get another tank you can take half the filter material from the established/ cycled filter and put it in the new tank. Then add fish and away you go.

The filter media will hold lots of beneficial filter bacteria and if you move some of the material from an established filter into a new filter, it will kick start the cycling process and you can add fish straight away. You keep the feeding down for a couple of weeks and monitor ammonia & nitrite levels for a few weeks but normally the bacteria grow rapidly and you don't have to go through the cycling process like you are now.

If you are planning on getting another tank, you can add some more filter materials to the current tank now, and you can use those new materials to set up the new tank any time in the future. Or you can put a second filter on your current tank and when you get the new tank you simply move the second filter onto it and add fish straight away. The new/ second filter will have to be run in the current tank for at least a month so it can develop the bacteria, but it is an option if you plan on getting another tank later on.

 

[Bking426]

Perfect. Thanks! I have tons of floss. I can put it in now.


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[Bking426]

I did a water change earlier. I’d say 40%. That was early afternoon Tuesday. I checked a few minutes ago and was shocked. I did a 75% change just now. The right side was just now.

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[Colin_T]

What are you worried about?

You have a nitrate reading because the nitrate test kit is picking up the nitrite. Don't bother testing for nitrates until the nitrites come down to 0.

The higher nitrite reading simply means the bacteria are converting the ammonia into nitrite.

Just do a big water change (75%) once a day and keep feeding down to once every couple of days.

 

[Bking426]

I changed water twice in less than 24 hours because of the nitrite. I thought I’d only have to do it once a day.

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[Byron]

I changed water twice in less than 24 hours because of the nitrite. I thought I’d only have to do it once a day. View attachment 88985


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If you are using Prime at the water changes, you do not need to be doing two changes a day. I explained how Prime works in post #5. And that tests will still show "nitrite" even though it is non-toxic (if Prime used).

 

[Bking426]

Okay. My fish were acting weird to me. Like breathing harder.


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[Colin_T]

increase aeration/ surface turbulence to help with the breathing.

 

[Byron]

Okay. My fish were acting weird to me. Like breathing harder.

That is serious. Increase aeration (water movement, and surface disturbance) as Colin suggested.

But keep in mind that any ammonia or nitrite above zero has impacted the fish, and this is permanent. Also, chemicals like Prime are impacting the fish, especially if you are using more than needed to do the job. All of this takes its toll on the fish, and while some species may get through it, some have much more difficulty. Rasbora were mentioned, and these are delicate fish. The long-term effects of all of this is serious, and we can only hope the fish are able to recover some, but they will likely show the effects as this is irreversible.

 

[Bking426]

Well this info is terrible. I was given the wrong advice on my betta Facebook groups on cycling I guess.


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