Cycle Finished

[mark4hay]

I've just finished my fishless cycle and should be getting fish tomorrow but do I need to add ammonia tonight to keep the bacteria alive until tomorrow or will it be ok without?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

No- in fact you can let them go for quite some time without ammonia to no ill effect. Eve if one removes 1/4 of their bacteria from a cycled tank, the remaining ones will reproduce in the presence of excess ammonia pretty fast. Consider under optimal conditions the ammonia bacs can double in about 8 hours and nitrite ones are more like 10 or 12. So that would mean that 25% of the ammonia bacs are returned to the system in a matter of a few hours.
 
More important here is that you do a large water change (to reduce nitrates etc, and to put back things the tank has consumed) and then insure the tank temp is at the desired level before you add the fish.

 

[mark4hay]

Thanks I've added ammonia one last time to make sure it's definately finished the cycle when I do my water change tomorrow what level do I need to get my nitrates to

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I've just finished my fishless cycle and should be getting fish tomorrow

 
   
 
   

 

[Ch4rlie]

One of the most exciting stages of fishkeeping for the beginer is finishing a successful fishless cycle

 
And the next exciting stage is actually adding your new fish to the tank and enjoying their company for years to come

 
I have just added 12 new fish to my tank, it's ike being a newbie all over again

just watching them go from pale and stressed to being more confortable and getting their colours back and behaving more normally in a matter of a day or two. Just wonderful

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Change as much water as you can and it will take care of whatever nitrates you are likely to have. By that I mean at least 50% and as much as 90%, more is better.

 

[mark4hay]

I didn't get anyn fish today because I added one last ammonia dose last night just to make sure so if I do my water change tomorrow the tank will be fine without ammonia until Monday ?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Sure will. The bacteria are way more hardy than most realize. They have no issues going days with no ammonia at all.