Cycle help

[Bobby2415]

I have a 55 gallon tank that I am cycling right now. I have used Seachem Stability for the past 7 day and added 9 giant danios and a very small BN Pleco the day that I started using the Stability. I have had water in the tank since the beginning of March. Right now, according to to API master test kit;

pH- around 7.5
Nitrite and Nitrate- 0
Ammonia- 1

My fish all seem fine. Do I just continue to wait for my ammonia and nitrite to rise and lower? Then wait for them to get to 0 and the nitrate to begin to rise? Is that when the tank is cycled? I have also yet to do a water change. Wasn’t sure if I should wait or not?

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated thanks!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Yes, when doing a fish in cycle you will have to do water changes whenever you get ammonia or nitrite readings. Your ammonia will grow and then drop where you will begin seeing nitrite readings. The nitrites will climb for several weeks and they will drop and you will get nitrate readings. Once ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and you have nitrates then do a water change to lower nitrates to 20ppm or less. Doing a 50% water change should cut your nitrates in half. Depending on where they are at the time, you may have to do a larger water change Continue to test to be sure ammonia and nitrite stay at 0. I would also get a bottle of Safe Start + and poor in your filter housing. This is bottled bacteria at a higher concentration then Stability and will kick it going faster. You can continue to add a daily dose of Stability too. Good luck!

 

[Bobby2415]

Yes, when doing a fish in cycle you will have to do water changes whenever you get ammonia or nitrite readings. Your ammonia will grow and then drop where you will begin seeing nitrite readings. The nitrites will climb for several weeks and they will drop and you will get nitrate readings. Once ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and you have nitrates then do a water change to lower nitrates to 20ppm or less. Doing a 50% water change should cut your nitrates in half. Depending on where they are at the time, you may have to do a larger water change Continue to test to be sure ammonia and nitrite stay at 0. I would also get a bottle of Safe Start + and poor in your filter housing. This is bottled bacteria at a higher concentration then Stability and will kick it going faster. You can continue to add a daily dose of Stability too. Good luck!

Ok thanks! So should I do a 50% water change now even though I don’t have a nitrate reading yet?

 

[FishGuest5123]

Ok thanks! So should I do a 50% water change now even though I don’t have a nitrate reading yet?

If you are showing high ammonia or nitrites you will have to for the fishes safety. If you were doing a fishless cycle we would let it ride but with a fish in cycle you have to do the changes, probably daily.

 

[Bobby2415]

Is 1ppm high enough?

 

[Colin_T]

1ppm of ammonia is ample when there are fish in the tank and is too high when the pH is above 7.0. Your pH is 7.5 so any ammonia in the water is going to be extremely toxic and harmful to the fish.

You want to do big water changes any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0 to keep the levels as low as possible. The filter bacteria will still develop but the lower the ammonia and nitrite levels, the better it is for the fish.

You can change 75% of the water every day to help reduce the levels. If you only want to do a 50% water change that will help but generally the bigger the water change, the more it dilutes the ammonia and nitrite.

Reduce your feeding to a couple of times a week to reduce ammonia levels.

 

[Bobby2415]

Ok thanks for the advice!

 

[Bobby2415]

1ppm of ammonia is ample when there are fish in the tank and is too high when the pH is above 7.0. Your pH is 7.5 so any ammonia in the water is going to be extremely toxic and harmful to the fish.

You want to do big water changes any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0 to keep the levels as low as possible. The filter bacteria will still develop but the lower the ammonia and nitrite levels, the better it is for the fish.

You can change 75% of the water every day to help reduce the levels. If you only want to do a 50% water change that will help but generally the bigger the water change, the more it dilutes the ammonia and nitrite.

Reduce your feeding to a couple of times a week to reduce ammonia levels.

So now finally I am starting to show some nitrites (1ppm approximation) and nitrates (5ppm approximately). My ammonia has gone from approximately 1 ppm to about .5ppm. The last few weeks I have had 0 nitrites and nitrates and between 1-2ppm ammonia. I’m assuming this is a good sign that the cycle is heading in the right direction?

 

[FishGuest5123]

Yes, you are moving in the right direction.