Cycle Over Already?

[AquariumVirgin]

Hi All,

We started with a 29 gallon tank, installed four live plants and let it stand for a week, then introduced four tetris. 2 weeks later, today, I tested for ammonia and it was between 0 amd .2. Nitrite and Nitrate were safe levels. Ph was 7.5. Hardness 150 and Alkalinity 300. My understanding is that these are all safe levels with the exception of Al being high. I thought the cycle took longer. Are we safe to introduce more fish?

Thanks

 

[Tolak]

Any ammonia reading mean it isn't cycled. What are the numbers for those safe readings?

 

[AquariumVirgin]

Any ammonia reading mean it isn't cycled. What are the numbers for those safe readings?

Using the Mardel Sentry AQ the Nitrite and Nitrate did not even color, as in where it safe it is white. Using the ammonia API test... the color was closest to 0.
Thanks

 

[Aqua Tom]

More information required please.

You are doing a fish in cycle so we cant do anything with the pH or temprature.

The water test results we realy need in parts per million, not "safe" or "unsafe".

So what are

Ammonia -ppm?
Nitrite -ppm?
Nitrate -ppm?

Also what is your water change routine eg when & how much do you change?


With this information we can start to disect what is happening in your tank.


~Tom~

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with Tom. It's possible the problem here may be strip tests rather than liquid reagent tests. AV, you'll need to advise us as to the details of what your test kit is like. One of the results I see when I google that type is a kit that involves paper strips.

Unless you introduce a significant amount of mature media from someone else's filter (ie. material that has been in that filter maybe a year or more and is therefor teaming with the particular autotrophic bacteria we need) then a cycle (fish-in or fishless, regardless) will need at least about a month from the point at which an ammonia source is introduced.

In your case the fish (unfortunately) are the ammonia source for growing your bacteria. These two species of bacteria are just extremely slow growers (relative to most of the bacteria world) and will need this month (often even two months) to reach colony sizes that can make the water safe for the fish without more or less daily human interventions (water changes.)

Having a liquid-reagent based test kit (tank water goes into test tubes, reagent drops are added to the test water etc.) is what we've found is a first minimal step to having enough accuracy to trust what is going on. Most of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, but there are so others also.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Skins]

Agree with Tom. It's possible the problem here may be strip tests rather than liquid reagent tests. AV, you'll need to advise us as to the details of what your test kit is like. One of the results I see when I google that type is a kit that involves paper strips.

Unless you introduce a significant amount of mature media from someone else's filter (ie. material that has been in that filter maybe a year or more and is therefor teaming with the particular autotrophic bacteria we need) then a cycle (fish-in or fishless, regardless) will need at least about a month from the point at which an ammonia source is introduced.

In your case the fish (unfortunately) are the ammonia source for growing your bacteria. These two species of bacteria are just extremely slow growers (relative to most of the bacteria world) and will need this month (often even two months) to reach colony sizes that can make the water safe for the fish without more or less daily human interventions (water changes.)

Having a liquid-reagent based test kit (tank water goes into test tubes, reagent drops are added to the test water etc.) is what we've found is a first minimal step to having enough accuracy to trust what is going on. Most of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, but there are so others also.

~~waterdrop~~

+1