Cycling help

[Quin]

Okay so! I will be cycling my new 10gallon tank and I'd like to be sure I have everything right before I begin.

Materials:
1. Tetra safe start or some source of ammonia? I'm not sure about this part
2. Test kit that reads ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate

Process:
-After the tank is set up, introduce ammonia.
-Check ammonia levels
-(from article linked to me)
Days 2 and 3 Do nothing.
Day 4 Test for ammonia and nitrite.
Days 5 and 6 Do nothing.
Day 7 Test for ammonia and nitrite.
Continue testing every 3 days (Days 10, 13 etc).

Is there anything I'm missing or should keep an eye on? Thank you!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I would like to know why you wouldn’t test for everything each day? When I was cycling, that’s how I did it.

(Of course members on here don’t understand why I test my water so frequently, lol. )

 

[Quin]

I can definitely test each day! This is just what the article said

 

[Essjay]

The timings in the article on here are for when using ammonia only. If you use Tetra Safe Start the cycle can go much quicker, so testing more often than the article says is advisable. You still need to reach the same targets before adding more ammonia but you should reach them a lot faster. And with Tetra Safe Start some people don't see any nitrite .

Another difference from the article - one betta in 10 gallons will make nowhere near 3 ppm ammonia a day. You can use just 1 ppm as the full dose of ammonia, and 0.3 ppm for the 1/3 dose for cycling. That will grow more than enough bacteria for this tank.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You should cycle your tank fairly fast once you get the Ammonia in there.

 

[Quin]

Thank you guys so much! Treatment and test kits will be coming soon!

I am super duper excited to get my little dude into a bigger tank, I think it will suit him much better and give him enough perking to really flaunt his colors!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Thank you guys so much! Treatment and test kits will be coming soon!

I am super duper excited to get my little dude into a bigger tank, I think it will suit him much better and give him enough perking to really flaunt his colors!

It will definitely make him more happy, trust me. That’s why I am happy to rescue a betta from a store like petco, so he can live out his days in a luxuriously big tank.

 

[Byron]

I would approach this differently. If you are using SafeStaret, it is not ammonia, it is the live bacteria needed to process ammonia and nitrite. You add fish with the SafeStart. In a sense, it eliminates the "cycling" period because the bacteria are immediately present to get to work.

That is what the instructions state. And one Betta in a 10g tank will not have any issues with SafeStart.

 

[Quin]

I would approach this differently. If you are using SafeStaret, it is not ammonia, it is the live bacteria needed to process ammonia and nitrite. You add fish with the SafeStart. In a sense, it eliminates the "cycling" period because the bacteria are immediately present to get to work.

That is what the instructions state. And one Betta in a 10g tank will not have any issues with SafeStart.

So if I use safe start cycling is no longer necessary? Does that mean that I treat the tank, maybe wait a little bit, add the fish, and then that's it?

 

[FishkeeperLinz]

Okay so! I will be cycling my new 10gallon tank and I'd like to be sure I have everything right before I begin.

Materials:
1. Tetra safe start or some source of ammonia? I'm not sure about this part
2. Test kit that reads ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate

Process:
-After the tank is set up, introduce ammonia.
-Check ammonia levels
-(from article linked to me)
Days 2 and 3 Do nothing.
Day 4 Test for ammonia and nitrite.
Days 5 and 6 Do nothing.
Day 7 Test for ammonia and nitrite.
Continue testing every 3 days (Days 10, 13 etc).

Is there anything I'm missing or should keep an eye on? Thank you!

I would approach this differently. If you are using SafeStaret, it is not ammonia, it is the live bacteria needed to process ammonia and nitrite. You add fish with the SafeStart. In a sense, it eliminates the "cycling" period because the bacteria are immediately present to get to work.

That is what the instructions state. And one Betta in a 10g tank will not have any issues with SafeStart.

Agreed.

@Quin, as you already have the fish any way, it makes more sense to cycle the tank with him in situ. You only need the filter to deal with his bioload, so why not use his bioload to cycle the tank?

Add the Safe Start, check ammonia and nitrite, and carry out daily partial water changes as necessary.

 

[FishkeeperLinz]

So if I use safe start cycling is no longer necessary? Does that mean that I treat the tank, maybe wait a little bit, add the fish, and then that's it?

It's not that the cycling is no longer necessary. The SfeStart gives you an initial boost of bacteria that kick-starts the cycle. From there, the bacteria can multiply and the tank will be cycled quicker. In theory. You already have the fish, so he's the source of ammonia.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I agree with @FishkeeperLinz, do daily partial water changes as necessary.

And yes, your tank should cycle faster if you are using SafeStart.

 

[Quin]

Awesome! So the revised plan would be:

1. Treat the water (dechlorinator solution and tetra safestart)
2. Slowly introduce the fish as the source of ammonia
3. Test tank and partial water change daily
4. Once the tank reaches no amounts of ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite then it has been officially started and from then on only regular maintenance?

This would be safe for my fish of course, right? I'm really worried about making a mistake that harms him

 

[JuiceBox52]

Awesome! So the revised plan would be:

1. Treat the water (dechlorinator solution and tetra safestart)
2. Slowly introduce the fish as the source of ammonia
3. Test tank and partial water change daily
4. Once the tank reaches no amounts of ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite then it has been officially started and from then on only regular maintenance?

This would be safe for my fish of course, right? I'm really worried about making a mistake that harms him

That sounds good

 

[Essjay]

If you also get some live plants, that will help. Plants use ammonia as fertiliser and they take it up faster than the bacteria. Floating plants are particularly good for this.