Cycling Question

[XeroTolerance]

Hello everybody. Im currently cycling my 10 gallon tank and I was wondering if the cycle is complete when it can handle 4ppm of ammonia and Nitrate in 12 or 24 hours. Some tutorials say 24 and some say 12. Obviously if 12 hours is better but is it recommended?

i'm stoking my 10 gallon like this. 5 Flame Tetras, 1 Ghost shrimp, 2 mystery snails, and one platy. Do you think I should do 12 hours or 24 hours? Thanks for your help.

 

[fluttermoth]

12 hours is recommended

 

[BigbruiserAl]

You dose every 24 hours and test every 12 in phase 3. When the tank can pull double zero in 12 hours for 5 days in row we call that fish time

 

[XeroTolerance]

Yeah, I know that but does 24 hours work too.

Thanks for your help.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

If a tank cant do it in 12-14 hours max i would call it uncycled and not put any live stock in IMO

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with BBA. The various points in time when your two bacterial colonies can reduce 5ppm to zero ppm in 24 hours are just points along the road. The filter is not cycled at these points. You still need to have the patience to just let the bacteria keep growing until they can do the job in 12 hours - that has been our reliable measurement.

People go crazy trying to somehow get around this but all this accomplishes is risking exposure of your fish to poisons that cause permanent gill and nerve damage.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[XeroTolerance]

Yep, I'm defiantly going to wait till 12 hours.