Cycling Tank, Ammonia At 0 After Only 3 Days?

[Inchyally]

I had to do another fish-in cycle. I had no choice, my dad wouldn't let me pour ammonia in the tank. 55gallon tank. So I got 3 Zebra Danios, and took 2 decorations and a hand full of gravel in a sock from my established tank and put it in the new tank. Ammonia was at .25 for 3 days, but it went to 0 today and nitrites went to .25. I also used Stress Zyme the first day. I also had the bacterial bloom yesterday.

My fist cycle took 9 weeks and ammonia topped at over 8.0. The tank was smaller and heavily stocked (I listened to the LFS...) and it took weeks to see nitrites. Is this unusual? At what rate will the tank be done cycling if it is going at this pace?

 

[Curiosity101]

Bear in mind 3 zebra danios in 55 gals...they're not huge waste producers as it is.
I find it hard to believe ammonia was at 0 after 3 days (in the sense of enough bacteria being there to sustain a level of 0). I'm not saying I don't believe you!
But it is possible I guess. My suggestion would be to keep an eye on things for a week. If things hold steady then that's great. But I'd be hesitant.
I think it might be that the bacterial bloom used up all the ammonia, and the only reason it might have cleared today is because the bacteria subsequently starved.
If it were my tank I'd expect to see ammonia again in the next 1-2days.
And I'd also expect the nitrites to stay as they are for around a week (at least)

 

[Inchyally]

Bear in mind 3 zebra danios in 55 gals...they're not huge waste producers as it is.
I find it hard to believe ammonia was at 0 after 3 days (in the sense of enough bacteria being there to sustain a level of 0). I'm not saying I don't believe you!
But it is possible I guess. My suggestion would be to keep an eye on things for a week. If things hold steady then that's great. But I'd be hesitant.
I think it might be that the bacterial bloom used up all the ammonia, and the only reason it might have cleared today is because the bacteria subsequently starved.
If it were my tank I'd expect to see ammonia again in the next 1-2days.
And I'd also expect the nitrites to stay as they are for around a week (at least)

Thanks.
I am not kidding, I did an ammonia test and it was 100% yellow, indicating no ammonia (API test kit, not strips)
I may test for ammonia again tonight. Will I have another bacterial bloom if all the bacteria died?

 

[Curiosity101]

Can't say for certain. Probably not though, most people only have the one don't they? (I think they do from what I've read)
Not sure what the explanation is...but there we are.

Just keep an eye on things, if it's cycled in three days then woo. But so long as you stick to the 'qualifying week' in the same way you would with fishless cycling. Then you can't go far wrong.

 

[waterdrop]

I agree with 101's hesitation. The waste from 3 danios will wash around in a great big 55g and be so diluted that sometimes you will just get zero readings. Wait long enough and eventually you'd see the ammonia. Its a hard thing deciding how many fish to use for a given fish-in cycle. Perhaps a few more danios (3?) would give a more consistent feedback picture. I'd doubt much has started, cycle wise, on day 3.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Inchyally]

Did another ammonia test, 0ppm again.
Nitrite still .25
Nitrates starting to appear - 5.0

Hmm...
I don't think I will add any more Zebra Danios. I think I have a ways to go in the cycle, but it is going at a relatively good pace and no off the charts stats.

The next fish I'll add are my 3 Serpae Tetras, after 1 week of no ammonia and nitrite.

 

[Spanerman]

The algae would be using the ammonia.....

 

[Inchyally]

The algae would be using the ammonia.....

Oddly enough, there is no algae, at all.

 

[Inchyally]

Okay, you know how I said nitrites were .25 in my post 2 above, well, I was just assuming because I didn't thinkl they can change quick. But they did - nitrites are 0!

Ammonia - 0
Nitrates - 5

This is weird. I am going to wait before adding fish in and will continue testing.

 

[Spanerman]

You mentioned in your original post you had a bacterial bloom though?

 

[Inchyally]

You mentioned in your original post you had a bacterial bloom though?

There was the cloudiness, but no algae.

 

[Spanerman]

ahh ok, id put the lack of ammonia down to the dilution of those tiny fish in a big tank


Sam.