Cycling With Fish And Test Kit.

[Hero]

I saw the thread on Fishless cycling but saw nothing on what noobs that got fish should do when they are trying to cycle a tank? I have a 20 gallon filter that has been running 2 days now. There are 2 african cichlids in the tank. 20 lbs of gravel. The filter is interal so it make a nice current (not sure if better for cycling). It has a carbon section in it (fizzes when you run water over it) that i beileve is producing oxygen (could be wayyy off) and that will help the process to? The question is what am i looking for when cycling and how whill I know when the cycling is complete?

Ph = 8.0
Ammonia = .5

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[littlest]

Hi,

There are a few sticky posts about cycling with fish, there are just harder to find
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

If you don't already, get a nitrite and nitrate test.
Also is your test a liquid one or strips? The strips are known to be pretty inaccurate so you are better off with liquid tests.

You'll be needing to do lots of water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite down. Probably do a water change whenever either is at 0.5. Better would be doing one when it's 0.25 but sometimes that's not feasible.

Does your filter only have carbon or does it have sponge as well? Sponge, or ceramic media, is where the beneficial bacteria live. Carbon is not as good because you have to change it frequently. I would advise you to replace the carbon with sponge or ceramic media.

If you have access to any established fish tanks, take some of the mature media out of one of the filters and put it in yours. That will speed things up a lot.

In a cycled tank ammonia and nitrite should remain zero, that's how you know your cycled.

I don't know anything african cichlids so won't comment on the fish themselves.

good luck, you got some hard work ahead of you.

 

[Hero]

Hi,

There are a few sticky posts about cycling with fish, there are just harder to find
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

If you don't already, get a nitrite and nitrate test.
Also is your test a liquid one or strips? The strips are known to be pretty inaccurate so you are better off with liquid tests.

You'll be needing to do lots of water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite down. Probably do a water change whenever either is at 0.5. Better would be doing one when it's 0.25 but sometimes that's not feasible.

Does your filter only have carbon or does it have sponge as well? Sponge, or ceramic media, is where the beneficial bacteria live. Carbon is not as good because you have to change it frequently. I would advise you to replace the carbon with sponge or ceramic media.

If you have access to any established fish tanks, take some of the mature media out of one of the filters and put it in yours. That will speed things up a lot.

In a cycled tank ammonia and nitrite should remain zero, that's how you know your cycled.

I don't know anything african cichlids so won't comment on the fish themselves.

good luck, you got some hard work ahead of you.

First off thank you for your nice and informative(sp) reply.

Thanks for the links, I'll check those out.

My test kit is a Freshwater Master (API) so it does include nitrite and nitrate and evertyhing is liquid.

As for the ammonia I meant the reading last night was at .25 not .5. I'm going to test again after this post.

The internal filter has a sponge house and a carbon house. I do have a 10gl tank running right now with no gravel. How could I take some media out of the bio filter and place it onto the sponge?

What is the average length of time it tanks to cycle a tank?

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[Hero]

I would like to to add that 10lbs of the 30 that I havein this 20gl is from the 10gl tank and already contained bacteria. I just did readings of everything.

Ph = 8.0
Ammonia = .25
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0

Could it be in 3 days with the 10lbs of good gravel that my tank has already started cycling and is about done? Or could it be that i in for the worst because the sponge is only 3 days old and I added no media to it?

 

[charlie4486]

in my personal experience toward the end of my cycle my ammonia was at 0 and my nitrites were a little elevated. from my understanding first you get ammonia and then bacteria get red of that and turns it into nitrite, then the bacteria comes that changes nitrites into nitrates. so it looks like you are just beginning. it took me about 6 weeeks to cycle my tank with fish in it. so be patient and do it right. it will pay off in the end.

 

[ibbledibble]

Ph = 8.0
Ammonia = .25
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0

Could it be in 3 days with the 10lbs of good gravel that my tank has already started cycling and is about done? Or could it be that i in for the worst because the sponge is only 3 days old and I added no media to it?

The way cycling works is first the bacteria build up which convert ammonia to nitrite, then the bacteria build up which convert nitrite to nitrate.
As you are getting positive ammonia readings and negative nitrite and nitrate, it sounds like the process has not really started yet. what you will see happen is, first your ammonia levels will drop and your nitrite levels rise, then your nitrite levels will drop and your nitrate levels will rise.

if you have an existing bio filter, you could put some of the media in a stocking and suspend it in the tank, that way the bacteria from the old media can colonize the new sponge in the filter.

 

[Hero]

The way cycling works is first the bacteria build up which convert ammonia to nitrite, then the bacteria build up which convert nitrite to nitrate.
As you are getting positive ammonia readings and negative nitrite and nitrate, it sounds like the process has not really started yet. what you will see happen is, first your ammonia levels will drop and your nitrite levels rise, then your nitrite levels will drop and your nitrate levels will rise.

if you have an existing bio filter, you could put some of the media in a stocking and suspend it in the tank, that way the bacteria from the old media can colonize the new sponge in the filter.

I will deff watch for rising and drops daily..

As for the media in the Bio filter. How do I know what the media looks like? Can I pick it up with my fingers and just place it on the sponge in my internal filter? I need to know the process lol so I don't mess up. So i pull the filter out of the 10gl whisper pump....then what?

 

[ibbledibble]

As for the media in the Bio filter. How do I know what the media looks like? Can I pick it up with my fingers and just place it on the sponge in my internal filter? I need to know the process lol so I don't mess up. So i pull the filter out of the 10gl whisper pump....then what?

the media just means what you have in your filter. in your new filter thats just the sponge and the carbon. ideally in a bio filter you will have something like ceramic beads or tubes and maybe some filter floss as well as the sponges. if you don't there are plenty of people on here willing to donate mature media to beginners you just need to find someone in your area.

If you can fit the media into your new filter then do it, thats certainly the easiest way, but if it won't fit in then get a clean stocking and put some used filter floss or some of the ceramic tubes into it, you then tie a knot in the stocking to hold it shut and float it in the new tank next to the filter, that should help.

 

[Thirdfloor]

I saw the thread on Fishless cycling but saw nothing on what noobs that got fish should do when they are trying to cycle a tank? I have a 20 gallon filter that has been running 2 days now. There are 2 african cichlids in the tank. 20 lbs of gravel. The filter is interal so it make a nice current (not sure if better for cycling). It has a carbon section in it (fizzes when you run water over it) that i beileve is producing oxygen (could be wayyy off) and that will help the process to? The question is what am i looking for when cycling and how whill I know when the cycling is complete?

Ph = 8.0
Ammonia = .5

Thanks,
Kyle

Sorry, but if you really did read the stickied thread, then you wouldn't have the questions you are asking. Glad you are asking for clarification though, and good luck with your fish.

 

[Hero]

As for the media in the Bio filter. How do I know what the media looks like? Can I pick it up with my fingers and just place it on the sponge in my internal filter? I need to know the process lol so I don't mess up. So i pull the filter out of the 10gl whisper pump....then what?

the media just means what you have in your filter. in your new filter thats just the sponge and the carbon. ideally in a bio filter you will have something like ceramic beads or tubes and maybe some filter floss as well as the sponges. if you don't there are plenty of people on here willing to donate mature media to beginners you just need to find someone in your area.

If you can fit the media into your new filter then do it, thats certainly the easiest way, but if it won't fit in then get a clean stocking and put some used filter floss or some of the ceramic tubes into it, you then tie a knot in the stocking to hold it shut and float it in the new tank next to the filter, that should help.

Ok I have read in other threads that the carbon section on my pump is not really needed. Can I just take the ceramic beads out of the bio filter and place them into the carbon compartment on my filter?

 

[littlest]

sounds good to me, as long as you don't remove too much from your established tank.

established media is definately better than carbon.

 

[Hero]

sounds good to me, as long as you don't remove too much from your established tank.

established media is definately better than carbon.

And by doing this I'm speeding up the cycling process? The ammonia in the 10gl (where im pulling the beads from) is sitting at 8.0 (GREEN). I need to by something to bring it down.... but taking 1/4 of the beads should still help right?

 

[littlest]

sitting at green, you mean the ammonia? is this tank still cycling too? without fish I hope.

Sorry, I assumed that your other tank was established. If it is still cycling and not yet processing ammonia, then it won't have the beneficial bacteria that your filter needs. Bio-bead will still be a better media than carbon though IMO.

you say you need to buy something to bring it down in your other tank... does this tank have fish in? if so, 8ppm of ammonia is extremely toxic

(sorry if I misunderstood your post,, wans't quite sure what you meant)

oh wait, did you mean a pH of 8? if so, ignore the other stuff. Don't buy stuff to bring pH down though. pH adjusters cause pH swings anf fluctuations are more damaging than a stable high pH. You could add some bogwood to naturally lower pH. what pH is your tap water?

 

[Hero]

sitting at green, you mean the ammonia? is this tank still cycling too? without fish I hope.

Sorry, I assumed that your other tank was established. If it is still cycling and not yet processing ammonia, then it won't have the beneficial bacteria that your filter needs. Bio-bead will still be a better media than carbon though IMO.

you say you need to buy something to bring it down in your other tank... does this tank have fish in? if so, 8ppm of ammonia is extremely toxic

(sorry if I misunderstood your post,, wans't quite sure what you meant)

oh wait, did you mean a pH of 8? if so, ignore the other stuff. Don't buy stuff to bring pH down though. pH adjusters cause pH swings anf fluctuations are more damaging than a stable high pH. You could add some bogwood to naturally lower pH. what pH is your tap water?

That tank has absoultely nothing in it. It's a 10 gallon filled and has a filter attached. Fish would be dead lol!

For my tapwater the ammonia = 4.0 and the ph = 8.0. Good enough for me I love cichlids. I used a product that is not toxic to fish that removes ammonia (tbl spoon per 10gl).