F A O Erised

[sylvia]

The reason you don't have nitrAtes yet is because the cycle goes like this:

Ammonia is high ---> bacteria grow that change ammonia to nitrIte ---> ammonia is low, nitrIte is high ---> bacteria grow that change nitrIte to nitrAte ---> ammonia is low, nitrIte is low, nitrAte is high ---> the tank is fully cycled and reading should now remain 0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte and a reading for nitrAte (that you keep low by doing a weekly water change with de-chlorinated water

The above 'cycling' process takes about 6 weeks to complete with fish in the tank because you also need to do water changes every other day or so to keep them alive. Once the bacteria have grown, however, they'll keep ammonia and nitrIte at 0 all the time as they'll use it up (theoreticaly) instantly. The result is a nitrAte reading that's always increasing - and that's why you do a weekly water change once the tank is cycled so you can keep those nitrAtes below 20.

Someone once said that fish-keeping is not about keeping fish but about keeping bacteria (and someone else said it's keeping water which is equaly true). They got it exactly right.

It's good to see you got a test kit

 

[ferrikins]

mine tank has
2 platys
2 guppys
1 siamese flying fox
3 harlequin rasboras

HOW ABOUT A KRIB

DEFFINOTLY NOT

If you can't tell us what your results are then how can you or us, tell if it cycling.

 

[sylvia]

The reason you don't have nitrAtes yet is because the cycle goes like this:

Ammonia is high ---> bacteria grow that change ammonia to nitrIte ---> ammonia is low, nitrIte is high ---> bacteria grow that change nitrIte to nitrAte ---> ammonia is low, nitrIte is low, nitrAte is high ---> the tank is fully cycled and reading should now remain 0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte and a reading for nitrAte (that you keep low by doing a weekly water change with de-chlorinated water

The above 'cycling' process takes about 6 weeks to complete with fish in the tank because you also need to do water changes every other day or so to keep them alive. Once the bacteria have grown, however, they'll keep ammonia and nitrIte at 0 all the time as they'll use it up (theoreticaly) instantly. The result is a nitrAte reading that's always increasing - and that's why you do a weekly water change once the tank is cycled so you can keep those nitrAtes below 20.

The six weeks are how long it takes for enough good bacteria to grow to handle the amount of waste your current fish are producing. As the ammonia and nitrIte are basicaly their food, taking ammonia and nitrItes out by doing water changes during the cycle is kind of like starving them. This makes them grow slower. Having said that, it's important that you don't stop doing water changes daily during the cycle as your fish would die otherwise. It also means that doing a cycle with fish takes a lot longer than doing one fishless.

Someone once said that fish-keeping is not about keeping fish but about keeping bacteria (and someone else said it's keeping water which is equaly true). They got it exactly right.

It's good to see you got a test kit