Fish In Cycle

[kylealastairlove]

hey people

right so i've just been told that my tank isn't cycled as i was looking for help and answers as to why my fish were dying off, although some seem to be surviving happily, i've started to ave a few deaths in the past few weeks. first i thought it was nitrite or nitrate (dont know which one) at dangerous levels, then i thought it was because of my carbon filter sponge had been all used up and wasnt doing its job anymore, i was asked how i cycled my tank. i had a book telling me how to do it, but it didnt tell me that i had to add ammonia to the tank, so obviously thats where it all went wrong, and so now im in a fish cycle, can anybody guide me through what i should do, help would really be appreciated thanks alot !

 

[Noahs ark6]

What fish are in the tank, and do you have a test kit?

 

[kylealastairlove]

at the moment i have an arulias barb, 1 red wag platy and 4 harlequin, and i dont have a test kit. i've been meaning to get one as i know its important, but right now i dont have any money, so i guess im gonna end up having to beg parents for money to help me out or something lol!

 

[Noahs ark6]

at the moment i have an arulias barb, 1 red wag platy and 4 harlequin, and i dont have a test kit. i've been meaning to get one as i know its important, but right now i dont have any money, so i guess im gonna end up having to beg parents for money to help me out or something lol!

Most fish stores will test the water for you free of charge or for very little money. Until you can test your water, you should do large water changes every day

 

[kylealastairlove]

okay thanks for the help when i get my water tested, where should i go from there, will i have to start adding ammonia to my tank ? and how long should i cycle it for ?

 

[This Old Spouse]

+1

At least a 50% water change daily will keep the ammonia at bay hopefully. But you do need to find out what that level is (nitrite, nitrate and pH as well) as soon as you can. Ring up the LFSs in your area to see who might test the water for free. Have them (or you do it) write down the results and then post those here. Then we can take the next step.

Glad you joined us!

 

[kylealastairlove]

ahh right, i shall start the water changes tomorrow then hopefully it wont upset or disturb my fish too much i will be sure to post the results from the test on here too your help is very much appreciated by the way !

 

[Noahs ark6]

+1

At least a 50% water change daily will keep the ammonia at bay hopefully. But you do need to find out what that level is (nitrite, nitrate and pH as well) as soon as you can. Ring up the LFSs in your area to see who might test the water for free. Have them (or you do it) write down the results and then post those here. Then we can take the next step.

Glad you joined us!

Indeed

 

[This Old Spouse]

Don't worry about upsetting your fish. They'll be a little startled but it's so much better than being poisoned by ammonia. You might even notice a difference in their behavior after the water changes. You should time them so they're just before feeding time, so when you're finished you can give them their meal and they'll think water changes are a treat!

 

[Jakey02578]

I did a fish-in cycle. I had a test kit and did major water changes daily, sometimes even two! All my fish survived and are happy! Good luck!

 

[kylealastairlove]

ahh thats a really good idea actually im gonna need to stock up on some tap safe liquid im running low at the minute i'll have to go get some tomorrow
glad to hear all your fish survived jakey, thanks pal

 

[Rummynose]

okay thanks for the help when i get my water tested, where should i go from there, will i have to start adding ammonia to my tank ? and how long should i cycle it for ?

You still have fish in it, so you don't need to add any ammonia, the fish's waste will add enough ammonia to cycle your tank. Your tank will decide how long the cycling process will take. It depends on how fast the bacteria colonies will be established to support the waste of your fish. From start to finish it usually takes about 4 weeks, but you already have a head start. Once you have 0 Ammonia, 0 NitrIte and readings of NitrAtes then your tank is cycled! During the cycling process try to get the levels as close to 0 as you can for the health of your fish.
Just remember any food that is uneaten and lays on the bottom of your tank, any waste that is not vaccuumed up, any live plants that have rotting leaves will add to the ammonia in your tank!
After your tank is cycled you can add 2-3 new fishes at a time, you may see a small ammonia spike until the bacteria had enough time to catch up. And always research the species of fish before you add them so you know if they will be OK in the size tank you have and if they are compatible with the fish you already do have.

 

[kylealastairlove]

wow thanks a lot for that, that really helped me i love this forum haha so many people willing to help people like me out and i can learn a lot from it i dont think i'll be adding any more fish until my tank is properly cycled and i have sorted it all out thanks again for your help

 

[kylealastairlove]

i finally got a test kit so i got my results now !

ammonia is between 1 and 3.0 which indicates stress/danger ?
pH-7.6
KH mg/l - 180
GH mg/l - 125
nitrate mg/l - 50
nitrite mg/l - 0

 

[This Old Spouse]

Which test kit did you get? ANY ammonia or nitrite above 0 is toxic and potentially lethal to your fish. Any ammonia they're exposed to is injuring their bodies. i'm a little confused as to why your ammonia levels are so high but your nitrite shows 0. Also, please be sure you're reading the levels correctly. A level between 1 and 3.0 doesn't make much sense. You should be able to see a level more accurately. Could you please do the ammonia level again? Follow the instructions to the letter.

You're getting there!!