Fish in cycle?

Salty&Onion

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I just have tested my 33 gallon for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
Ammonia is about 3-4ppm ish, nitrite is 0, nitrate is above 20ppm and I have fish in the tank, about 7 white clouds, shrimp and two convict cichlid fry juveniles.
I have never cycled the tank, tests showed it, as I got the tank in a quick emergency to house my swordtails and mollies in a bigger tank and so I have never cycled the tank.
I will be doing a 75% (or should I do less?) water change to lower the ammonia.
How should I do a fish in cycle with my livebearers being in a seperate tank?
I am treating my livebearers with aquarium salt in my spare 60L tank, and when the fish in cycle would be over, should I add 2-3 livebearers per 2 weeks to freshy cycled tank?
And how do I keep the cycle running without crushing it down?

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Tank water in my 33 gallon has some yellowish tinge which I have been told that it is some microscopic algae..
 
I’m not an expert but the way I cycled my 29 gallon recently is just to do 50% water changes every other day. I used API quick start as well using the amount it said. Also water filter do you have? Also, when you decided to add in 2-3 fish, do not clean your tank before, wait about two days otherwise your ammonia will spike and then your ph will plummet (that happened to me and killed half my tank). Hope this helps but I recommend getting a second opinion since I am not highly experienced.
 
I’m not an expert but the way I cycled my 29 gallon recently is just to do 50% water changes every other day. I used API quick start as well using the amount it said. Also water filter do you have? Also, when you decided to add in 2-3 fish, do not clean your tank before, wait about two days otherwise your ammonia will spike and then your ph will plummet (that happened to me and killed half my tank). Hope this helps but I recommend getting a second opinion since I am not highly experienced.
Also, when you reading begin to level out, reduce your water changes to maybe ever 4-5 days and then a week. Does anyone agree?
 
The ammonia and nitrite levels should be the guide. When either are above zero, do a water change. As the tank cycles, they levels will increase more slowly so daily water changes won't be needed. When the levels stay at zero by themselves, that's when the tank is cycled and weekly water changes are then needed.

pH should not plummet unless the KH is very low, and then only if there are insufficient water changes.
 
If you have other tanks up and running, why aren't you using filter media from those to seed this one?
^^^ My thoughts too.
Also, convict cichlids? With livebearers? Is that a good idea? @Wills , can they work in a community? I'm not a cichlid person so I have no idea, but sounds a bit... potentially blood-bathy to me.
 
^^^ My thoughts too.
Also, convict cichlids? With livebearers? Is that a good idea? @Wills , can they work in a community? I'm not a cichlid person so I have no idea, but sounds a bit... potentially blood-bathy to me.
I agree. No convicts will end good imo
 
^^^ My thoughts too.
Also, convict cichlids? With livebearers? Is that a good idea? @Wills , can they work in a community? I'm not a cichlid person so I have no idea, but sounds a bit... potentially blood-bathy to me.
Theyre territorial, any fish going where it believes it shouldn't is in trouble
 
I'm not intending to keep the cichlids, I already had a pair which totally made me hate them after they bred for the second spawn and the juvies are from the last breeding and they just stayed in the tank.
They're fine for now, totally harmless hamsters.
We're getting off the main topic, which is the cycle.
How do I do the water changes, every day or every 2 days?
How do I add my stock after the tank is cycled?
 
I'm not intending to keep the cichlids, I already had a pair which totally made me hate them after they bred for the second spawn and the juvies are from the last breeding and they just stayed in the tank.
They're fine for now, totally harmless hamsters.
We're getting off the main topic, which is the cycle.
How do I do the water changes, every day or every 2 days?
How do I add my stock after the tank is cycled?
Everyday until the ammonia reads 0

I thought it already has fish in there?
 
Do the water changes whenever there is a reading above zero for either ammonia or nitrite or both. It is impossible to say water changes should be done every day or every two days or whatever. It depends on the test results. As the tank cycles, the levels won't go up as fast so you'll be able to wait longer between water changes. When the levels have been zero for a week, the tank is cycled for the fish in there now.
As soon as you add more fish, they'll make more ammonia so the bacteria have to catch up. Don't add a whole lot of fish at one go - maybe up to half the fish you already have. Test every day again and do more water changes if they show above zero. When you've had at least a week of zeros, you can add more fish.

If this is the tank you want to add barbs you'll need to add the whole shoal of them at the same time which may cause temporary raised levels of ammonia and/or nitrite as the bacteria catch up.
 
Do the water changes whenever there is a reading above zero for either ammonia or nitrite or both. It is impossible to say water changes should be done every day or every two days or whatever. It depends on the test results. As the tank cycles, the levels won't go up as fast so you'll be able to wait longer between water changes. When the levels have been zero for a week, the tank is cycled for the fish in there now.
As soon as you add more fish, they'll make more ammonia so the bacteria have to catch up. Don't add a whole lot of fish at one go - maybe up to half the fish you already have. Test every day again and do more water changes if they show above zero. When you've had at least a week of zeros, you can add more fish.

If this is the tank you want to add barbs you'll need to add the whole shoal of them at the same time which may cause temporary raised levels of ammonia and/or nitrite as the bacteria catch up.
That sounds easy.
What about about the yellowish tinge in water? Can't really crack this...
 

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