Fraggy's Fishless Cycle - Now Fish-In Cycle...

[menacer]

Today is looking very good in the testing - very good indeed!
I dosed up to between 4 - 8ppm (probably closer to 8ppm than 4) with the ammonia, and then 18 hours later it is now 0.75...with low nitrites and high nitrates so all good on that front.
The PH, however, has crashed down to 6.0 and I am not sure how I should rectify this?
Also.....I am really tempted to do a large water change, give it a clean and then add a group of fish. I know I am not at the end of my cycle, but surely it has gone far enough now to handle a few fishes if it can handle so much pure ammonia. I know I am being impatient but I go away on business for a few weeks in a couple of weeks time and I want to enjoy my tank before I go.....any suggestions about how good an idea this is would be appreciated.

This is a bad idea, unless you get to Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 within 12 hours for around 5 days, other wise i think you could return to some unwell/dead fishes. Your cycle is going well, take a look at mine irt took around 70 days. Be patient!

 

[OldMan47]

If I am reading your charts right, you have seen your pH drop down to about 6 and have a residual ammonia level. I would support your idea to do a huge water replacement. At a pH of 6.0 you will see your cycle completely stall. A huge water change should get the pH back where it belongs, at over 7.0, and should get you going again. Don't add any fish yet, you are not yet cycled. The low pH results from nitrites and nitrates forming acids in your tank. Unless you started with tons of buffering capacity, something I happen to enjoy here, that will bring the pH lower in a hurry. You need to get the processing capacity of your bacteria where it belongs before adding any fish. Once you are there, once again do a huge water change to set the aquarium water as close as practical to tap water values before adding any fish. That way your weekly water changes will not have a significant impact on the fish's water chemistry.

 

[FraggyFragbait]

Thanks for all the advice and help guys.
I did a full water change which got my pH back where it belonged and then left it with the intention of carrying on with the fishless cycle.
However, I made the silly mistake of going shopping and just wandering in the fish shop for a look....
I now have 10 cardinal tetras and have moved in to fish-in cycling.
Before anyone says it I know that is not what this forum suggests, and I am fully aware that it will not be 'approved' of.
However, I still have a belief that with the good start of the cycling my tank will be able to handle 10 baby fish and work off the ammonia they produce. Whether that is true or not, only time will tell.
Will do the first water test tonight before going to bed, as that should give the first indication of whether the tank will be able to work it off....though I am fully prepared for a schedule of water changes.

 

[FraggyFragbait]

As soon as I brought the fishies home I immediately fell in love with them, and took great delight in watching them search around their new home. I was a bit worried for one tetra who wasn't swimming with the rest of the pack, looked quite weak and his colours were very dull. After doing a water test which showed all was as it should I went to bed thinking the poor #29### wouldn't last the night. In the morning, however, I was very pleased to count 10 fish, though he still didn't look quite right. It took until I got back from work to see him swimming properly with his friends and his colours nice and bright. He is now called mr hidey due to his constant hiding in the first day!
It's amazing how much brighter and more active the fish are in just 24 hours from what they were like in the shop!
Another round of good test results has made me think that I added the right number at the right time, so I'm relieved about that. Going to pick up a little bristlenose plec this evening and then keep on top of the water testing.
Still ready for big water changes should the need arise.....

 

[OldMan47]

You are now in a fish-in cycle and must stop all ammonia additions. Hold off on the bristle nose until you have seen your tank go a full week without a water change and with zero ammonia and zero nitrites the whole time. After that is plenty soon enough to start gradually increasing your biological load. Since you never truly finished a fishless cycle and certainly did not do a week of proving you were done, it is just too risky to add any fish until you have proof that you are minimally cycled.