Having to cycle my tank but it has had fish in for years

[Kirsty86]

Hi, I’m new to the forum but just really need some help/advice. I’ve had my tropical tank for about 5-6 yrs and some of the fish in it that long too. Recently we had an ammonia spike and of course it happened while I was away‍ So my partner panicked and cleaned everything including getting new bio rings and new carbon for the filter. It’s too late that can’t be put back now, so I’m having to cycle the tank, most of the fish are fine except my clown loach, he was almost dead and twitching at the bottom of the tank, so I set him up in a bucket with mini filter and some bog wood. Does anyone know how long he can survive like this/how ling my tank should take to cycle and be safe for him. I know Clown loaches are sensive because of their skin also he looks much happier and healthier in the bucket for now.

 

[Demeter32]

If you still have the same substrate and whatnot that was not clean then I say 3 weeks. It's hard to give an exact time frame, not all tanks cycle at the same speed.

I do not see the point in keeping the loach in the bucket as the water in there will become toxic much more quickly than in the tank IMO. So long as you keep up with water changes and keep the ammonia as minimal as possible the fish should experience minimal stress.

Side note: You only have the one loach? Clown loaches are extremely social fish and truly prefer to be in groups of 6+. And they happen to grow quite large, a good foot long are more, so a large tank is needed in the long term. I am not saying run out and buy 5 new loaches, but it is something to consider for the future.

 

[Kirsty86]

Yeah just the one Clown Loach, I started with 3 and lost two over the years but do have 3 other types of loach in the tank (2 Zebra loach and 1 polka dot loach).

I did put the clown loach back into the tank after I’d put an airstone in and some ammo lock but instantly he started sort of fitting and twitching, I left him for 3-4 hours in there and felt like I was leaving him to die, so popped him back in the bucket and he seems fine, but I’m just confused as I don’t see how our tank water is so toxic to him. I’ll try an upload a video of the set up he’s now in...

 

[Kirsty86]

Here’s a pic as I can’t send the video it’s too large.

 

[Byron]

There is probably something else here, and that could be ich (white spot). Ich is now believed to be present in most of our tanks, and fish are able to deal with it except when severely stressed. And what you describe would be severely stressful. Clown loaches are highly susceptible to ich (some fish species never seem to get it) and any flashing (scratching or rubbing on surfaces) which may be your "twitching" (?) is likely ich. It first attacks the gills so we don't see spots, but it will progress.

I'm not saying definitely, just one possible.