Help Figuring Out How Fish-in Cycle Is Going?

[Winterlily]

Well... another cycle question from another newbie misled by the LFS! I haven't had fish in many years and was told by the LFS (and believed!) that the tank didn't have to cycle before adding fish anymore, that there was now this amazing product on their shelf (Stability) that plunked all the good bacteria right in there for you right away. Put it in and the next day add your fish. I bought it - literally and figuratively! I bought an Eclipse 3 (3 gallon) and started it running with the filter but no fish - no chemicals but the tap water conditioner. Found a betta I loved about a week later, added the Stability 24 hours before adding him, then put him in (just about a week ago now). He has, right from the beginning, seemed happy and healthy - swimming around and eating like a pig (I'm not overfeeding I don't think but he begs no matter what I give him!). (By the way, I added the Stability for 5 days, then read all the posts about how not to bother, so I stopped.)

Okay. Even before I put him in, I was getting low ammonia readings in the tank (about .25). I have no idea why. I tested my tap water: 0. I have been doing daily water changes of about 50% since I put him in, doing my best not to let that ammonia reading go over .25. In the past 2-3 days, I've done a slightly smaller water change (about 30%) in the morning, too, because the ammonia reading was creeping up to .50 when I test first thing in the morning.

This morning it was again .50 so I did a big change - about 75% which brought it back to reading 0. For nitrites and nitrates, I only had those useless dipsticks, so I bought the regular liquid tests today and tested this afternoon. I also re-tested for ammonia. It was nearly 0 ... not QUITE the color of zero on the test, but not nearly the color for .25 either. Nitrites were 0. Nitrates, if I'm reading it right, were in between 5 and 10. ?? What's this all mean? I haven't had a nitrite rise yet I don't think (again, up until now, I only had those dumb dipsticks), so I'm surprised to see nitrates at all. Or do I misunderstand it all?

Do I need to change water based on that level of nitrate? (I'm pretty sure not, but figured I'd better check...)

I am feeling thoroughly confused. Any insight would be just great about where I am now and what to likely expect next. I'm going to attach a pic of the 3 tests from this afternoon, if it helps. Thank you ahead of time!

Samantha

 

[pauline]

hi sam ive just been through all this myself so i know how you feel! ok your nitrites are good and ammonia only slightly up from what i can see. nitrates are up a but not at dangerous levels. mine are still at 5, 4 weeks into my fish in cycle and ive been advised here that this is ok. my nitrite took quite a while to show up but it did eventually and is now back to 0. id still keep a close eye on the ammonia and nitrites and carry on wiyh the water changes to keep them at 0. its hard work but well worth it at the end. good luck. great photos too very helpfull, wish i could do that!

 

[arobinson1984]

How long has the betta been in the tank for? In other words how long has it been cycling?

Andy

 

[alchemist]

Hi -

You may have nitrate in your water supply which explains the nitrate reading. Try testing your water out of the tap again with your new liquid test to see where you are at. With that said - the nitrate test is not 100% accurate.

Main thing to worry about at the moment is keeping a close eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels. As you will be doing large water changes the nitrate levels will also stay under control. Here is a link to the fish in cycle information

I know it is a tough decision - but if at all possible I would re-home the fish and do a fishless cycle.

I also did a fish in cycle - luckily with no casualties - but it is a lot of work. I was doing water changes twice a day.

Good luck!

 

[Winterlily]

Thanks guys. Okay, I'm confused about one thing though. I should still be doing water changes? Tonight, both ammonia and nitrites were showing 0 on the test kit. (Nitrates still around 7.) I should do a water change anyhow?? I thought when they were both 0 I should skip the WC?

Alchemist: Okay - will test the nitrate in my tap water and see if that's the answer there, thanks. Will let you know.

As you will be doing large water changes the nitrate levels will also stay under control.

But will I be doing large water changes if the ammonia and nitrites are 0? And what of nitrAtes - are they supposed to be 0 too??

Here is a link to the fish in cycle information

Thanks! Have actually read that one already - very helpful, thank you!

I know it is a tough decision - but if at all possible I would re-home the fish and do a fishless cycle.

I don't think I can at this point. There is no where to bring him, and going back to the LFS would be nearly as bad for him I think.

I also did a fish in cycle - luckily with no casualties - but it is a lot of work. I was doing water changes twice a day.

I'm willing to do whatever I have to, too, to keep him as healthy as he possibly can be through this. Thankfully I'm home (with a young child) so can keep an eye and change multiple times a day if necessary.

Andy:

How long has the betta been in the tank for? In other words how long has it been cycling?

He's been in the tank for just about a week, but the tank was running for about a week before that, and for whatever bizarre reason, had a reading of about .25 of ammonia for a lot of that previous week. So I don't know if you count the cycle starting when the ammonia started (now about 2 weeks ago) or when the fish arrived (1 week ago)?

Pauline:
Did your fish all make it through okay? I'm worried about my guy ... he's happy and healthy at the moment; I so hope I can keep him that way. And thanks for the nice words on the photo!

A 45 gallon tank is in our near future - that one will be cycled fishless! That's for sure.

Samantha

 

[Rediahs]

In my experience from keeping bettas and in my opinion, 1 betta in a 3 gallon tank will never produce enough waste to cause a problem or drive levels up over 0.25 nitrite/ammonia unless you overfeed or don't change the water every week. I feed my bettas 2 pellets a day with 1 day of fasting... they're fine and their tanks never cycled, as a matter of fact they don't have filters. I've never cycled or filtered a betta tank and they've always been fine.

I don't think you have ANYTHING to worry about, though I know some people would disagree... this is just my experience, having kept bettas for about 3 years..

 

[Winterlily]

Thanks, Chrissi - I appreciate the info! I need the tank to cycle, though, and stay cycled, because I want to use it as a quarantine tank when I move him out into our (as yet unbought) 45 gallon which will be divided for multiple bettas. I know I'll have to feed it ammonia once its empty, but it DOES need to cycle. If you're saying it's not going to with just one betta in it, what do I do?

Also, just to re-ask a question I asked in an earlier reply, I need to know from you all if I should be doing WC even on the unusual days (like yesterday) that my ammonia and nitrite levels were reading 0?

(Ammonia was up to .25 this morning again, so I did a 70% or so WC.)

Thanks!
Samantha

 

[Rediahs]

Thanks, Chrissi - I appreciate the info! I need the tank to cycle, though, and stay cycled, because I want to use it as a quarantine tank when I move him out into our (as yet unbought) 45 gallon which will be divided for multiple bettas. I know I'll have to feed it ammonia once its empty, but it DOES need to cycle. If you're saying it's not going to with just one betta in it, what do I do?

Also, just to re-ask a question I asked in an earlier reply, I need to know from you all if I should be doing WC even on the unusual days (like yesterday) that my ammonia and nitrite levels were reading 0?

(Ammonia was up to .25 this morning again, so I did a 70% or so WC.)

Thanks!
Samantha

Oh, if you have a filter it will cycle with 1 betta in it! Sorry, I misunderstood and thought the 3 gallon was permanent quarters for the betta. If it's a quarantine, yeah, you can use the betta to cycle it, I don't think you will even hurt the betta that way, just keep up on the water changes!

 

[alchemist]

Hi -

I think the best thing is to keep going as you are - do the tests - water change if required. I had more fish in the tank so my ammonia and nitrite were picking up every day and had a bigger impact.

 

[pauline]

hi sam
yes all my fish made it though but it was hard work! despite the neons being too sensetive to cycle with. i now am 4 weeks in and added my new fish,4 harliquin rasboras. the ammonia rose slightly when i did this as to be expected but is now back to 0. if nitrites and ammonia remain at 0 theres no need to do water changes. keep an eye on your nitrates too. i think your definately cycling and things are looking good. keep at it! Pauline

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Sam and welcome to TFF!

I basically with Chrissi's comments. A single betta in a 3g is not a situation that's going to give many of the classic signs of fish-in cycling that we yak about here daily. But you are indeed in a fish-in cycle and eventually the filter will cycle and get its two populations of bacteria that will be balanced with the load of that one fish. Your water stats at the moment you posted for us look perfect, but of course the name of the game for you will be that they will look perfect a lot of the time and yet you're still going to want to be testing and making sure that ammonia or nitrite doesn't creep up on you. Your job is to keep figuring out a water changing schedule that always keeps ammonia and nitrite below 0.25ppm but for you that'll be easy. When in doubt, just do more such that you still see zeros. The nitrate(NO3) is unimportant - the level you are showing is fine and you don't even need to be taking these measurements much if you don't want to.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Winterlily]

Thank you guys SO much - I really appreciate it! You guys are great - so glad I found this place!

Can I expect in a tank this size, with just one fish in, to see the "normal" cycle of ammonia spike then drop, then nitrite spike then drop?

 

[Rediahs]

Thank you guys SO much - I really appreciate it! You guys are great - so glad I found this place!

Can I expect in a tank this size, with just one fish in, to see the "normal" cycle of ammonia spike then drop, then nitrite spike then drop?

I think you might or might not see it... it may be too small for you to even notice or show up on your test kits. Of course, it will happen! But it may not show up with your test kit.

I'm estimating you may have to change the water once a week... possibly a bit more often at the beginning in order to keep those zeroes. After awhile you'll be doing fine and I think it might be hard to tell exactly when you've actually cycled the tank....

If you need to actually know precisely when the tank is cycled I'd recommend a fishless cycle instead, it's just easier to measure and tell.... the betta will cycle it but since the amount of waste he will produce is so low it's hard to tell what's going on.

 

[waterdrop]

Yup, she's got ya covered there

 

[Winterlily]

Thank you guys SO much!! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all the help!