I Began Cycling My 20 Gallon 4 Days Ago

[criesofthepast_xx]

I started cycling my 20 gallon fish tank about 4 days ago and the ammonia keeps getting higher each day. It hasnt dropped at all I havent gotten nitrite and nitrate tests yet but I will on the weekend . so far the readings for ammonia have been....
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
between 0.50 and 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5
I am cycling with 2 platys

ok it ended up looking all messed up lol

Day 1
between 0.50 and 1.0

Day 2
1.0

Day 3
1.0

Day 4
1.5

 

[Fate2006]

it takes some time, but the ammonia will go down eventually, a full cycle takes more than 4 days, should take around 2 weeks or more... depending if it's a fishless cycle or not... my 5 gallon tank was fully cycled in just under a week and thats only 5 gallons so it may be take much longer with your 20gallon...

 

[mark.w.jones]

Cycling with fish is not good. Much better to fishless cycle. Click link in my sig.

Your cycle with fish will take weeks. During this time you should do 20% water changes every other day to keep nitrite and ammonia levels down. Eventually you will get zero readings for ammonia and nitrite. This means you filter has enoguh bacteria to cope with the waste from your 2 fish. At this point you add in your next 5-6 fish. Your ammonia levels go up again because there's not enough bacteria to cope with the extra waste being produced. Again you need to be doing 20% water changes every 2 days during this time. Eventually after a week or so you'll get zero readings for ammonia and nitrite. Then you add your next small........................

After a few months, depending on tank size, you'll be fully stocked with fish who have been poisoned for most of their time with you.

It's not quite as horrendous as it sounds but it's not great. To help speed things up get hold of some filter media from an established tank.

 

[caino]

They key to keeping fish = patience

 

[criesofthepast_xx]

yeah i admit i am very impatient sometimes. I did notice my ammonia went back down to 0.50 today
I am using some gravel from my uncles established tank already. I was going to do a fishless cycle but I couldnt find pure ammonia anywhere.

 

[DJayP]

You dont need pure ammonia, just add some fish flakes. I put mine in a net so that they were easy to take out and replace once they had got mouldy.
Neil

 

[Irf]

You dont need pure ammonia, just add some fish flakes. I put mine in a net so that they were easy to take out and replace once they had got mouldy.
Neil

I think you'll find it's not as simple as that. The fish food gives hardly any ammonia - much better to use household ammonia. Available from many places.

Irf.

 

[sws]

I think it is worth noting that you can get 9-10% ammonia online. You may have to pay postage, but if can't be found elsewhere then worth the money
http/www.max-on-line.co.uk/buy/shop/index.html
http/www.heritage-homeandgarden.co.uk/
I'll post this in the 'where to buy ammonia' thread
Shaun

 

[Fate2006]

Cycling with fish is not good. Much better to fishless cycle.

I don't agree with that at all... I've cycled all my tanks with atleast 1 fish in it... the fish help to ammonia via their waste and therfore I find them benificial...

 

[Creature Seeker]

Cycling with fish is not good. Much better to fishless cycle.

I don't agree with that at all... I've cycled all my tanks with atleast 1 fish in it... the fish help to ammonia via their waste and therfore I find them benificial...

^I agree. Everyone slates cycling with fish but as long as you take careful steps there's no trouble

...

 

[ole tarantula]

I cycled with fish with no problems. It does take a while. Daily testing for ammonia initially indicates when to perform water changes, Nitrite testing will indicate the presence of the first lot of beneficial bacteria. The ammonia will then quickly drop. Then focus on the nitrite levels, changeing water frequently. As this drops, indicating the colony of the next lot of bacteria is maturing, you will start getting significant levels of Nitrate. At this stage I got some Elodea (Canadian pond weed) which slows the rate at which the nitrate build. Now a month after beginning everything is very stable.

Fishless cycling is obviously less stressful for the fish and has the advantage of producing large bacterial colonies. This allows the tank to deal with a larger number of fish added all at once. Cycling with fish produces colonies appropriate with the fish in the tank, so if you introduce more fish the tank takes longer to 'adapt' to the additonal ammonia and nitrite. i.e. more testing and water changes.

 

[DJayP]

You dont need pure ammonia, just add some fish flakes. I put mine in a net so that they were easy to take out and replace once they had got mouldy.
Neil

I think you'll find it's not as simple as that. The fish food gives hardly any ammonia - much better to use household ammonia. Available from many places.

Irf.

Well its how i have done my tank and i can find you plenty of refrences saying thats one way to do it. Its a more natural way doing it with fish flakes that it is stiking in some liquid. Im not saying its wrong to put pure ammonia in i was just givng the guy an alternative option.

Neil

 

[jamespond]

Cycling with fish is not good. Much better to fishless cycle.

I don't agree with that at all... I've cycled all my tanks with atleast 1 fish in it... the fish help to ammonia via their waste and therfore I find them benificial...

^I agree. Everyone slates cycling with fish but as long as you take careful steps there's no trouble

...

agreed....i cycled my tank with 2 danios over 3-4 weeks...they're still ok and i have never lost a fish due to tank problems

 

[Irf]

You dont need pure ammonia, just add some fish flakes. I put mine in a net so that they were easy to take out and replace once they had got mouldy.
Neil

I think you'll find it's not as simple as that. The fish food gives hardly any ammonia - much better to use household ammonia. Available from many places.

Irf.

Well its how i have done my tank and i can find you plenty of refrences saying thats one way to do it. Its a more natural way doing it with fish flakes that it is stiking in some liquid. Im not saying its wrong to put pure ammonia in i was just givng the guy an alternative option.

Neil

Fair enough, and I have probably read some of those references - but I didn't say you were wrong either did I? To paraphrase my post, I said that using fish food was slower than using ammonia. And you are right, the ammonia does come in a solution. But that's the form we can readily obtain what the bacteria need (and get) from fish waste. Each to their own I suppose.

I have to say that my first tank was cycled with fish, before I learned about going fishless. It took ages when I cycled with fish (add some, then wait, then add a few more, then wait, etc.), and I had a couple of losses as well. It's not all about cycling speed, or being natural - for me personally it's about why I want the fish in the first place, and how I want to keep them. I don't want my fish to go through any stresses if at all possible - if that means doing things a different way then I'm happy to do that.

Irf.

 

[DarkEntity]

I would just go an buy some old prawns/fish stick it in a net and let it rot!