Is It Safe To Transfer?

[mcdanielnc89]

Good afternoon TFF,
I am wanting to transfer my fish to my 20H tank...
Here are my stats...

"07/05/2007"
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0
Hardness- 150
Chlorine- 0
Alkalinity- 180
pH- 7.8

Am I safe to put them in it?

 

[love cichlids]

How long has your 20 gallon been running, with everything being 0 are you cycling the tank. If you are it is best to do fishless cycling so fish are not stressed out or die. What type of fish are you planning to transfer into tank.

 

[mcdanielnc89]

IT has been cycling for quite some time now... I'm moving my Guppies, Platys, and tetras in it...

 

[vinylman]

Are you cycling it with ammonia, or is it just running with nothing going on?. Any cycled tank should have some Nitrates.

 

[love cichlids]

How do you test your levels, yourself or at the petstore. If yourself, how old is kit and what type, strips or liquid. You should have some nitrates in your tank, when there is no nitrates as in your tank it looks like it is cycling. Maybe you had a crash in your cycle, that can sometimes happen. Do you or did you have fish in the tank, and if they are not in there anymore, how long has the tank been empty.

 

[confusion]

with 0 nitrates, it looks like it may not really be cycling.

 

[mcdanielnc89]

It ha been .5, and more than that before... it has recently went to 0..... and i have had NO fish what so ever in it....

 

[love cichlids]

So no fish, nitrates were at .5 now 0. How are you cycling your tank. The cycle can take 2 months or more. There is no set # of days, weeks, or months that a tank would cycle. Do you have a heater on, I heard that speeds up cycling A LITTLE. Are you using ammonia or put media or gravel from another healthy tank. We need to know more info about the way you are cycling. You are not finished yet with your cycle something happened to it recently, do not put fish in there yet.
Not an expert in this part, but read something that the good bacteria can die for some reason during the cycle and you have to start cycle over again or it takes alot longer, don't quote me on that. Hope someone can help soon to explain this to you better.
But when you post, give full details of everything about your tank, so there are not 20 posts from people trying to help you, asking questions to get all the info they need to give you the best advise.
You didn't answer the question, how do you test your water, yourself or at the petstore and what type of kit you have strips or liquid.
The sooner we get all answers then we can advise what you need to do to fix your problem.

 

[love cichlids]

You had no substrate in by June 25, no wonder you are having problems with your cycle. You need a properly set up tank. Substrate, first thing you put in the tank. Ornaments from another tank, it possible, if not, ornaments you want in there. Filter, air pump. Set up whole tank at the same time, then you put in old media from a healthy tank in the filter of the new tank and could even put some gravel from healthy tank in a piece of nylons, cut, in the tank. Sounds like you have to wait even longer, since June 25 is when substrate went in. Is that when you noticed different readings in water levels (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate).

 

[mcdanielnc89]

I'm using liquid and strips..

and I had put filter media from other tank in this one as well as substrate from the other tank... i have a heater as well..

 

[love cichlids]

When did you set up your tank. I read on another post of yours that you had no substrate yet and that was June 25, should have been added right away. And you didn't let anybody know when you set up your tank and how you were cycling it, you need to post that right away.
When you are cycling a tank, set up everything in the tank at the same time, not part of it. With no substrate for however long, I don't know that because you didn't say when you started, could have hampered with your cycle. Unless that is when you started, if it is your tank is still cycling.
Some people put a pinch of flake food in their tank each day to help with the cycle. That is what I do.
Have you done any water changes, no need if there are no fish in there.
I set up a tank yesterday for my son in his bedroom and put everything in it with media from a mature tank, disease free and put a pinch of flake food in it.
What temp is you water, I read 85 is good to speed up a cycle but not any higher because it kills of any good bacteria.

 

[mcdanielnc89]

My temp is 77 degrees...

 

[love cichlids]

I would hike it up to at least 82, then you don't have to worry about the bacteria being messed with, if your temp is too high. Just becareful do it slowly so you don't go hotter than that. If I were you I would test you water daily for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and you will see a hike in ammonia first then it will go to 0, then that will turn into nitrite and then when nitrite is at 0, then that is when you should see some nitrate in your tank. Keep an eye on all levels and make sure that ammonia and nitrite stays at 0 and nitrate is 5-10 constantly for a week, then you know your tank is cycled. Then do a 30% water change before transferring your fish. Good Luck.