Keeping A Tank Cycled.

[PrairieSunflower]

Well... as my plague continues in one of my tanks, I am now down to just 3 guppies (one 4ish months and two smaller ones)... which I hope survive but considering I've lost about 50ish now... not much hope.

So... I would like to keep my tank cycled... but is it possible to keep a tank cycled with 20ish red cherry shrinp and 3 assassin snails (and hopefully my three guppies)? I'd LIKE to be able to keep it running a month and hope that my plague dissapears and I can re-introduce some of my healthy fish from my other tank and re-stock with some others. But... are those enough creatures to keep my tank cycled?

I do have the option to re-start a smaller tank and sterilize the larger one then re-cycle the entire thing... but really... I'd rather just have the shrimp and snails in there and wait a month if that's possible.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I don't think so. By all accounts shrimp and snails produce a tiny amount of waste and you actually have to have quite a lot of them in your tank if you want to factor them in to your bioload at all.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

So... now what? I don't feel at all safe to add fish... move them to the small tank and start again?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

well...you could move them out and keep the tank cycled with ammonia?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Do you suppose it would work to use biological supplements to maintain the cycle?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

What do you mean by biological supplements? Like filter-start products?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Yes, like things like Nutrafin Cycle.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

No, those products don't work unfortunately

Are you in the UK? Places like Homebase carry their own brand of "Household Ammonia" it will only cost you £2 or so. Then you just need to add enough to keep your tank going, maybe 2ppm per day? You can use the calculator built in to the site to work out how much to add. You'll still need to do water changes at the nitrate will build up just the same.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Yes, I'm in the UK. I can easily get ammonia at one of the local hardware stores.

I'm thinking I might have to go that route.

Another thought... is it at all plausible to think I might be able to run my tank with reduced water capacity to keep my filters going even if that means reduced bacteria?

I shall need to get more testers if I will need to be testing for a month or so.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Sorry, I'm a bit slow on the uptake Sunflower lol - I keep asking you these dumb questions! What do you mean by running with reduced water capacity? Keeping less water in the tank? If so, what is the benefit of doing that?

Also if you're getting the testing strips you may as well go ahead and get an API liquid tester kit (or some other brand of liquid based kit is fine!) because it will last you waaaay longer so probably save you money in the long run. Plus those test strips are VERY hit and miss with the results they give, I have read of some people getting some really wacky readings when using them

 

[Bugdozer]

No, those products don't work unfortunately

Present scientific studies to back this statement up for every product available. Two Tank Amin might be able to point you in the right direction, he's very up on the literature regarding this.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Honestly, if you've had that many deaths in that tank, why would you want to maintain it? I don't know the whole story, but my inclination would be to sterilize it and start from scratch. Whatever killed your fish seems likely to still be in the filter media.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Yes, I was wondering if I ran my filter with my current stock in the tank with less water whether than would be enough biological load to maintain the cycle.


Well, as for the deaths. I am wondering, basically, if I can leave my tank running long enough whether or not the disease will die out after a time, say a month maybe... sort of run its course and clear then be healthy enough to slowly add fish again.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I have to say if it were my tank I'd be pretty tempted to start from scratch myself, since you're not 100% sure what the problem is.

BUT if that isn't a route you want to pursue. Then yes ammonia is your best route. Lowering the water level and keeping the snails and shrimp in there won't make any difference, they will still produce a tiny amount of waste. You'd end up doing water changes for a while once you restocked. Maybe not for as long as as proper fish-in cylce but I wouldn't be able to say for sure how long it would take to grow the needed bacteria. If you use the ammonia method you'd be able to restock pretty much all at once.

Oh! I've just had another thought. Keeping the tank cycled for a month hoping any disease dies out is actually nearly pointless because if you stripped the tank and started fresh it would take you only 6-8 weeks to re-cycle the tank with ammonia so you may as well do that! It'll maybe only take another 2 weeks and then you'd be sure the tank was safe

 

[Yanks15]

Not knowing what it is really calls for only one choice.....strip and start fresh. Just better in the long run and like AlmOstAwesome said, what is a couple more weeks if you cycle again?

Thanks
Steve