Mini cycle?

[petit_pablo]

Ive had my tank up and running a few months now and all was going well.

Last week i added 6 gold tiger barbs approx 1" each so not massive. Two days later i returned from work and the fish didnt look happy, later that night a gourami breathed his last

I took a water sample to the lfs and my amonia and nitrite where high, not critical but not great either.

I bought nitra-zorb and an amonia reducer and treated the tank. Again overnight, i lost a gourami (2 down, 1 to go )

Tested the water and it was still high on nitrite and ammonia so i did a 20% water change.

The readings are now pretty much back to zero. Ive had no further deaths and the fish look much happier

Was this a mini cycle due to the new fish?

 

[WILDER]

Yes you can have a mini cycle when you add new fish your bacteria colony wasn't able to cope with the new arrivals, that's why it's best to test your water before you buy new fish, you wan't to think about buying your own test so you are not fumbling about in the dark.

 

[jflowers]

Ammonia reducers usually work by turning ammonia into a harmless form of ammonia, but this will still appear in ammonia tests.

And as wilder says, adding new fish can cause a mini cycle.

Jon

 

[Paul_MTS]

rather than using chemicals it's always best to do an immediate large water change instead.