My Cycle After 4 Weeks With Fish!

[wiggy742]

Hi there

Just got into the hobby a month ago and bought a 60L Biorb due to space restrictions in my living room. Anyway read the instructions and said i could add a few small fish (4 Danios) after 24h, of course, now know all about cycling is best done without fish. I bought an Api test kit for ammonia and was testing for daily, it took 4 days to register any ammonia of 0.25ppm. So immediately did a 20% water change, which bought it down. I continued to monitor morning and night and taking steps to keep it below 0.25ppm.

Two weeks later i bought the nitrite tester expecting to see something present, again Api and this has been showing zero and still to this day its remained the same, i tested my tap water and this has <0.25ppm but at least its present and rules out a faulty tester.

Last week i was given some mature media, so i cut it to shape and put it into my filter along with 2 moss balls and a Dwarf Gourami. Still yet to see any nitrite and have now got a nitrate kit. Below are my stats for the last few days only, but this has been pretty much hows its been, and was wondering what you make of it so far especially no sign of nitrite and any help would be great.

Dechlorinator: Was Aquasafe and now Nutrafin aqua+
Also used safestart for two weeks.

Tap water
Ammonia: Keeps changing but is <0.25ppm
Nitrite: <0.25ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Ph: Higher than colour card of 7.6

Tuesday
Ammonia: 0.25ppm 20% water change done
Nitrite: Trace
Nitrate: Not done
Ph: No change

Yesterday
Ammonia: Trace, Api tester ran out, now using Nutrafin and in mg/l, not sure what this is in ppm (help)
Nitrate: Trace
Nitrate: Around 2.5mg/l
Ph: Same

This morning
Ammonia: <0.1mg/l but there is something
Nitrite: Trace
Nitrate: 0
Ph: Same

It seems every 2 days i have to do water changes, though only 20% so my question is am i doing this right and has my cycle stated or is it because of these fish aren't fowling the water too much. I do feed them micro pellets everyday with the occasional shrimp/bloodworm.

I am really baffled at whats happening.

Thanks
Paul

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

With the pH offscale high, you might want to get the high range pH test to find a real number.
In the ranges where we work on a fish-in cycle, mg/l is the same number as ppm.
If every 2 days 20% water changes are enough to control chemistry, it is enough, although by adding the gourami you may find the amount needed will now be higher. Each time you add any fish to a fish-in cycle, you are making more work for yourself in terms of water change. You now need to add in enough water change to account for the gourami.
Your progress actually looks almost typical for a fish-in cycle. You must have a fairly light fish load and are not overfeeding so the water changes have been small. A month into things should mean that water change needs are becoming stable and predictable. You will eventually see that after your 2 days it doesn't look like you need a water change and that will be when things are close to the end.

 

[wiggy742]

Thx for your response and welcome

I was already doing 20% water changes with the danios after 2 days prior, as ammonia gets to 0.25ppm without, so have not seen an increase in ammonia which i find strange. Is is because of the mature media i put in beforehand but then surely i would see nitrites and nitrates.

Paul

 

[wiggy742]

Just looked at my nitrate test instructions and appears i have been doing them wrong lol. Just tested again and have 10ppm, so ignore previous results. will now test tap water and post results.

 

[wiggy742]

Ok my tank water is ever so slightly lighter than my tap water in nitrate, i compared them side by side. Must be the 2 moss balls consuming some!

My ph is at 8, well last week it was using a test strip. Should i lower it or leave as is?

Paul

 

[OldMan47]

I would not intentionally change the pH. It is plenty high enough for any fish and may be a bit too high for some. The moss balls will pull both ammonia and nitrates, whichever is more available as fertilizer. Test strips are seldom trusted for any information in this forum, other forums seem to accept it.

 

[wiggy742]

Ok many thanks will leave the ph as is, the fish do not seem bothered by it but will keep an eye on it, to see if it lowers.

I also picked up a new Api ammonia tester because the Nutrafin one seemed to take ages to do, lots of tube shaking etc. Anyway just tested using the Api one after feeding 8hrs ago and have zero ammonia/nitrite. I looked on the bottles of the old one and the date was middle of last year, this one is 03/09. Could it be i have had dodgy readings from the start due to being out of date? The yellow is a lot lot lighter than the previous kit and can clearly see now, any sign of ammonia.

I think a combination of using mature media, dodgy test kit, not using nitrite/nitrate tester til very late and safestart has got me to where i am now. Also can report zero casualties or signs of stress. The old test kit must have been showing ammonia probably when there was not any, and me doing frequent changes because of it lol.

I am not going to jump around for joy yet because i want to still monitor the water and see how long it goes before needing a water change, if at all i do.

Paul

 

[OldMan47]

The API tests are good for 3 or 4 years depending on which particular test you are looking at. That means all of the tests should have been fine all along. The mature media may well have fully cycled the tank for the light load that you have right now. I agree that it is worth watching for a while and see what you get. Unless you have more plants than most people, the plants won't consume all of the nitrates produced by your danios and gourami.