New 120litre Tank

[Acetone]

Hi All

Ok thought i'd completed my fishless cycle was a bit slower than I thought but reading all seemed fine. I have introduced my 6 tiger barbs and done 20-30% water changes every other day until the bacteria get upto speed.Nitrates/Nitrites have leveled out and are reading between 0>0.25mg/l. My ammonia levels are starting to rise it was about 0.3mg/l after the fish were introduced but this is starting to rise and just done a test and have got a reading of 0.8mg/l.
1. does this mean my cycle hadn't worked? and is now cycling? my filter system is a hood filter but I have an external that i've doubled up on an established tank that once matured will be my filtration for my new tank.

2 is it safer to move my barbs back to my old tank for now? (i do have other fish in this and all readings are perfect in this tank)

3 should I leave them there and do x% of watrer changes each day until this levels out?

hoping for some advice on what percentage of water changes I should be doing

Thanks in advance for your input

 

[techen]

Adding 6 fish into a newly cycled tank is a risk, it can cause a huge spike in ammonia and jump into a mini cycle. Was the tank cycling 2-4ppm of ammonia in 12 hours? If not then it was not cycled right.

I suggest daily waterchanges of 50% till you get the ammonia to zero.

Also you said you get a nitrite reading? If you got that after you believed your tank was cycled it was not, If you get nitrite it means you're part way through of a tank cycle, It cycles ammonia into nitrite then nitrite to nitrate.

 

[Acetone]

Thanks the readings did fluctuate on nitrites getting 0 then getting under 0.25mg/l. I will start the 50% changes tonight. would it still be better to move the fish or do you think it will not harm them as long as I keep on top of the water changes?

 

[techen]

Thanks the readings did fluctuate on nitrites getting 0 then getting under 0.25mg/l. I will start the 50% changes tonight. would it still be better to move the fish or do you think it will not harm them as long as I keep on top of the water changes?

Depends what size the other tank is, The ammonia reading is very small and if you were cycling your tank chances are it's just a mini cycle, I'd keep ontop of the water changes and test daily. It might take a few days for things to settle.

 

[Acetone]

Thanks will keep an eye on the fish. and keep on top of the water changes. many thanks