New Tank - Mid Cycle but unsure of progress - HELP :)

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owenhlewis

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Hi guys,
I'm new here, hoping I can get some reassurance.

Purchased a brand new AquaOne Lifestyle 55ltr tank about 3 weeks ago.

Started with a fishless cycle, with only Ammonia going up to 2.0 during this time (no nitrites or nitrates).

I buckled for Christmas and put in 4 Neon Tetra's into the tank for my daughter.

Since Christmas day, I had Nitrite's show up (0.25ppm) but now i'm seeing the following:

26th December
Ammonia: 1.5 - 2.0ppm
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrate: 0
Ph: 7.0

28th December
Ammonia: 1.5 - 2.0ppm (no change)
Nitrite: 0.5ppm (up from 0.25ppm)
Nitrate: 0
Ph: 7.0

30th December
Ammonia: 1.5 - 2.0ppm (no change)
Nitrite: 1.0ppm (up from 0.5ppm)
Nitrate: 5.0ppm (up from 0ppm)
Ph: 7.0

So whilst Nitrite has increased (0.25 to 1.0), and now Nitrate (5.0ppm) is present, I've seen no decrease on Ammonia. Is this normal?

Fish are ok thus far, bright coloured and active but i'm keeping a close eye to ensure I don't lose them!

Any help is much apprecaited.

Cheers,

OL
 
I did a silent cycle using live plants you may want to look into that since you already added fish. Do a water change since you have ammonia, at least 50% or more. You may have to do water changes a couple of time a week to get the ammonia down to 0. Plants can absorb ammonia and add oxygen to the water.
 
I did a silent cycle using live plants you may want to look into that since you already added fish. Do a water change since you have ammonia, at least 50% or more. You may have to do water changes a couple of time a week to get the ammonia down to 0. Plants can absorb ammonia and add oxygen to the water.

Thanks for your reply Viking.
Iā€™ve currently got some live plants in there (have had them from the start). Iā€™m thinking to do a water change but was more interested to see if itā€™s usual for Ammonia to stay? I thought once Nitrates show then Ammonia should be 0?
 
"Iā€™m thinking to do a water change but was more interested to see if itā€™s usual for Ammonia to stay? I thought once Nitrates show then Ammonia should be 0?"


You need to do a big water change immediately. You then need to do a large water change any day that you have ammonia or nitrite reading above zero. Ammonia is damaging the fish and it must be dealt with. Retired Viking rightly pointed out that live plants will help process it.

The cycling would have taken about six weeks if you had continued with the fishless cycle. The fact that you have nitrates is a positive sign but the ammonia will not immediately disappear. Ammonia is now being added by the fish. The beneficial bacteria has to develop in sufficient quantities before all the ammonia and nitrites can convert. This can take months.
 
"Iā€™m thinking to do a water change but was more interested to see if itā€™s usual for Ammonia to stay? I thought once Nitrates show then Ammonia should be 0?"


You need to do a big water change immediately. You then need to do a large water change any day that you have ammonia or nitrite reading above zero. Ammonia is damaging the fish and it must be dealt with. Retired Viking rightly pointed out that live plants will help process it.

The cycling would have taken about six weeks if you had continued with the fishless cycle. The fact that you have nitrates is a positive sign but the ammonia will not immediately disappear. Ammonia is now being added by the fish. The beneficial bacteria has to develop in sufficient quantities before all the ammonia and nitrites can convert. This can take months.

Legend, thanks for that will do a change.

I figured the fish added more Ammonia just thought that once Nitrates are there the bacteria could handle 4 neons in a 55ltr tank.

Appreciate the help!
By the way this is the tank
 

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If you are going to try and do a silent cycle you need to add more plants. Hornwort, moneywort and water sprite are just some of the plants that are good at absorbing ammonia, plants that absorb most of what they need from the water are the type of plants to look for. Java fern and anacharis are other plants that help. I have neon tetras, they are sensitive to ammonia at any level. Do water changes and try and get more plants. All the plants I mentioned are easy and do not need anything special to make them grow in your tank most like the first 3 you can allow to float on the surface and not even "plant".
 
You might want to try adding bottled bacteria booster to speed up the process too.
 

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