Plan B

[lukebailey]

Well, what I did to cycle my fish was I went to the lake and caught about 10 small brim. Put them in my tank-were there for two days. Eventually I felt sorry for them and today I put them back into the lake. My question is- can I do a partial water change, then perhaps today go get some zebra danios to continue the process?

 

[hondadal]

2 days isn`t normally long enough to cycle a tank but if your in a hurry take a water sample to your local shop ask them to test the water (may require a small fee) and take their advice on the test results and hope the brim?? didn`t have any nastys on them

 

[rabbut]

and take their advice on the test results

In the opinions of many on here, that advise would be questionalble....LFS's are out to make quick money, and will usualy attempt to sell you more fish regardless of the test results. I have only ever seen two on my LFS's refuse a sale after a water test (out of arroud 10), and I work at one of those that I have seen refuse sale....The other 8 I have seen sell fish to tanks that have detectable ammonia and or nitrite

I'd read the pinned topic above about fishless cycling now you are fishless again, rather than risking any living animals by putting them through the cycle.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[lukebailey]

Ive tested the water levels- interesting results, in my opinion. And thank you to all that have helped out.
I tested the results three times-just to be sure.

Ph-7.4
Ammonia-2 mg/l
Nitrite-0 mg/l
Nitrate- 7mg/l

Why would I have Nitrate without nitrite? Wierd.

And I was expecting the Ammonia levels to be higher considering I had 10 large fish in there for a few days, including feeding.

So, is the Ammonia still too high for fish?

 

[rabbut]

Ammonia is very high, I'd do a 75% waterchange on the spot to fix it for now. I'd also stop all feeding as you are not cycled. Above 0.25mg/l, ammonia is likely to do permanant damage to your fish, so it needs to be lowered. Nitrate will appear without nitrite, as the nitrifying bacteria are able to cope with the current anout to nitrite being produced, but are a little overwelmed by the ammonia.

The situation is going to need monitoring for the next few weeks. Watch for both ammonia and nitrite to drop to zero without waterchanges, then start feeding again. Test water twice daily and do a waterchange whenever the ammonia or nitrite are above 0.25 mg/l. 50% is a good bench mark, but may need to be more, at your discression.

HTH
Sorry about the slow reply
Rabbut

 

[waterdrop]

I don't think he's got any fish in there now, right Luke? He put the Brim back in the lake and didn't ever get the zebras so he could now choose to start a fishless cycle.