Seachem Stability New Tank Log

[soybean]

It's almost funny how genuinely confused you seem. You thought your tank had cycled. We explained it hadn't. Now it's going through the usual cycling process. Genuine question, are you even reading the responses you're getting on here, or just going on what someone in a shop says and updating the thread randomly?

 

[Sly13Cat]

Don't worry I've defiantly learned. Fish - Out cycle no matter WHAT the bottle says... I know I've made a lot of stupid beginner mistakes (ie. Listening to the bottle) and even non-beginner mistakes. But at the moment, I'm at the nitrite spike which has been going on for 2 days. If it lasts for longer than today I'm probably going to move the fish to another temporary container until the cycle can finish. So basically Nitrite spike is bad for fish but good because I'm almost finally done this cycle.

 

[CezzaXV]

No point moving the fish to another container, as that container won't be cycled either.

 

[Sly13Cat]

Just a question...
On Tuesday 13th the Nitrite Spike started with .5 PPM then
Thrusday -> 2 PPM
Friday -> 3 PPM
Saturday -> 1.5 PPM (Did water change a few hours before test)
Today -> 2 PPM

So my question is how long will the spike last? Should I move the fish to a bucket for a day or 2 until the nitrite un-spikes? Also, my pH has been 6 - 6.5 ish. Do the nitrite have anything to do with it?

 

[FishFanatic04]

My nitrite spike was into it's 2nd week before I drove 2 hours to get mature media from a fish store. I was doing 2 85% water changes a day and still not keeping up. So basically...Please just do water changes like crazy to keep the nitrites lower then .25. Maybe try to get mature media from somewhere. Even if your fish seem fine to you, they could be suffering internally from the poisons in the water. It will be worth it in the end to do the extra work now. Read the articles about cycling in the beginners section and you will really understand.

Everyone's cycles take a different amount of time. Mature media is the only way to guarantee that you will have a faster cycle.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

You can keep fish in an uncycled tank indefinitely as long as you have all other factors OK and then do water changes a whole lot. That means daily or every other day depending on tank size and fish load. So you can park the fish and get the tank properly cycled fislessly the rest of the way if you want to and you have an appropriate container (and other needed equipment) in which to park the fish.

You can also use Tetra Safe Start or DrTime's One and Only to add the needed bacteria to your tank. Get the proper size bottle for your tank size. Follow the directions on the bottle and if you have questions go to the product manufaturer's site. Dr Tim's is more helpful than Tetra's USA site. Normally these products will work just fine as long as they have not been subjected to freezing temps or temps over about 95F (35C).

 

[CezzaXV]

You can keep fish in an uncycled tank indefinitely as long as you have all other factors OK and then do water changes a whole lot. That means daily or every other day depending on tank size and fish load. So you can park the fish and get the tank properly cycled fislessly the rest of the way if you want to and you have an appropriate container (and other needed equipment) in which to park the fish.

I personally can't see the point of this as you're then having to do two cycles rather than one. The fish are going to be worse off in another container with a brand new filter. At least the current filter has some bacteria, even if it's not enough.

 

[Sly13Cat]

Okay would squeezing water from the old sponge onto the new one be fine or getting some mature media from the store and stuffing it in there be fine? I can do either. By a bucket I meant putting them in the bucket with a heater for a day or 2 with daily water changes and no filter...

 

[FishFanatic04]

The media from the store can be stuffed right in your filter. Squeezing the water in won't do much for you.

 

[Sly13Cat]

So stuffing it is. Should be able to get some tomorrow or wednesday.

 

[FishFanatic04]

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am sorry if I failed to make my point clearer. Because it is theoretically possible to keep fish indefinitely as I described in an uncycled tank, it was not meant to be a suggestion to do so. rather, it was meant to show that, in the case where its an emergency, one can temporarily park fish in an uncycled tank and hold them there as long as needed in order to be able to fix a problem in the another tank without worrying about having fish in it. When you have the problem fixed the fish go back.

The reason this works is that there is no need for a biological filter. Change 25-30% of the water daily and there will not be an ammonia build up to need one. Stock lightly enough and you can get away with every other day.

I was trying to offer one more option fish keepers have when we are looking for possible ways to deal with a problem.

Incidentally, both Prime and Amquel Plus can both be used to detoxitfy all of the nitrogen complex- ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I prefer the Amquel as it doesn't contain anything intended to help the slime coat as prime does. But I rarely use dechlor since I have a private well.

 

[Sly13Cat]

I can't seem to be able to get to the pet store. Would gravel from another very well established tank help because I have a ton of that stuff. If it does work how much of it do I take and where do I place it (In filter, on other substrate). Also it seems like I'm having a pH crash as in acidic water. Would adding Bicarbonate of Soda help? Should I add B of C? It seems like my tank doesn't want to get rid of those nitrites after 8 days. So I just did a 50% WC. Is my cycle stalled and is there anything I can do to help the cycle go faster? I don't really want the fish going through this much longer.

 

[soybean]

If you have an established tank already why not just take up to a third of the media from that filter and stuff it in the uncycled one?

 

[Sly13Cat]

I can't take media from the other filter because it's one pre assembled cartrage (Top Fin). But I just had a idea, we have some aqua clear sponges the we could cut in half and stuff in the filter of the established tank. How long does it have to remain in the established filter before it can be considered a cycled sponge with all the bacteria grown on it and I can move it to my tank?