Starting my cycle - please help

[Holyship26]

I’m just starting out and a complete beginner but keen to learn properly. So please be friendly

I’ve just bought my tank and supplies today to start the cycling process before I get the fish in. It’s a 23L tank, 30x22x41 filled up to about 4-5cm off the 41cm height. My questions are:

1. I’ve added 5mL of the ammonia & chlorine neutraliser and 10g of de-ioniser and electrolye salt. Are these levels ok?

2. I’ve also set the heater at 22 degrees celsius. What would be the ideal temperature for a tank of this size for tropical fish? I assume it may differ between types of fish but have not decided on which.

Thank you

 

[Essjay]

What reading do you get for ammonia in the tank water?
In the UK the usual strength of ammonia solution is 9.5% and with a 23 litre tank you would need 0.73 ml of that strength. Unless your ammonia is very dilute, 5 ml is way too much. If the ammonia level is too high, the wrong species of bacteria grows.

For cycling, a temperature in the high 20's is recommended as the bacteria multiply faster at that temp. After the cycle has finished, the heater is turned back down ready for the fish.

Can I just check that you have found the method on here https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

23 litres is a very small tank (I have one) and just about the only fish which can be kept in a tank this size is a single betta. With just one betta you don't need to use 3 ppm ammonia to cycle, 1 ppm is high enough.


What do you mean by deioniser and electrolyte salt? You may not need these unless you are using pure reverse osmosis water.

 

[Holyship26]

What reading do you get for ammonia in the tank water?
In the UK the usual strength of ammonia solution is 9.5% and with a 23 litre tank you would need 0.73 ml of that strength. Unless your ammonia is very dilute, 5 ml is way too much. If the ammonia level is too high, the wrong species of bacteria grows.

For cycling, a temperature in the high 20's is recommended as the bacteria multiply faster at that temp. After the cycle has finished, the heater is turned back down ready for the fish.

Can I just check that you have found the method on here https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

23 litres is a very small tank (I have one) and just about the only fish which can be kept in a tank this size is a single betta. With just one betta you don't need to use 3 ppm ammonia to cycle, 1 ppm is high enough.


What do you mean by deioniser and electrolyte salt? You may not need these unless you are using pure reverse osmosis water.

Thanks and appreciate your response.

Just tested the water.
Ph level is 7.2
Ammonia is 0.25ppm
Nitrite is also 0.25ppm
Nitrate is at 0ppm

I plan on following the steps outlined in the link you provides to start all over again...

The de-ioniser and electrolyte salt was advised to me by the aquarium to use together with the neutraliser.

 

[Essjay]

I have just realised that I misread your post. You didn't say you'd added 5 ml ammonia at all, you said you'd added 5 ml ammonia & chlorine remover. My apologies for confusing you.


So to start all over again......

The only thing you need to add to a tank is something to remove chlorine - sometimes called dechlorinator, sometimes called water conditioner. A lot of these products also detoxify ammonia but this effect only lasts for 24 hours then the ammonia reverts to the non-detoxifed form.
Can you tell us exactly what the de-ioniser and electrolyte salt is please. If you are using tap water in your tank, it is very likely that you don't need it. The trouble with the vast majority of fish stores is that the staff give terrible advice because they don't know or don't care and just want to sell you something. It may be that you do need this stuff, but it may also be that the store worker hasn't a clue.

The link I gave is how to cycle a tank using ammonia. This is by far the safest for fish and it means you don't need to do daily water changes. If you read through the link you'll see that the bacteria multiply faster in warmer water and it's fine to increase the temperature with no fish in there - you'll turn it back down before getting fish.
Adding Tetra Safe Start will help by adding the bacteria you need, you just need to feed them and wait while they settle in and multiply.


While the tank is growing bacteria, you can spend the time researching fish - but don't listen to anyone who works in a fish store!!