Fish/Tank Size/Ammonia/Nitrifying Bacteria ?

[WaterBaby]

Sorry, :( didn't quite know how to phrase the subject title.

In order to maintain a good supply of nitrifying bacteria in a tank, should there be a specific number of fish relative to the size of the the aquarium?

Let's say there is only 1 fish (not a large one) in a 10 gallon tank.... Would that fish continually produce enough ammonia to feed the nitrifying bacteria needed to sustain the tank?

Reason is I am setting up my 6 gallon eclipse (after a thorough cleaning) and would eventually like to have 1 male betta in it. I might add a couple of cory's also, but what if I just had the betta? Would he produce enough needed ammonia by himself

[kveeti]

The bacteria produce to the amount they're needed and they won't die off that quickly. A single fish like a betta will definitely provide enough ammonia.

[WaterBaby]

I do also understand that as the tank ages and the fish is fed, this would also contribute to the bacteria (uneaten food).

[TKOS]

If you add one fish without a fishless cycle then you will have a cycle that will produce enough bacteria for that one fish. If you then add another fish you will get another cycle to increase the amount of bacteria that are needed.

Uneaten food will eventually decay and produce ammonia spikes but unless you keep adding too much food the bacteria will eventually die off, spiking each time extra sources of nitrogen are added (ammonia, nitrite). Thus you should not over feed fish as this will lead to poor water quality and spikes of ammonia and nitrites, any amount of which will harm your fish.

[anonapersona]

Originally posted by WaterBaby
Sorry, :( didn't quite know how to phrase the subject title.

In order to maintain a good supply of nitrifying bacteria in a tank, should there be a specific number of fish relative to the size of the the aquarium?

Let's say there is only 1 fish (not a large one) in a 10 gallon tank.... Would that fish continually produce enough ammonia to feed the nitrifying bacteria needed to sustain the tank?

Reason is I am setting up my 6 gallon eclipse (after a thorough cleaning) and would eventually like to have 1 male betta in it. I might add a couple of cory's also, but what if I just had the betta? Would he produce enough needed ammonia by himself

You're putting the cart before the horse, sort of. but, I think what you are asking was, "is there anyway to establish the bacteria required for two fish in advance of actually getting the fish?"

Yes, three or four ways.

One, get a bunch of filter squeezings from a healthy, established tank. Maybe a large wad of used filter floss, very mucky is best. A bucket of squeezings from a large, dirty, cannister filter. Obtain this murky stuff and do not let it sit, dump it into your prepared tank promptly, running the heater and filter. The next morning, the murk will be clear and you may add the fish to your tank. (I saw a set of photos on the internet of someone doing this, wish I could tell you were it was, I can't find it now)

Two, locate some BioSpira and use it according to the directions, stocking the tank in full on the second day. Cycling should be done on the 3rd day, give or take couple of days.

Three, do the "fishless cycle" and be patient, it takes more than a month, or 38 days minimum I read somewhere.

Four, add enough light to the tank to grow plants and add plants to the tank a few days or weeks before adding fish. The plants will absorb most of the ammoinia and nitrates and you can have an almost "silent cycle" where all the processes occur but very muted, with little damage to the fish.

Many ways to the same destination.

[Matak]

After your tank is fully cycled, the bacteria in your tank will always be able to handle the fish load present in your tank, provided you don't add new fish. If you do, it will take a short while for the bacteria to catch up.

[WaterBaby]

I did use the Bio-Spira in another tank, and it cycled pretty darn quick.

Two days ago, I tested the water in the eclipse. It showed .5-1.0 ppm of ammonia, no nitrites. So.............

I squeezed out the sponge from the filter in the cycled tank and put the drippings into the eclipse.

Today, I took another test of the eclipse. No ammonia and the faintest bit of nitrites. (There are no fish in this tank yet).

What should I be looking for to know when this tank is cycled? It couldn't have cycled this fast.

[anonapersona]

Now that you've added bacteria to the tank, you have to feed them to keep them alive. In some ways, correction -- in all ways, the bacteria are another living thing in the tank. They require oxygen, right temperatures, and food. They eat ammonia and nitrite which are delivered to them by circulation.

You know you have "some" bacteria since the test levels went to zero, now you need to find out if you have "enough" bacteria. You could add ammonia to test the levels but who knows how much equals two fish? I would think that if you add a lot of ammonia nd get a huge bacteria population, then add a few tiny fish, then the bacterai will die off, adding to the tank pollution levels.

I suggest either add a fish and feed it or just feed the tank. Now that you have the bacteria, you can feed a small pinch of fish food to the empty tank and as it decays it will provide the ammonia. If you feed it enough food for two fish to live (maybe one big flake, imagine a fish eyeball and feed that much), you will probably get enough bacteria to process the wastes of two fish.

When ammonia and nitrites go to zero again, add one fish. And maybe some filter squeezings, it can't hurt!

When ammonia and nitrtes go to zero again, add the other fish.