I don't think my tank ever cycled properly.

sixstringphil

sixstringphil

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May 26, 2008
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I bought a 12g tank kit several months ago. I followed the included instructions before adding my betta to the tank, but then I probably added too many fish too soon. I've lost a few, fought with cloudy water, and finally found this forum. Until now, I've never know about cycling a tank, so I'm wondering how far along my tank is. I gave up on the strips and bought the API kit. I've tested twice since my last water change; no nitrites or nitrates, but ammonia is somewhere around .25 (hard to tell the colors exactly) Right now I have 5 tetras, 2 plecos, and 2 shrimp. Am I correct that my tank has never properly cycled? If not, what is my best course of action at this point?

I know you guys have answered questions like this hundreds of times, but thanks for being patient with a newbie!!
 
It is quite possible that your tank never cycled. Clearly something has happened or not happened to prevent the ammonia being produced by what is in the tank to Nitrate quickly and efficiently.

Either way, whether cycling or just generally, the treatment for ammonia above 0 is a water change. You should however also run the test kits on your tap/supply water. In the event that you're seeing ammonia in the source you will want to treat with something like Seachem Prime to detoxify before adding to tank.

Considering the size of your tank, I'm curious as to the size of your fish. What kind of tetra do you have and what size are your plecos ? Also what filter do you have fitted. Any live plants in there ?

(as an aside, lets try and ID those plecos - quite a few get too large for a 12 gallon tank)

Are you using a dechlorinator when changing water - Seachem Prime is great for this as well ? I'm surprised that you have no Nitrates whatsoever considering the tank is up and running a while - make sure and shake bottle 2 for minimum 30 secs before adding, and shake the tube for minimum 1 min after adding; and really shake it.

Finally are you rinsing your filter media out in tap water or in tank water when doing filter maintenance ?

Welcome to AC & enjoy the site :)
 
More specifically:

5 Neon Tetras, 2 Ghost Shrimp, and the other 2 are the common algae-eaters they sell at Petco (about 1 inch long).

Filter is the aquatech 5-15 that came with my tank. (I think it's the same as a Marineland mini??)

No live plants, just some fake decor and colored gravel.

I'm pretty sure I followed the kit directions correctly, and got the same results both times with zero nitrates/nitrites.

I always treat my tap water with TetraAqua AquaSafe dechlorinator, but I've never tested the tap water with a kit.

As for the filter media, I've never rinsed the white pad, but I have replaced the blue insert once. (The instructions said to shake and rinse before using, so I just used tap water)

I think that answered all of the questions so far. Thanks for all the quick help!
 
If you have ammonia and cloudy water, yes your tank is not fully cycled. The cloudy water is a sign of bacteria or algae bloom. Both are beneficial but not to the point of the water being cloudy.

Change 25% of your water every other day. Do not replace filter and do not vacuum substrate. This will allow the bacteria to convert the ammonia into nitrites. When nitrites form the next formation will be Nitrates. Nitrites are not as harmful as ammonia but still are toxic to fish. Nitrites then cycle into Nitrates, which is what you want to happen. Once your tank has fully cycled, change 25% of your water on a weekly basis along with vacuuming the gravel. Change your filter when needed. This will help to ensure healthy fish.

There are "sticky's" for commonly asked questions. By all means ask if you have any questions at all. Glad that you have joined the hobby and want to learn the right way to do things. Welcome to AC!
 
After several months and the fish still alive, I would assume the tank must have cycled. If you don't see colors very well (as I do), it's nearly impossible to see whether the tank has 0 ammonia or 0.25.

You might get some acute ammonia spike with something rotting in your tank. But I guess that's easily solved by finding the source and water changes.
 
Do you have a trustworthy LFS near you? If so go to them and ask if you can have a few handfuls of their substrate. Hang it on the inside of your tank in some clean hose or just chuck it in. This will add beneficial bacteria to your substrate and help the process along.
 
The cloudy water finally cleared up after trying several things. I always vac my gravel when I change water. Should I not do that for a while? I have a good friend who manages the Petco in the next town. He tried to help me with the cloudy water, so I'm sure he would give me some substrate.
When I was trying to clear the water, one of the workers there gave me a bottle of bacteria. I'm not really sure what it was for. Would that help to speed along the process?
 
Unless it was biospira, it is useless. It is possible with two plecos in there(who will get much too large for a 14g) the tank can't cycle, because the amount of ammonia being produced is overwhelming the bacteria. Return the plecos.
 
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