View Full Version : Cycling help??
mandyaj_25
12-01-2008, 5:07 PM
I have had my tank up and running now for 7 weeks (fishy cycle). I finally got my test kits (API liquid kit) and the results are really weird.
Ammonia - .25ppm
nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Shouldnt the nitrates be present yet?? I do water changes every second day @ about 50%. Sometimes more often when the ammonia start to get high. I use water conditioner and have tested my tap water, which is clear of ammonia. I vacuum my tank with every water change.
Does anybody have any idea what is going on here??
Thanks in advance for the input.
fizhfly
12-01-2008, 5:12 PM
yea sounds like doing a lot more water changes than you should because your not letting it cycle hard enough as for nitrates with the amount of the water changes there wont be a reading .
Rbishop
12-01-2008, 6:14 PM
The frequent water changes are doing their job.
Keep that ammonia low.
Sooner or later, you will test and not see ammonia, but some nitrates.
Recommend you test every 24 hrs, before and after a water change. If the before test doesn't show ammonia or nitrites at .25 or greater..don't do a water change.
7 weeks seems like a while tho... usually would be cycled by now.
Rbishop
12-01-2008, 6:36 PM
Not with 50% water changes every other day...
Tank size? Fish stocking...
jpappy789
12-01-2008, 6:47 PM
I agree, fish cycling takes a while depending on the stock and how often you need to change the water. I'd just keep going as usual or see if you can somehow get some established media.
mandyaj_25
12-01-2008, 9:52 PM
Not with 50% water changes every other day...
Tank size? Fish stocking...
I have 2 Danios, a cory and a mollie. The tank is a 20 gallon. Is it true that the bigger the tank the faster the cycle??
mandyaj_25
12-01-2008, 9:54 PM
7 weeks seems like a while tho... usually would be cycled by now.
Yes that is what I thought. There should have at least been some nitrites and nitrates by now. Hmm.....wonder if I am keeping it too clean?
rocker92
12-01-2008, 9:59 PM
i agree slow down on the water changes.....are those zebra danios if so get more in the future.....but for now slow down on the water changes then the nitrites can start forming
jpappy789
12-01-2008, 10:22 PM
I think fish safety trumps the longevity of the cycle. You need to keep the ammonia at .25 ppm otherwise you risk losing fish. Do as many water changes as it takes.
calivivarium1
12-02-2008, 12:28 AM
Just keep doing water changes like JP suggested. I dont personally know your schedule but a straight water change every day shouldn't add too much strain to your schedule and should save your wallet by not replacing any dead fish
OldMan47
12-06-2008, 4:54 PM
JPappy is right that you need to worry about the fish health, not the speed of the cycle. Cutting back on water changes would mean letting the ammonia get too high for your fish so don't do that. You have a nice light load that is making it easier to keep up with the ammonia buildup. The size of the tank does not much affect the speed of the cycle and you have enough fish in there to cycle properly.
KarlTh
12-07-2008, 5:17 PM
Besides which, there's no truth in the belief that water changes slow the cycle down. As long as ammonia and nitrite are readable, there is an excess of both and the bacteria will be reproducing full whack.
jpappy789
12-07-2008, 7:03 PM
^^^Very good point Karl and very true.
mdk2424
12-08-2008, 2:19 AM
I am on my 8th week and just started to get nitrates doing a fishy cycle also, so alot of water changes the only funny thing is i never had nitrites and i have been testing daily.
Good luck with your tank
mandyaj_25
12-08-2008, 9:50 PM
I am on my 8th week and just started to get nitrates doing a fishy cycle also, so alot of water changes the only funny thing is i never had nitrites and i have been testing daily.
Good luck with your tank
I have also noticed that the test for the nitrates looked to be sort of tinged orange but I thought maybe it was just me. I thought that you had to have nitrites in order to have nitrates. Anyways thanks for the reply. I was beginning to get discouraged thinking that I was doing something to prevent the cycle from happening and was just going to give up wth testing my water.
mandyaj_25
12-08-2008, 10:10 PM
I just tested my water and I have NITRATES!!!
Ammonia .25 ppm
Nitrites 0 ppm
Nitrates 5.0 ppm
I am just wondering why I would have the ammonia reading if there are no nitrites?? Maybe Iam gong through a mini cycle? Could it be that my tank has been cycled but my large frequent water changes were eliminating the nitrates all together??