Hi,
I started cycling my new tank 11 days ago. And I am pretty confuse about the behavior of my N Cycle because it doesn't seem to be acting as it should be.
Day 1: I started filtering my 30 Gal. tank and doing aeration. No fish yet.
Day 2: I continued with the above process ... plus a dechlorinator
Day 3: I put the starters (7 inches of fish -Danions and Mollies) after acclimatizing them. I added AquariSol (12 drops every 10 gal.) plus 1 tablespoon of AquaPlus (Salt) every 5 Gal. The fish seemed very well. Temperature 76 degrees.
Day 4: During the morning, one of the Danions died. We took it immediately. The rest of the fish seemed pretty well. PH was 7.6, Ammonia 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. and Nitrite 0.25 p.p.m. Temperature 75 degrees.
Day 5: Other Danion died during the morning. Actually the one that seemed the strongest. PH was 7.6, Ammonia 2.0-3.0 p.p.m. (morning) and 4.0-5.0 p.p.m. (evening) and Nitrite 0.5 p.p.m. Temperature 75 degrees. I took the died Danion out and performed a 10% water change (water pre-conditioned 75 degrees, PH Neutral and dechlorinated, plus AquariSol.
Day 6: Another two of the strongest fish in the tank, Mollies, were not eating and seeming very weak, probably dying. Despite efforts to isolate them in fresh water preconditioned, they died few hours later. PH was at 8.0, Ammonia 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. and Nitrite 5.0. I performed another emergency water change 15% of the water.
Day 7 to 9: The rest of the fishes -including the weakest Dunion and Mollies- and two very strong black mollies are doing very well. PH back neutral, Ammonia steady at 0.5-1.0 p.p.m., Nitrite steady at 0.25 p.p.m. Temperature steady at 75 degrees.
Day 10-11: The rest of the fishes are doing very well. The are eating well. PH has been steady at 7.5, Ammonia steady at 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. and Nitrite varying from 0.50 to 2.0 p.p.m. 15% water changes has been made very time Nitrites are over 2.0 p.p.m. I am performing water testing twice per day and trying to keep Nitrites at 0.50 or 1.0 p.p.m.
Day 12: The last Danion is dead. Ammonia is very low 0.5 p.p.m. Nitrites High again 4.0 p.p.m. I did another emergency water change of 20%.
I have two independent filtration systems with activate carbon and two independent aeration systems.
The strange thing to me is that the fish died at very early stages. Too early for me. Also that during the last days, when fish really should be at high stress and dying they seem pretty well. But the strangest thing is why the Ammonia never reached levels over 4.0-5.0 p.p.m. and why Nitrites starting to be present at the very beginning? And even when the Nitrite levels are starting to be the problem, the ammonia keeps steady between 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. It seems that my cycle has been shortened in some way and everything has been rushed. I am not using Cycle or any other bacteria accelerator. I am using an old aquarium that was working with relatives but has been inactive for 2 years. I cleaned the gravel before filling the tank with water. Maybe is this, bacteria were present and still alive in a resistant latency (spores) I don't know.
Am I doing the right things? Do I have to project Ammonia to rise yet or Nitrites are going to be my main concern hereinafter?
Thanks,
Hernan
I started cycling my new tank 11 days ago. And I am pretty confuse about the behavior of my N Cycle because it doesn't seem to be acting as it should be.
Day 1: I started filtering my 30 Gal. tank and doing aeration. No fish yet.
Day 2: I continued with the above process ... plus a dechlorinator
Day 3: I put the starters (7 inches of fish -Danions and Mollies) after acclimatizing them. I added AquariSol (12 drops every 10 gal.) plus 1 tablespoon of AquaPlus (Salt) every 5 Gal. The fish seemed very well. Temperature 76 degrees.
Day 4: During the morning, one of the Danions died. We took it immediately. The rest of the fish seemed pretty well. PH was 7.6, Ammonia 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. and Nitrite 0.25 p.p.m. Temperature 75 degrees.
Day 5: Other Danion died during the morning. Actually the one that seemed the strongest. PH was 7.6, Ammonia 2.0-3.0 p.p.m. (morning) and 4.0-5.0 p.p.m. (evening) and Nitrite 0.5 p.p.m. Temperature 75 degrees. I took the died Danion out and performed a 10% water change (water pre-conditioned 75 degrees, PH Neutral and dechlorinated, plus AquariSol.
Day 6: Another two of the strongest fish in the tank, Mollies, were not eating and seeming very weak, probably dying. Despite efforts to isolate them in fresh water preconditioned, they died few hours later. PH was at 8.0, Ammonia 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. and Nitrite 5.0. I performed another emergency water change 15% of the water.
Day 7 to 9: The rest of the fishes -including the weakest Dunion and Mollies- and two very strong black mollies are doing very well. PH back neutral, Ammonia steady at 0.5-1.0 p.p.m., Nitrite steady at 0.25 p.p.m. Temperature steady at 75 degrees.
Day 10-11: The rest of the fishes are doing very well. The are eating well. PH has been steady at 7.5, Ammonia steady at 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. and Nitrite varying from 0.50 to 2.0 p.p.m. 15% water changes has been made very time Nitrites are over 2.0 p.p.m. I am performing water testing twice per day and trying to keep Nitrites at 0.50 or 1.0 p.p.m.
Day 12: The last Danion is dead. Ammonia is very low 0.5 p.p.m. Nitrites High again 4.0 p.p.m. I did another emergency water change of 20%.
I have two independent filtration systems with activate carbon and two independent aeration systems.
The strange thing to me is that the fish died at very early stages. Too early for me. Also that during the last days, when fish really should be at high stress and dying they seem pretty well. But the strangest thing is why the Ammonia never reached levels over 4.0-5.0 p.p.m. and why Nitrites starting to be present at the very beginning? And even when the Nitrite levels are starting to be the problem, the ammonia keeps steady between 0.5-1.0 p.p.m. It seems that my cycle has been shortened in some way and everything has been rushed. I am not using Cycle or any other bacteria accelerator. I am using an old aquarium that was working with relatives but has been inactive for 2 years. I cleaned the gravel before filling the tank with water. Maybe is this, bacteria were present and still alive in a resistant latency (spores) I don't know.
Am I doing the right things? Do I have to project Ammonia to rise yet or Nitrites are going to be my main concern hereinafter?
Thanks,
Hernan
