Not the optimal cycling situation; next step?
- Thread starter alli13zeal
- Start date
Does anyone have any input onto whether or not it is hopeless to try and see this cycle through with the cory cats (without them dying or getting severely damaged)? As I mentioned before they are behaving like happy little corys at the moment. But they have already been through 3 weeks of a cycling tank with ammonia and it seems like once nitrites start showing up that would be especially stressful considering their systems have probably already been somewhat damaged by the constant ammonia levels.
In the past 48 hours i've done four 50% water changes and now my ammonia level is down to around .25 maybe less... everything else is same as before-pH ~7, Nitrites=0, & Nitrates=5-10 (I tested the tap water and it had nitrates around that level)
Does anyone think that for the sake of the corys I should return them or will getting something to jumpstart/speed up the cycle and doing the very consistent large water changes & testing be sufficient.
I'm planning on talking to someone at a good LFS tonight about either using Bio-spira (they carry it) or possibly some of their filter media/gravel/etc, but I'm kind of wondering if I should just bring the fish along with me if the cycle will be too much for them. I would much rather keep them but if they are just going to die I'd rather not... Thanks
In the past 48 hours i've done four 50% water changes and now my ammonia level is down to around .25 maybe less... everything else is same as before-pH ~7, Nitrites=0, & Nitrates=5-10 (I tested the tap water and it had nitrates around that level)
Does anyone think that for the sake of the corys I should return them or will getting something to jumpstart/speed up the cycle and doing the very consistent large water changes & testing be sufficient.
I'm planning on talking to someone at a good LFS tonight about either using Bio-spira (they carry it) or possibly some of their filter media/gravel/etc, but I'm kind of wondering if I should just bring the fish along with me if the cycle will be too much for them. I would much rather keep them but if they are just going to die I'd rather not... Thanks
I made similar mistakes when I started my first tank. Just be prepared to make daily water changes to keep your ammonia and nitrites low. I might also add that once I started making nitrites, it took me longer to finish that part of the cycle than the ammonia part. I would also agree with xzionx that Bio-spira would be worth a try.
