Cycling for Peacocks

H

hsiddall

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Jun 13, 2007
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Im cycling my 75g in preperation for 8-10 male peacocks and a syndontis or two. What fish should I add now for the cycling. Ph 7.9, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, and Nitrates 160+:yuck:...(tank is completely fishless now)...I have plenty of filtration with a sump also...Or Am I better off adding amonia and doing a fishless cycle. If so how much??? Thanx in advance.
 
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where is the nitrate from??? Have you been adding ammonia and not doing water changes, tap water? What type of test kit are you using? Do a fishless cycle!!! Fishy cycle is cruel not to mention lots of work I wouldn't sacrifice any fish for a fishy cycle
 
Check your tap parameters with a good liquid test kit...
 
I would not cycle with fish..........:duh:
 
Full explanation of cycling techniques here including how much ammonia to add http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

When you say what fish should you get for the cycling, the answer is ideally none - do an ammonia fishless cycle.


In your particular case if you fish cycle you will in any event be stuck with fish which you can't keep after the cycle - you really really shouldn't cycle with malawis as they are severely intolerant to ammonia/nitrite and if you cycle with anything else, they will be very incompatible with peacocks.

Great to hear that you are considering a fishless cycle - I reccomend you do this, for far less stress in the medium term.

Your nitrate reading is fairly wierd - what are you testing with ? If its the API liquid drop kit, make sure you are shaking bottles as per instructions and the mixed solution for no less than 1 minute. Hopefully you are not using paper strips which are useless.
 
yes its the api kit and im shaking the bottles. The tank was moved from my old house to new and the sump was moved with water in it to possibly not have to cycle all over again. Tank has been re set up and running for twoo or three weeks with 80% new tap water and some old water transported in 5 gal buckets. Substrate was left in tank for move as well to keep some biofilter intact...
 
Did you add ammonia after setting up? If not, your biofilter is completely dead by now without an ammonia source, and that would exlplain the nitrate, the biofilter stayed alive through the "bad" stuff in the substrate, and has probably steadied off at 160. I would drain completey (to get rid of the nitrate), and start all over. Find some filter media from an established tank and start fishless cycling. Good Luck :)
 
Yep you would have needed to feed the tank to keep the biofilter alive - a source of ammonia, or just a daily dose of fish food, otherwise the beneficial bacteria starve for want of food source.

I would also do a 100% water change and start dosing ammonia. You need to get nitrates to 0 so that you can verify, as the tank cycles, that nitrates are being produced in the tank. You might be lucky and have some bacteria left in the substrate/filter media but will lose none or a tiny tiny percentage by draining the water as they don't really reside in the water column.
 
Added ammonia and filter cartridges from 30g community tank. This am water was tested and Ammonia 5.0 ish, nitrites 1.0n Nitrates 160
 
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