Cycling / Water Question

K

kyriele

AC Members
Jan 9, 2007
8
0
0
4 weeks ago, I set up my 30 gallon tank with gravel, heater, filter, rocks, artificial plant and a flower pot cave. I filled it with dechlorinated water and let it just run for 2 weeks. I know this did nothing for the cycle.
2 weeks ago, I put one of my sons' betta in the tank. One lone betta swam for a week and I'm sure the bioload was next to nothing.
A week ago, I put in 6 1" or so gold danios and 2 2" blue gouramis. They're all perfect and I can't understand it.
The fish were put in on Saturday. On Monday night, I tested the water with a strip that measured a slight increase in nitrites. This was really day 2 of having the fish in. According to everything I've read, I should not have had nitrites yet, but ammonia should have been sharply increasing. On Wednesday night, the nitrites were just a little higher. I did a 20% water change. Today (Friday) I bought the test tube ammonia and nitrite test. I have 0 ammonia and .1 nitrite. What is going on with this? I thought for sure I needed ammonia to start the nitrite climb.
None of the fish are stressed. They're all swimming freely and not agitated (except the danios are NUTS :) ). They're eating. No signs of paling or difficulty breathing.
Anyone have any thoughts as to what could be going on?
 
With fish in there only for two days, you may not be at a level of ammonia that is readable.

What water conditioner and test kit are you using?

Since you are in a fishy cycle, keep up on the monitoring and water changes.

;)
 
Thanks Bishop

The fish have been in there for 7 days. I did the first test after 2 days figuring the ammonia from having the betta in there for a couple of weeks then plunking in 8 more fish would cause a spike of some kind. But nope..just a low nitrite reading of .5. At day 4, nitrite reading of .25. Day 7, nitrite reading of .1.

Both my nitrite test and ammonia test are Hagen test tube types. 6 drops of the solution for ammonia and 5 drops each of two solutions for the nitrite.
 
haveing the betta in there, believe it or not, helped the cycle by giving a small source of ammoina.

BTW, you are going to have aggression issues with your gouramis (with one another) and with the betta. both the gouramis and betta are very aggressive towards other males of their species and other gouramis. the blue gouramis also get to 6 inches long and will kill anything in your tank that is smaller than they are. keep the betta as the only male anabantiod in the tank.
 
jm1212 said:
haveing the betta in there, believe it or not, helped the cycle by giving a small source of ammoina.

BTW, you are going to have aggression issues with your gouramis (with one another) and with the betta. both the gouramis and betta are very aggressive towards other males of their species and other gouramis. the blue gouramis also get to 6 inches long and will kill anything in your tank that is smaller than they are. keep the betta as the only male anabantiod in the tank.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on the multiple anabantoids fighting, but aren't so sure on the blue % anything in your tank that is smaller" than it...

Sure, they get more aggressive as they age, but I doubt they'd kill the other fish.'

Care to elaborate?
 
a search for "blue gourami aggression" gives a bunch of links saying that they are worse than other kinds of gourami. they might not kill the tankmates, but it seem like they will be mean old jerks to anyone smaller, esp. if they are in a breeding mood.
 
For me the gouramis are just plain onery, most of the time except when the sole one in a tank, with similar sized fish. Love how they look though! :cool:
 
No worries about aggression

No worries about aggression. The betta is going back to his 5 gallon hex in my son's room (he misses his Alien Slug Fish :) )

The 2 gouramis are both male and will be separated shortly. I have a 40 gallon long that will use some of the media out of the 30 gallon once it's completely done and stocked. Right now, the gouramis are only about 2" long and they aren't fighting each other, the danios or the betta.

I called the LFS today about the water readings. The manager told me it could be that in combination with the betta in the tank for 2 weeks and the AquaClear filtration set I bought from them, I could be pretty much done a mini type second cycle. There's a foam filter insert that traps debris, then a carbon insert for impurities and clarity and last there's a bag of rock like things with BioMax insert which apparently helps remove ammonia and preserves (not creates) beneficial bacteria. Something called CycleGuard with BioMax??? I'm still going to do tests twice a day and see if the nitrites start to rise. If not, by Friday, I'll get a nitrate test and see if this really IS the end of the cycle.
 
kyriele said:
No worries about aggression. The betta is going back to his 5 gallon hex in my son's room (he misses his Alien Slug Fish :) )

The 2 gouramis are both male and will be separated shortly. I have a 40 gallon long that will use some of the media out of the 30 gallon once it's completely done and stocked. Right now, the gouramis are only about 2" long and they aren't fighting each other, the danios or the betta.

I called the LFS today about the water readings. The manager told me it could be that in combination with the betta in the tank for 2 weeks and the AquaClear filtration set I bought from them, I could be pretty much done a mini type second cycle. There's a foam filter insert that traps debris, then a carbon insert for impurities and clarity and last there's a bag of rock like things with BioMax insert which apparently helps remove ammonia and preserves (not creates) beneficial bacteria. Something called CycleGuard with BioMax??? I'm still going to do tests twice a day and see if the nitrites start to rise. If not, by Friday, I'll get a nitrate test and see if this really IS the end of the cycle.
Click to expand...

The cycleguard is more of a system than the inserts themselves. The Sponge would be your mechanical filtration (removes particles and debris). The Carbon would be considered chemical filtration although in an unmedicated tank all it will do is polish the water and remove impurities and odor. The zeolite or ammonia remover is also considered chemical filtration and is what helps keep your ammonia at lower levels for people who do fishy cycles or change the media as instructed by the manufactuer,the zeolite (ammonia remover) will actually limit your GOOD bacteria growth as it reduces ammonia which the good bacteria feeds on. Last but defiently not least, the most important part of the aquaclear filter is the Bio-Max which are plain ceramic rings that allow beneficial bacteria to adhere to it. I recommend Fishless cycling and then using only a sponge for mechanical and doubling up on the BIO-Max, I don't use anything else unless I have to remove medications, then I use carbon. I never use the zeolite (ammonia remover) becuase my bacteria colony brakes down ammonia (fish waste) for me. Here's some more info on filter cleaninf tips......http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97498

Welcome to AC!
 
Thanks Red Dog

For both the welcome and the HOB advice. I read the posting and will make sure to remove the carbon from the filter on the next PWC. (and also use your swoosh/squeeze method).

I'm at 0 nitrites and 0 ammonia now so I guess the cycling is a done deal.

And by the way...love your red dog! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom