I began my fishless cycle around the last week of Jan. Then someone gave my son a goldfish on Feb 26, so I have been doing 50% water changes daily. I tested the water Sat, and it was .25ppm ammonia, 5.0 Nitrate, and .25 nitrite. Now, I am at 0ppm ammonia, 0 nitrite, and still 5 Nitrate. I did a 50% water change on Friday night, 50% Saturday night, then about 20% last night. How can I get the Nitrate down, and do I still need to be doing any water changes. This is just a 5 gallon tank. Also, I will soon be getting a 55 gallon tank, and will do a fishless cycle on it. Can I take anything from this tank to speed the process up any?
Cycling
- Thread starter Mindy
- Start date
Mindy said:
Dont worry about the 5ppm of nitrate, your tap water probably has some in it and is keeping it at that point. This kind of nitrate will not harm the fish at all. I have a planted tank and keep my nitrate between 10-20 ppm with ease and the fish are perfectly fine!
But if you really want too bring it down, get some live plants. Ancharis are great for nitrates.
Your nitrates are fine... I keep mine between 5-10 (55g planted)
You can use some of the gravel if you have any in there it may help.
My reccomendation for the 55 gallon is biospira... and a fishless clycle... you do it the same by adding the amonia...
Good luck
You can use some of the gravel if you have any in there it may help.
My reccomendation for the 55 gallon is biospira... and a fishless clycle... you do it the same by adding the amonia...
Good luck
Well as for the 55 gallon. You will already have a great bunch of bacteria living in the 5 gallon. Your options would be fishless seeded with material from the 5 gallon to speed it up, bio spira, or else move some filteral material over and do a fishy cycle. In the last case you would add a couple of fish per week until a total stocking was done over the course of a few months, testing all the way.
Ideally I would suggest biospira if it is available or else the fishless.
But you alos have a goldfish in a 5 gallon tank and I hate to see that. a 55 gallon would be a nice home for him, but then you really couldn't add much else excpet maybe another goldfish as they get so big.
Ideally I would suggest biospira if it is available or else the fishless.
But you alos have a goldfish in a 5 gallon tank and I hate to see that. a 55 gallon would be a nice home for him, but then you really couldn't add much else excpet maybe another goldfish as they get so big.