I'm going to sound like an idiot basically because I am. I was anxious to set up my 5gallon shrimp tank. So Wednesday, despite not having all of my materials together, or all of my stuff seeded, I set the tank up, just to look at it. I wasn't thinking about cycling. I swapped some stuff-- adding some gravel from my 45 gallon, and sticking some rocks for my 5 gallon in the 45 gallon. I've also just had the filter media sitting in my 45 gallon since Wednesday.
The tank has just been sitting here, light has been coming on, but there is nothing living, and I haven't been adding ammonia or anything. Today I realized, wow, I should really see if it is even cycling.
I just checked the parameters. Ammonia was at .25pm, I did a 30% water change and it still is at .25. Hmm. So I'm thinking... now what? It seems to be starting the cycle on its own without me interfering, I guess enough fishy waste came from the 45 gallon tank to jump start things. But now I have this adding dilemma.
First, there is the case of the seeding stuff in the other tank. I'm sure it's getting a nice healthy colony of bacteria that I don't want to kill by putting into the 5 gallon, but I'd also like the jump start those pieces will bring. Then, there is the fish question. I should probably just leave the fish in their home until the tank is cycled, since I started fishless. Three platies are going to go into the tank, they've been living in my 45 gallon for quite some time now. If I add fish it won't be until Sunday or Monday, since I'm going up to LA for the weekend. But I probably won’t even though I’m anxious to get some life into here.
So what say you? Another water change? Add the seeding materials? Wait until monday?
The tank has just been sitting here, light has been coming on, but there is nothing living, and I haven't been adding ammonia or anything. Today I realized, wow, I should really see if it is even cycling.
I just checked the parameters. Ammonia was at .25pm, I did a 30% water change and it still is at .25. Hmm. So I'm thinking... now what? It seems to be starting the cycle on its own without me interfering, I guess enough fishy waste came from the 45 gallon tank to jump start things. But now I have this adding dilemma.
First, there is the case of the seeding stuff in the other tank. I'm sure it's getting a nice healthy colony of bacteria that I don't want to kill by putting into the 5 gallon, but I'd also like the jump start those pieces will bring. Then, there is the fish question. I should probably just leave the fish in their home until the tank is cycled, since I started fishless. Three platies are going to go into the tank, they've been living in my 45 gallon for quite some time now. If I add fish it won't be until Sunday or Monday, since I'm going up to LA for the weekend. But I probably won’t even though I’m anxious to get some life into here.
So what say you? Another water change? Add the seeding materials? Wait until monday?
