Im a bit confused on my cycle....

mudskippers

mudskippers

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Jun 1, 2007
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Tempe, AZ
Ok so Im a bit confused on my cycle. Apparently I think im going through a silent cycle... I did nothing to start the cycle.. But yet, I think it has begun...
I have eco - complete substrate wich may have contribed to the cycle.. 3 things of diy co2, plants, and some snails that magicly appeard ;). The tank has been runing for about a week and a half now, and the water goes back and forth from cloudy to clear, wich i also dont know why...
Currently i have nothing in my filter, just using it as flow.. im going to go out tonight and get some sponge or some type of floss or whatever..
Im thinking that the cloudy water might be due to bacteria, but im not 100% sure. At the moment eveything is just kind of up in the air....

I tested my tank 2 days ago, as well as today and got the same reading...

Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0.25
Nitrates = 10

So has the cycle come to a stop? Should i do something to provide Ammonia? I was also thinking about going out and getting a few small shrimp.. this would help with the cycle correct?

If anyone has any bit of advice on any thing that i have mentiond above please feel free! like, whats going on with the cycle.. and how come my water is cloudy?.. ect...
Thank you
 
hmmm....it could be something with the fact that you dont have the filter cartridge yet.......or your tank might just be starting to establish
 
I went out and got 3 small shrimp to help out.. hopefully this will contribute at least a little for the cycle. I also got some sponge for the filter, and it seems like the water is already starting to clear up... Ill test later today to see if anything has started yet.. other than that, i guess i just give it time?
 
I think it is close to being done, The shrimp should help alot. And yeah I think ammonia would be good as well. :)
 
If you've done nothing to start the cycle (i.e. adding ammonia in some form) and you have no fish in the tank to add the ammonia than you really haven't started the cycle yet. Plus, with no media in the filter it will be hard for the beneficial bacterial colony's to start. They are most prolific in the media but can also colonize to a lesser degree on the surface of the substrate, plants and decor. Once you add fish to the tank the cycle will start with that fish, but chances are you haven't actually cycled the tank to were you can add fish safely yet unless you want to do a fishy-cycle.

As for the readings you got sometimes rotting/dying plants can cause nitrite in the tank. Also, the bacteria bloom you've noticed is pretty normal when a tank is first set-up. Should go away once you get your plant dosing and nutrients figured out. What is your set-up like? Lights, substrate, dosing...eta...
 
Rowangel said:
If you've done nothing to start the cycle (i.e. adding ammonia in some form) and you have no fish in the tank to add the ammonia than you really haven't started the cycle yet. Plus, with no media in the filter it will be hard for the beneficial bacterial colony's to start. They are most prolific in the media but can also colonize to a lesser degree on the surface of the substrate, plants and decor. Once you add fish to the tank the cycle will start with that fish, but chances are you haven't actually cycled the tank to were you can add fish safely yet unless you want to do a fishy-cycle.

As for the readings you got sometimes rotting/dying plants can cause nitrite in the tank. Also, the bacteria bloom you've noticed is pretty normal when a tank is first set-up. Should go away once you get your plant dosing and nutrients figured out. What is your set-up like? Lights, substrate, dosing...eta...
Click to expand...
Hmm, thanks for the info. I was wondering why I had no ammonia readings but Nitrite reading.. Yes, for sure there is one plant that is "rotting." But that is only due to i havn't had gotten to it yet... It is a bush of glosso.. I got it 3 bushes from my lfs (came in a bush, weird) Anyways, glosso is SOO time consuiming, i only can do one bunch a night. By tonight the glosso will be completly pruned correctly and planted. Thus getting rid of the dieing plants. Other than that, The list of plants that i currently have in the tank are...
- 2 Anubias Coffeefolia (Havn't seen any new leafs or anything, but had to move it and the roots had grown) :)
- alot of glosso (hope it grows) ;)
- 2 Bunches of java fern (some in the ground, some on wood, already growing) :)
- And I also bought 5 bunches of Rotala Rotundifolia (Has grown SOO fast, that I've already had to trim it!!) :)

So, Im doing pretty sucessful so far with my plants.. :) The glosso is still up in the air, but its still early in the game, anything can happen... The only thing that im worried about is with the glosso. It isn't getting all of the nutriets that it requires, but that is only for the fact of if i do have an overload of bacteria in my tank.. I heard that adding ferts and what not could give me green water.. is this true??? I'd like to add some in my tank A.S.A.P. but id rather have th glosso die, than an outbreak...

Anways, As of last night i went out and got some sponge for the filter, and then i also got some Poly Fill. It has been less than 24 hours with thease in my filter and the water is already almost completely clear! :)

And now for the set up....
- substrate = eco complete
- co2 = 3 bottles, diy (yeast, sugar, water)
- filter = H.O.B. (i fill the water level up to the tip of the rip for the least surface agigtation)
- Light = Coralife light, 96 watts (giving me 3.2 watts per gal) 6700K

oh yea, and i also got 3 small shrimp last night too... so i might as well get the cycle going if its not turly started already.. whats the best way to do this? I would still really like to hold off on fish though,... I dont want the fish to mess with the glosso seeming how its not "grounded" yet..

And now after all of that.. feel free to tell me what you think... ;)
 
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What are the parameters of your tap water? Check what you're starting with to figure out what the tank is doing with it.

Mine has chloramines, so after adding conditioner the ammonia is between .25 and .5. It also has 10 ppm of nitrates, so a nitrate reading doesn't necessarily mean the cycle is going. My tank seemed to cycle with just plants, snails and the ammonia in the water changes.
 
I dont think that my tap has much to do with my cycle at the moment..
Yes, i use water conditionar as well... But i dont have any reading of Ammonia or Nitrites in any of my other tanks.... I really dont think my tap is related to this much...
Yes, i know that tap water, after the conditionar has many benifical qualitys that contribute to plants... But i dont think this has anything to do with the cycle...

I think that RowAngel might be on to something...

And also.. if anyone knows the answer to my question in the above paragraphs that i wrote before... (about if its ok to add the ferts now) that would be great... cuz like i said, i would like to add them A.S.A.P. if it is safe and isn't going to put me in a risk or an alge bloom, green water, ect. due to the bacteria that may be in the water...

Thanks
 
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