Is it cycled?

L

lucylou

AC Members
May 12, 2005
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Let me start off by saying I don't have a nitrate or nitrite test. I also don't have a way to get one at least for awhile. I have tested for ammonia and it there has not been any. I am using a drop test kit.

The tank was established for almost a year. I upgraded my tank and moved the filter and fish over. The other tank had the gravel and water in it for a about a day and a half before I added a fish. I got a new filter for the tank and added some more fish. This was a little over a week ago. I have been testing ammonia every other day and nothing has registered. Do you think the tank is cycled? I don't know if there was enough bacteria in the gravel to take care of the ammonia or even if the bacteria would have lived for the time there were not fish in it. But I tend to think it is cycled because there is no ammonia being picked up. Thanks

PS--I hope that made sense
 
The fish are in this tank right? Well no ammonia means you have the first step, but no way to tell if it is actually cycled wothout at leats nitrite. There are 2 types of bacteria, one that changes ammonia to nitrite(safe to assume you have this one established) and one to break nitrite into nitrate(no way of knowing without your handy dandt test kit).
 
Yes, there are fish in this tank. 17 tetras. If it was taking care of the ammonia would it be safe to assume my bacteria in the tank did not die off?

Is it safe to add more fish as long as I still watch my ammonia level?
 
I don't mean to sound snotty, but why would you get more fish when you can't get a no2 or no3 tester?

I wouldn't feel comfortable, personally, getting more fish in a tank where I couldn't provide a safe home. I would make getting the test kit my priority, whatever the reason is you can't get it, then get the fish. It seems a little irresponsible otherwise.

If you added the old gravel and decor, it probably held some of the bacteria, as long as the gravel that was on the surface ofthe old tank, is now on the surface of the new. If it gets burried it won't work.

Do you still have your old filter media in the new filter? If you do, that is awsome, if you don't it needs to build a colony.

what was the size of the old tank and the new tank? If you have 0 ammonia, it ight be taking a while to build up esp. if your new set up is large.

Keep your eye on the ammonia, and try for the other tests. You may have to recycle.
 
If you moved over the filter and fish, the filter should have enough to maintain the fish, just like in the old tank. But without the tests, it is hard to say for sure. I would take a water sample to your LFS and not add anything before you know for sure if you are cycled and do some extra water changes in the meantime!
 
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