Stalled cycle? Or normal?

[KarlTh]

Plants can consume ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. In fact they need them. If you were to take an aquarium and plant it wall to wall and put .5 inches of fish per gallon (within reason) you would not have to cycle at all.

The fact that you are starting to see nitrates means you are getting close to the finish.

:thm:

Less than that. Moderately planted tanks often (IME) do not really need any bacterial filtration as it's all taken up by the plants. I never see nitrate in mine, so at some point in the nitrogen cycle the plants are taking it all up.

I don't think inches of fish mean anything, though - we live in a universe where volume increases with the cube of length.

 

[colinsk]

Yes, I agree, I was trying to keep it simple. I know Diana Walstead will plant a tank and then add the full fish load the next day but she is also a master of diagnosing problems. I figured 1/2 a load would give a newbee more time to work on problems.

Certainly 8" of oscar in a fully planted 10 gallon would not work out.

 

[x3ro]

Wow came home to a suprise.

Just tested, and my ammonia was down to 0-.25ppm.... I think it was closer to 0, as there wasn't really any green in the color. It was a semi-dark yellow..

Nitrites are still hard to read... somewhere between 1-5ppm.. The 1 and 5 colors are pretty close.

How unusual is it to have a tank cycling so fast? I've only been dosing ammonia for two weeks now.

 

[jpappy789]

What test kit are you using?

Are you continuing the ammonia dosing?

 

[x3ro]

What test kit are you using?

Are you continuing the ammonia dosing?

I'm using the API master freshwater liquid kit.

I dosed last night up to 4-5ppm of ammonia!

 

[jpappy789]

Sounds like it is coming along, just keep dosing the ammonia low. Once the ammonia and nitrites are consistently zero after dosing you are ready to stock.