# HELP!! Cycling new tank



## tulip55555 (May 7, 2011)

Hello All. I am not new to fishkeeping, but it has been MANY years since I have had an aquarium....wayyyy before the internet. Back then I didn't have a clue about cycling to the extent that I do now. I would set up the tank, run it for a few days and add fish a little at a time. NEVER had a problem, rarely lost fish....even angelfish. 

So this is where I'm at now...PH 7.6, Ammonia .5, No nitrites or nitrates, temp 78F. 
I have a 40g tall that is 1 week old. I used Nutrafin Cycle for 3 days as directed and added 5 danios after that. They are doing well, so the next day I added an albino cory. My chemistry was good then, no ammonia or nitrites/trates. 
The next day I got a small spike in ammonia, et al. The cory did not do well so I did a 25% water change and added Amquel to try and make the cory more comfortable. It really didn't change anything for him, but he is still alive.

My current chemistry is up top. It's been 2 days since adding the Amquel. Oh, and last night I added a little more Nutrafin in the hopes that it would do something for the ammonia.

My concerns are...
1. I do realize now that the Nutrafin did not instantly cycle my tank. have i ruined the cycle in any way? or have I just made it harder to monitor my progress by adding the Amquel? 
2. I was told not to add live plants yet because they decay in new aquariums, but I can't help wondering if they might help in this situation.

ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

Cory's are not a good choice to go in a aquarium during the cycle. They are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite.

When cycling with fish water changes are done to keep ammonia and nitrite levels below 0.50ppm. You may have to change out 50% daily for a time to accomplish this.

The cycle is completed when ammonia/nitrite levels are zero and nitrates are present. This can take six to twelve weeks.

What are you using to test your water?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

tulip55555 said:


> My concerns are...
> 1. I do realize now that the Nutrafin did not instantly cycle my tank. have i ruined the cycle in any way? or have I just made it harder to monitor my progress by adding the Amquel?
> 2. I was told not to add live plants yet because they decay in new aquariums, but I can't help wondering if they might help in this situation.


1. Nutrafin, as far as I know, will not ruin the establishment of a nitrogen cycle, so you're good there.
2. Plants LOVE nitrogen, and the easiest way for them to get it is through ammonia. The next hardest is nitrite, and the very hardest is nitrate. So adding plants is a great idea in the beginning because they will thrive and your fish will benefit. Plants "melt" in the beginning if they were grown out of water, then the leaves which are used to air suffocate, die, and melt away underwater, after which new aquatic leaves will sprout. The ammonia generated by decaying plant matter is marginal compared to that generated by live fish.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Whatever you do, don't add anymore fish until the cycle has completed.


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## tulip55555 (May 7, 2011)

rtbob- I am using an API drop test

gtm- extremely helpful!! I wanted to add plants and the guy at the pet store told me it would decay and worsen the water conditions, then promptly sold me a bottle of Amquel! ARGH! I think I am going to try that straight away.

jrman- I assure you that I won't add any more fish. I have had some monster headaches worrying about these fish!! I wish I had done this fishless, but I really believed in the Nutrafin.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

tulip55555 said:


> rtbob- I am using an API drop test
> 
> gtm- extremely helpful!! I wanted to add plants and the guy at the pet store told me it would decay and worsen the water conditions, then promptly sold me a bottle of Amquel! ARGH! I think I am going to try that straight away.
> 
> jrman- I assure you that I won't add any more fish. I have had some monster headaches worrying about these fish!! I wish I had done this fishless, but I really believed in the Nutrafin.


You've fallen prey to a classic pitfall - thinking fish salespeople know what they're talking about. Half the time, they just want to make a sale and don't really care what happens to your fish or your tank. AmQuel is great at making ammonia non-toxic, but in binding to the ammonia to neutralize it the AmQuel makes the ammonia harder to remove or be digested by nitrifying bacteria or plants. Your best bet is a bunch of fast growing plants (wisteria is my favorite), and the Nutrafin.

Nutrafin is a great supplement, but in no way is it the magic tank starter it's claimed to be. I swear by Tetra SafeStart when starting my tanks, but I'll never dump a bottle in and add fish instantly, which it says you can do on the bottle. I'll add some ammonia (in the form of a rotting piece of raw seafood, in my preferred case), some SafeStart, and test the water daily until I see the right readings.


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## tulip55555 (May 7, 2011)

gtm- regarding the Amquel-that's what I meant in my original question about ruining the cycle. i figured that something like that would happen, but it occurred to me a little too late.
I did go buy one moneywort plant today. I am hoping the plant might carry some nitrifying bacteria. That would be a great bonus! What do you think?
I was pretty unimpressed with the Nutrafin. I did read some things here in the forum about SafeStart. I think I will try that. It is also half the price of nutrafin! 
By the way-you don't put the rotting meat in when you have fish in the tank, correct?
Thanks so much. You have been so helpful. I really appreciate it


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

tulip55555 said:


> 1. I did go buy one moneywort plant today. I am hoping the plant might carry some nitrifying bacteria. That would be a great bonus! What do you think?
> 2. I was pretty unimpressed with the Nutrafin. I did read some things here in the forum about SafeStart. I think I will try that. It is also half the price of nutrafin!
> 3. By the way-you don't put the rotting meat in when you have fish in the tank, correct?


1. The moneywort will have some bacteria colonies on it, but more importantly the plant itself will consume ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate from the water.
2. I've never used Nutrafin, but honestly the reputation of both it and SafeStart is shoddy. If you look on the bottle of SafeStart it says "patent pending", meaning everything they claim is in there might not be in there after all. Time, in my opinion, is the best way to establish a cycle.
3. Of course not  It's the source of ammonia UNTIL the fish get in there, then I net it out. However, I've left parts in sometimes that the shrimp end up eating.


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