# Help w/ fish cycling and fishless cycling



## wlfspirit (Nov 16, 2010)

Hi Everyone!
I have had my 20g planted tank cycling for about 6-7 weeks. I have 4 tiger barbs and 2 pepper corys in this tank. I have been doing daily 33% water changes due to an ammonia issue. Ammonia .5 ppm, nitrites 0 ppm, nitrates 10 ppm, PH 6.2-6.6 (stable), KH 75, KH 0. Should I continue the daily water changes until the ammonia reads 0? I may have been feeding too much as well, feed once daily instead of 2 times? My tank is finally clearing and the plants are cleaner, once I found the 2 bulbs buried that hadn't sprouted! Once this tank completes the cycle and is stable, can I add poss. 2 more fish and what kind w/ the tiger barbs would you suggest? 

I also have a 10g tank fishless cycling that I will put 2 bloodfin tetras(I have them in a 3 gal tank) once it finishes cycling. I put 3 teasp. ammonia in to bring the level to 5-6 ppm. Does anyone have suggestions for fishless cycling?

Thanks for any help and suggestions!

Debbie


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

never done fishless cycling myself, so I can't comment on that one

but yeah if your dosing that 20 gallon twice a day with food, you're definitely over feeding them. I did the same thing when I first set up my 10 gallon because I was told it was alright the feed them twice a day, and my ammonia went off the scale in the matter of a week! I don't even feed a cycling tank once a day anymore; just once every other day. the fish are going to make enough waste to kick start the cycle, so there's no need to have excess food in there amplifying the effect

if you're ammonia is only at .5, I would let it ride and let the natural nitrogen cycle take care of it. you have to let the nitrite producing bacterium catch up so you'll see a little spike in it while at the same time the ammonia will begin to fall. then the nitrates will pick up for a bit and you'll notice the nitrites will start to fall. it just sounds like it's trying to catch up because of the overfeeding. you're nitrates should settle around 25-35, which is good

personally were it me, I'd cut back to a feeding every other day, and cut the water changes down to once a week. keep track of your levels, and you'll probably notice some nitrites showing up and the ammonia dropping the the matter of a week

don't add any more fish until the tank is stable, and has been for a week or two, otherwise you'll disrupt the hole cycle and have to do through the ammonia spikes again. what kind of plants are these, and how many? if it's heavily planted, you might not notice much of a nitrite spike. but if it's just small plants, or are still bulbs like you mentioned, the spikes will be very visible.

also, what are you using to test the levels, strips, or a liquid kit?


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## wlfspirit (Nov 16, 2010)

Hi and thanks so much for the reply! When I first started the tank, I was testing with the strips. I then saw the API test kit with the test tubes? well, me being in the medical field just KNEW that test tubes was the way to go *r2 lol. I noticed that there was a great discrepancy between the two so now, I stick to the liquid to test. As far as plants go, I have quite a few. Moneywort, 2 banana plants,1 red tiger lotus,1 red cryptocoryne, elodea or pondweed, micro java, and I have 2 plants in there that I'm not sure are true aquatic plants. One of them is a aqua fern and the other is kyoto grass plant. If you know about the last 2 mentioned, let me know, 'cause I may have to remove those two. I had been dosing 1-2 times a week w/flourish trace but, slacked off while trying to tend to the water parameters. 

I think that this is the lowest my ammonia levels have been for awhile....haven't seen the barbs or the corys so active! My Rascal (yellow tabby cat) will be quite disappointed in the weekly water changes instead of every nite! He loves water and when I turn my back he is trying to get into the water bucket! *r2


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

I agree with feeding every other day. Keep an eye on the ammonia and only if it gets worse do a partial water change. Have you tested your tap water to make sure there is no ammonia or anything in it? It usually does not but stranger things have happened.

I always do fishless cycles and always will I think they are the best. I added 1 flake of fish food (it was a 15gal tank, so the bigger the tank the more food) every day until the tank was finished cycling. Even then, I still added to food every day until I added my fish to the tank. Didn't want the bacteria I was trying to build to starve to death. To m, that's the best, easiest and most uncomplicated way to go.


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## wlfspirit (Nov 16, 2010)

Hi and thanks for the suggestions! I tested my tap water and the ph is 6.0 and the ammonia was 0 ppm. In the 10g is where I am cycling fishless. I have already added 2 tsp of ammonia to bring the level to 5-6 ppm. I read somewhere online that I can use ammonia and to check the levels each day and add enough to maintain the level at 5-6 ppm. Then, when the level reaches 0 and nitrites show, add a little ammonia to feed the bacteria. If I started with the ammonia, could I switch and use the food and will it be as effective? The good thing is there are no fish to harm here. The 2 bloodfin tetras in my 3g is what I am cycling this tank for.

Any suggestions with additional fish to go w/ 2 bloodfin tetras in the 10g? Also, once I complete the cycling in my 20g planted tank, suggestions for any additional fish to go w/ tiger barbs and 2 corys?

Thanks!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I wouldn't do water changes unless my levels were above 1. Keeping it at 1 or below can be difficult enough.


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## PolymerTim (Sep 22, 2009)

wlfspirit said:


> Hi and thanks for the suggestions! I tested my tap water and the ph is 6.0 and the ammonia was 0 ppm. In the 10g is where I am cycling fishless. I have already added 2 tsp of ammonia to bring the level to 5-6 ppm. I read somewhere online that I can use ammonia and to check the levels each day and add enough to maintain the level at 5-6 ppm. Then, when the level reaches 0 and nitrites show, add a little ammonia to feed the bacteria. If I started with the ammonia, could I switch and use the food and will it be as effective? The good thing is there are no fish to harm here. The 2 bloodfin tetras in my 3g is what I am cycling this tank for.
> 
> Any suggestions with additional fish to go w/ 2 bloodfin tetras in the 10g? Also, once I complete the cycling in my 20g planted tank, suggestions for any additional fish to go w/ tiger barbs and 2 corys?
> 
> Thanks!


Quick reply, then I've got to run to work. I did this fishless cycling just as you stated with pure ammonia (make sure it is colorless). It worked just fine. Took about 8 weeks. I had nitrites through the roof for a few weeks until the second bacteria caught up, but they literally disappeared overnight (converted to nitrates) just when I had lost hope. Then I did a 90% water change to bring the levels down and fed it for another day or two to stabilize before doing another large water change and adding fish. Everything went very smoothly and haven't seen a sign of ammonia or nitrites since (about 1 year now) even after adding new fish.

-Tim


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

2 tsps for a 10g? Must be some really diluted stuff. I was putting 4-5 tsps in a 125g tank.


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## probe1957 (Jul 2, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> 2 tsps for a 10g? Must be some really diluted stuff. I was putting 4-5 tsps in a 125g tank.


That's persactly what I was thinking. I believe I put 2 tsp in my 75 gal to start my cycle.

ETA: Of course, I did pee in my tank too.


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