Ikape, S. I. I assume you are located elsewhere in the world? Hi Ian. Im among those who was told by a big pet store that I only had to wait 48 hours to add fish, so Im now trying to run a fish-in cycle with 6 fish (3 guppies, 3 guaramos) in a 20g tank that I started 9 days ago it showed its first ammonia (0.5) today and I treated with Prime. And since you are using prime, all ammonia in your tank if there is any is converted to ammonium anyway. Hope you are well since we havent talked in a while. Also, since I did some water changes and used that AmmoBlock did I disrupt the cycling process? Ammonia is what I would have expected to see by now and its basically the starting point. The instructions on seachem prime should say 1 capful (5 ml) for each 200 L (50 gallons). If you wanted to be safe, since your readings are zero, waiting 24 hours wont hurt. Natural light is best for color matching. Some gloves would be nice too, so I dont have to hospital scrub every time. Thank you so much. You bet. Ive only been doing this for 5 days, so should I just keep it up and be patient? I was so excited! A full (or nearly full) loaf of bread can be sliced before freezing, allowing you to remove just the number of slices desired. If Im adding prime to it every day how will I know if ammonia and nitrites are present but locked up. I assume that the ammonia and nitrite will get another small spike when adding a third fish to the system. When was the last time you performed a water change? They are also the easiest to hold small fiddly items with, like aquascaping scissors I am yet to find a better compromise on hand movement and protection. Tested my tap water for nitrates you were right there too! maybe I should do a 50% change after completing the cycle, wait a week and then start replacing filters? Try testing your water straight out of the tap. Okay so I am going insane. You do a water change based on the test results, there isnt a set schedule here and will vary from tank to tank. You can add the Safe Start. Im going to order some 50 micron pads just to see if they have more of an effect. The good news is that you can pretty much swap on the fly, there shouldnt be any issues here. Do I choose if I am going to cycle with EITHER water changes/OR prime because I have been doing both? There was another commenter further down, Catherine, who experienced the same dealing with fin rot for her betta while cycling. No, it doesnt look gunky AND his tank *still* isnt cycled (ammonia and nitrite just hovering at 0.25; dont even bother with the nitrate for now); were already accepting that his will take awhile because of the daily water changes. Were pressing on with the cycling ammonia still at the same 0.25ish level and zero nitrites/trate. Have a great day! Ive been adding in the tap water to the tank and then immediately adding the prime. Im fine with water changes when I see some ammonia and just hanging in there, but should I be concerned about the pH, or remove the wood? if so , should I do the double dose recommended for new aquariums? I believe your assessment that my tank has cycled is correct. Do you think I actually have nitrates in my tank? I have API pH increase if we need to be in 7.2-7.4 range for now on the advice of an olde fish man add no Chemicals until its Time. With these details, can you please tell me whether Im in the right direction, I just need to continue monitoring water parameters waiting for the pond to get cycled. In the wild, a hand fed meal wouldnt come along every day. Monitor your nitrites and nitrate for movement too if it looks like this have stalled. Unfortunately, its often luck of the draw as to how long the cycle can take. When you say darting, is she flashing? Oh and one last thing- the pet store also told me I should NOT be dosing with prime at all (I told them how I am doing my in fish cycle the way you describe) and they looked at me like I was a crazy person. I have been cycling my tank (29 Gallon) I added 2 small Oscars as I wait for my 125 tank to cycle and the fish to grow. We use Prime and API Quick Start. nitrite My old brain often gets mixed up when replying to so many different comments. It showed no ammonia, but the nitrites were as high as they could be. And yes, gourami. Theyll get used to it. Im nearing the end of week 2 and my current numbers are Ammonia at 2.0, nitrite at around .5 and nitrate at around 10. Its a lot simpler than my long-winded replies make it sound, thats for sure. Thanks in advance. The heat treatment destroys all heat sensitive bacterial and spores, inactivate the enzymes, and cook the fish so that the product remains acceptable to the consumer after prolonged storage without refrigeration. In a fish-in cycle, the primary focus is on keeping your fish alive rather than the speed of the cycle. Once you get to tanks this size, I suggest using a water changer instead of siphoning into a bucket its going to save you a lot of time and effort, depending on how far your tank is from the nearest water source. Also, I wouldnt expect to see any movement yet. Once the nitrogen cycle has started, it consistently runs in the background. Plus Ive found an employee at PetSmart who is an enthusiast and was the one who suggested the Seachem (along with a Redditor from the aquarium subreddit. I guess what Im trying to say in a rambling way is that its up to you. She is swimming around and super happy!! I do have a question though.. You are correct here, its pretty much a case of transferring as much stuff over as possible, gravel, your filter, water, anything else, get it in there. Even your 3 guppies would be too much for the 5 gallon. It is also possible that the fish has non-noticable symptoms of other diseases or even parasites that are stressing it out, and despite your best efforts, it was too far gone from its previous home to be saved. I started running the tap water already pre-warmed as hot & cold run out of one faucet outlet I added 5 cc of Prime to my pump while its filling. Youll know they need replacing because they will begin to dissolve or crumble. If it is not normal, what do you recommend? Its clear you have your head around testing and cycling, so if you feel its better to mix things up then go for it. Its been a couple weeks and Im getting readings of 5-10 ppm Nitrates. I had to go out of town for a few days, and when I got back, things are looking much better: Ammonia is testing at near zero (using the API test kit; some days there is just a tinge of green, but lighter than the .25 mark), nitrites are consistently 0. You can find my reviews here. Im currently in Week 3 of a Fish in cycle (relocating Goldfish from an overcrowded tank, so figured they were no worse off with fish-in cycle than they were before). Im running a Fluval G6 and right before plugging in the pump, I put a whole bottle of One and Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria by Dr Tim. If you add it immediately after the water change, that should be fine. Thank you so much for this incredibly helpful information. Its not perfect, but to someone just starting, its much better than guessing! We have a fluval 70 gallon filter. HI, I have a 40gal. Wishing you all the best in your future fishkeeping endeavors . However I also have a smaller, 5g tank that was newly set up, doesnt have fish yet, and hasnt started its cycle yet its only been running for 2 days. How how often you change the water over is a judgement call according to your tank. When you performed a water change, its possible some of these oils were removed, causing it to clear up. On a side note, do you agree that Bettas *should* have a filter? Thanks. Heck, if I dont have the answer than Ill go and find it for myself, so I learn too! Guide to Product Shelf Life Kosher Certification Our Humble Beginnings Shipping Policy Contact Fish Friday Shop Account Site navigation. Ammolock shouldnt have disrupted the cycle. I also add a capful of Dr. Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria everyday. This will allow the remaining half that have the beneficial bacteria to colonize the new half. It can help remove tannins from water (if you have driftwood) and bad smells, but for tanks like yours, the weekly clean and waterchange should be all thats needed to keep water clear and healthy dont forget to gravel vac! Thank you!! Morning readings same as ever. Etc. Yesterday I did a 50% water change to see if that could help? Thank you for your help! , fluorescent pseudomonads, and other spoilage bacteria increase rapidly and produce many proteolytic and hydrolytic enzymes. Im not saying this to be petty, its important to figure out what is happening here as if its seachem prime and its concentrated then you are at risk of dosing too much and harming your tank. You are 100% correct, fish tanks become that relaxing feature in the room everyone talks about at this point but its often anything but relaxing getting here. I am going to test again when its light outside and if I see 0 everything or .25 ammo and 0 nitrites and nitrates should I do a water change or just let it be? Scrub the tube? My nitrite is also getting lower then it originally was. And hopefully just a rinse with hot water will be ok with this option? Its been a pleasure chatting with you, best wishes. Im bookmarking your site; its been the most helpful in my frantic googling. And if it is should the cloudiness go away on its own? Before I found your site, I had ordered a free ammonia vs a total ammonia test from seachem. Sponge can last between 6-12 months and ceramic rings often last for years and years. 1) In all honesty, its hard to say *how* bad .25 of ammonia is for a fish. Thanks for all your help Ian! Second option is likely easier. . On the plus side, he is past his fin rot and recovering well, almost 98% regrown yay! He is swimming fine. Oh, Im so relieved to hear that! I have a slightly weird question today, so please bear with me! Would you recommend using something else for biomedical? And nothing I read seems to match what Ive seen happening. Jackpot! While you dont want high levels of ammonia and nitrites, *some* amount needs to be there. I have a 250 gallon Marine tank and when I do my water changes Im removing a lot of water. I will continue to do water changes daily and am going to purchase the Seachem conditioner tomorrow. Is there a way that I can reduce the nitrates in my tap water to keep my fish happy? Example: I checked nitrite and nitrate this morning and I got the following readings: NO3 = 10, NO2 = 0.6. Thanks, I spent some much needed downtime with my fish! Hi Ian, KH. You can do a water change whenever you want. If you do weekly for instance, you can do half one week and half another. 5 gallon tanks are not good for much other than shrimp/snail tanks or a lone betta. I have read up a lot of dosing with a bottle of Fluval biological enhancer, the reviews (and I read so many) claim it cycled their tanks within days. Still zero nitrites and nitrates. My fish is just hovering at the bottom again. Id start dosing with prime now. Exact same thing on the 28th. Questions: do I even need to cycle this tank since its so low? Any ideas on how I can get things going in the tank instead of holding at 1ppm ammonia and no nitrites? Question i have is how much if any will my tank cycle? I repeated this process for a week, and saw that the nitrites went through the charts. Id advise joining a Online Aquarium Forum if you want a community to talk to and gather feedback off. let me know if you recommend prime over top fin water conditioner for water changes after the cycle is finished and I will just get rid of the top fin conditioner. Hey there! Its just a matter of more patience. Just learned about testing water (master kit) a week ago. These compounds include guaiacol, creosol, pyrogallol, which have a high phenol that acts against. For pH balancing, Id focus on the KH article (so as not to confusethe issue too much, for pH its the more important of the two) It also might be worth checking in with a local fish store (try to avoid petco, petsmart or any other big box chain) this fishstore should be using the same or similar water to you. There are three modes of fish spoilage: Oxidation, Enzymatic and Microbial spoilage. But after that, its smooth sailing! The water runs through the cartridge then over this pad back into the tank. Hello Ian, I have looked at that site before and I have no doubt you are correct that there are small particles floating in the tank. Its the first time I have seen it get better without a wc. After increasing and stabilizing my aquariums pH, I was able to successfully do a fish-in cycle using your instructions with water changes. I thought Id let you know that all my fish are doing super great, thanks in large part to your help and advice, and Ive recently upgraded them to a 75 gallon. The beneficial bacteria supplement may or may not impact the speed of your cycle at all, but it certainly wont slow down the appearance of nitrites. Truth be told, whether you do a prime cycle or a water change cycle, youll be using a little of the other sometimes ammonia or nitrite spikes and you need to quickly get it down, a water change is the quickest and most effective way of doing that. After a week, you will notice that your ammonia levels are not rising as quickly as they were before. He has now gone back to swimming up top and other usual guppy things. That must be so confusing! My only suggestion would be to grab a filter, if you have not already. Ive never personally experienced anything like it. If its not enough, add the difference directly to your tank. This time, if your combined ppm of ammonia and nitrite reaches 4, perform a 50% water change. I wouldnt rely on a lime rock for your beneficial bacteria, the sponges are going to do most of the heavy lifting. Im thinking of feeding them lightly every other day for a while, thats what Ive been doing so far and they seem OK with it. Ammonia should be detectable unless its being removed by something. Open the valve wider to reduce the current. Unfortunately, I cannot provide guidance as to which test kit is accurate based on your results. Then a week or 2 later added TO MANY fish aprox 15 at oncelesson learned! And record these. Im sure Gup and co will love it. Retrieved from http://www.springer.com/series/7131. Unfortunately I do not have the ability to receive photos through comments. Seachem Prime is a complete water conditioner, in addition to treating ammonia and nitrite, it also dechlorinates. The shelf-life of fish could be extended by using MAP containing CO. which has been shown to retard the growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. If you are adding ammonia, and cant read it, then something is off. Depending on what the secondary infection is, you may need a specific medication. Also, it sounds like your tank may be a little overstocked. We will update you on new newsroom updates. Dont sweat it, getting poor advice as a beginner is sadly a rite of passage in the hobby. It doesnt hold waste. How long do you personally quarantine for? Today it is down to 7.2. Those results look roughly normal and the 50% water change sounds right on par, although you may need to do a second one as well (ideally you want to keep the nitrates down under 40, under 10 is better) but otherwise everything looks good for day 11! It is for this reason that if you are going to use it, you should place it last, *after* the ceramic rings. Is the 0.5 ppm measurement before or after you are performing the water changes? Nitrite 0 Ive slowed down feedings. Then I did a 7 day treatment of Seachem Stability. Just keep doing what you are doing and your tank will eventually be cycled Unfortunately, its just a waiting game here. Thank you. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to reduce the risk to zero, said Food Standards Scotland. Lipid hydrolysis and oxidation cause belly burst in fish in which the enzymes and microorganisms of the digestive tract cause massive gas development. That are left I lost quite a few fish in this tank. Ones little smaller and one is slightly bigger. Or should it be more frequent, like fortnightly? Thanks, Ian, you are right about fish output being inevitable! , Vol. It wont harm the cycle and may even make it easier for you to keep track of what is happening (youll notice the lower ends of the test card are closer together, making it easier to see how fast a parameter is rising or falling. Sure enough, it felt slimy, but came off easily and still hasnt returned since. Ive been doing a lot of research and am just not sure about water changes at this point. I bought some ceramic media from a more reputable fish store in my area, but am confused where to put it in the TopFin filter. These things take practice but eventually youll be gravel vaccing like a pro. Fish can be hard to return or rehome once they are in your posession. I only ask as in the USA, the federal standard for the nitrate limit is 10 ppm your drinking water is 4 x that! Is there anything else you would suggest I do? Dont worry, once you get your head around it all, it gets considerably easier it becomes less about tinkering and more about enjoying the tank. Its the beneficial bacterias job to remove ammonia since its the cycle that keeps the tank healthy. So when you do your water change, you arent really reducing the colony of beneficial bacteria in your tank. So, what is the correct number of fish to use in a fish-in cycle? I was ready to take him back but after calling the shop I was told that he should be fine as hes a hardy type of fish. If you need more room you can replace the activated carbon stage 2 and eventually stage 3 (after cycling). Cartriges have carbon but thinking I need to purchase a simple sponge cartridge instead, as the carbon is maybe too much. You want some KH cause otherwise your PH levels can fluctuate very quick which is very bad for fish. I would add an extra ppm of ammonia or 2, just in case. I havent done anything besides prime dosing and testing with occasional feedings. I think one tetra for a 60 gal tank is maybe not producing enough waste to make things happen quickly. You will eventually notice that your ammonia drops to zero. Also, I dont know what thread I read but I saw a comment about how I need to keep my PH below 7 when treating a sick betta and anything above 7 releases the toxic parts of ammonia, is this true. I have a Fluval Spec V 5 gallon tank and the pump it came with has a really strong flow even on the lowest setting. This is a wonderful article. I should use prime every 48 hours, increasing the dose after about two weeks when Nitrites become present. I appreciate all your comments and help. For example, a 30% water change would roughly lower these levels by 30% if they were already barely readable, then it could have reduced them to zero. 2) For every opinion online, youll find an opposing view. Another advice: never trust the petshop sellers. I am also sure that a lot of people stuck with the hobby due to your swift and helpful support. If I do that, how do I not lose all the good stuff built up in to the old cartridge? So sorry this isnt quite related, but would you know why a guppy might keep staying at the bottom of the tank? Now I have not cleaned out the filters since Ive treated, but I have replaced the cartridges a couple times. Therefore I decided to use some sodium bicarbonate to bring it up. The last reading I took measured no ammonia, no nitrites, no nitrates, and very basic water (it was at least 7.6) Ive also been seeing Bettys gills going more than I would like. When you changed the filter, you might have caused your cycle to restart (did you keep the old filter running, add filter media to your new filter or remove it completely?) Based on your dosing, you are treating a 50 gallon tank. I have a betta in a heated and filtered 5 gal tank. In this process, heat treatment is applied to fish in sealed containers made of tin plates, aluminum cans or glass, until the product has been fully sterilized. Have a lovely day! And, many fish wont survive the process. Oh breeding fish put on one fun show. Lets say your tank produces a constant 0.5 ppm and never rises higher. Around this time I also got a visit from my aquatic veterinarian who helped my smallest goldfish get his jaw back in place. I believe Ive reached the end of it but Im not sure. It is for this reason that you need to dose regularly with Seachem Prime, to keep these nasties locked up. You are dosing for the entire volume of water because your fish is constantly producing ammonia inside the tank, and its not a controlled amount. I have one bottom feeder (kuhli loach) and I wanted to make sure it was eating too. They also had me add Aqua life activate along with my 2 Glo Fish tetras. Nitrate Surimi is a product prepared from either deboned meat or fillet. I returned the dead fish to Petsmart, they gave me 4 more, I added a bio-starter, and the next batch of 4 died within 3 hours. Im a little confused as to why you would want to remove your filter? Your response has calmed me down a bit. When the tank is cycled, it should stay consistently that right? There isnt any new ragginess on him thankfully, but we just did a water test and the results are curious ammonia was 0.25 (with a hint of yellow) and nitrite was 0. How regularly are you performing these water changes? Its possible that the water change you did dropped the ammonia back down to zero. A 33% water change will reduce your ammonia by roughly 33%. However, she has been just fine and I went in today and noticed she was laying at the bottom again but I believe the last time I wrote you about her I was worried because she was just lying there and I thought she was dying. Using a plastic pipette with fine readings will make it easiest to measure out the prime. Sometimes wonder how many of them get hurt or sucked away as we plough in there. The shelf life is highly related to the storage temperature. Im glad to hear the bigger take migration didnt cause any issues. They are the worst thing for the hobby. I always use dechlorinated water when performing water changes, even if our water contains no chlorine anyways, so this should not be a factor for the bacteria. A test reading of 4.0 would be perfectly safe. I dont know about you, but I dont think its particularly feasible. But what if neither of these is an option? It is by far the best Ive found on the topic. (Following better instructions than came with the kit) Do you happen to know if growing plants affects this cycle? I am a bit puzzled, but am I on the right track thinking that (a) the water change would not have affected nitrates if they were present, because the bacteria live in the filter medium, and that (b) as long as there are is no ammonia, and no nitrates, there must be some level of nitrates or that wouldnt be the case? Thank you i tested nitrite and its light blue 0 ppm and nitrate yellow 0 ppm. Have a wonderful new week! But for me they were in a very good health!! If its this, then its a harmless and somewhat expected. anyways I literally spend 200$ a week for the last 2 months or so on these dang fish lol Im obsessed so I am trying to be more mindful of what I buy. Hello, again Ian I promise I feel were almost done thanks to you so it should be no time before you dont wake up to my name every day LOL I know those are a few different issues I covered so I hope I was clear on each and I would love to somehow give you a donation or something for your time and kindness Ian. 2) Dirty gravel Every time you replace your filter cartridge, you are essentially throwing out beneficial bacteria. Some of you might only need to do a water change twice a week, but others might need to do it twice a day. I have read it repeatedly, soaking up the information, but I still have some questions. To me, your priority is figuring out what is going on with your testing, as at least one of these shouldnt be zero. If it comes back positive for nitrites, congratulations!. .75 Too busy and sick and things seemed ok or the same at the time. Canned or shelf-stable* smoked seafood. At the end of the day, its your call. The pet store sold me a bottle of TopFin quick start bacteria thats why he said it was safe to add in fish right away does that actually work? Thanks. Freshwater fish dont need salt otherwise, in most cases it causes stress. I did not introduce any ammonia at all..I just set up the aquarium and used topfin water conditioner ..and a root tab for plants coz Im using the topfin gravel.. Your thoughts are correct here, I would continue to test daily and wait. The microbial growth in fish is the main cause of fish spoilage and produces amines, biogenic amines, organic acids, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones with unpleasant and off-flavors. How long its been since you started your fish-in cycle. I was also adding TopFin bacteria supplement but I dont think it did anything. A 10 gal might be a little tight for this, so you might want to consider another type of fish? What does your test kit return for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Next question: Should you keep doing daily water changes? A water change can get this back down to lower levels, which will make it easier to see if its still rising. I use ich-x in my quarantine tank. Can you please confirm again when I should be doing water changes? Then about a week ago our own API testing kit arrived, and our ammonia was very high (2ppm). Im starting to appreciate whoever said that having an aquarium is more about keeping water than keeping fish. As per instructions, whenever combined ammonia and nitrite reach 4ppm or to get your nitrates down to measurable levels. Molded and ribbed back for maximum water-to-carbon contact. I continue to dose with prime daily. With or without bottled bacteria I have seen many tanks cycle both in under a week or over 2 months. On another note, what would account for an occasional re-appearance of ammonia in a cycled tank? Did those ammonia absorbing crystals break apart and leave tiny pieces in the aquarium? Canning. Its not as powerful a filter as Gups, so well see. Deterioration and shelf-life extension of fish and fishery products by modified atmosphere packaging. I added some Tetra Safe Start directly into the filter and some more into the tank and 3 days later, the cycle was complete. I asked around forums and some people with extensive planted tank experience said my plants may be sucking up a lot of the ammonia and not to fret with enough hungry plants the cycle can be completely or partially silent. He used to be all typical crazy swimming guppy, so not sure what to doany ideas? I waited too long to check the last post, I ended up taking out one of the cartridges, waited 4 days and replaced the other cartridge. Does that sound reasonable? Thanks for being an awesome person and rescuing a Betta! I will continue to religiously monitor it though. At this stage, the beneficial bacteria are eating them as quickly as they are being produced. I just recently got a betta fish and Im doing a fish in cycle (unfortunately). Not a problem, Im here to help the best I can. In Stage 2: Activated carbon inside filter cartridge removes odors, discolorations and impurities. I thought the liquid test kits looked more expensive but I didnt understand how long they could last thanks for saving me some $$$! Congratulations for making it to this point, I truly mean that. I tried to wait 36 hours before water change and then the nitrate reaches 15, but the nitrites would be dangerously high (= 0.7). Were not mad about having so many filters in there haha. No hiccups with the water chemistry. Have we finished cycling? She has a 3.5 gallon tank for a betta fish. Ill continue daily monitoring of everything, and keep in mind your information about soft water. I also got them a ton of healthy plants from a cool LFS I found this week. When it comes to advice from the professional on YouTube, I agree with your reasoning. It will still happen, it just takes longer. Thats fine. Mine have long since come to terms with coming home and seeing a large chunk of driftwood sitting in boiling water on the stove. Please help me why ammonia not lowering down to 0..am I doing the right cycle? Its hard to say, it could be the initial ammonia caused permanent damage and the effects are just now being seen. I am not overly familiar with safe but it looks just like a water conditioner. Thank you so much for your time and care, Quick question please! If the filter is rated for the new tank, and the beneficial bacteria is still alive, the cycle process will be instant or a few days at most. On the prime question, .05 ml. It doesnt show in the vials prior to testing, but it is visible in a 16 oz. When I bought everything from PetSmart, the lady failed to mention the nitrogen cycle, so I just put all of the fish in the tank with the water. The start and end are the same, but the middle gets a little odd. I decided to test for nitrates out of curiosity and it shows 5.0 ppm. It will make rinsing and replacing sooo much easier. My last tank took me almost a month to completely cycle. During this cirkus, our female started showing aggression towards the other two, to a point where whe would damage their fins and skin. On the add a fish, its a judgement call as to whether or not you add it now or later. I made the mistake of keeping a mesh bag filled with White Diamond (CHEMICAL NEUTRALIZING CRYSTALS) because it said that it would help during the break-in period which I thought was referring to cycling. I checked the water parameters many times during the three weeks at the pet store, (they used liquid testers) and was told that it was safe to add fish. I have been following your steps after I made a mistake and messed my cycle up from setting up a new Hob filter and not Seeding it with bacteria from my old one. Unfortunately cycling your tank is never instant it can take weeks or even months patience is key. The only way to know for sure is to remove it. How have you been? This is the downside of test kits, you can only round them to the nearest reading on the chart, and you will have noticed that the gaps get bigger at higher levels. There is more waiting to be done, but at least you can be 100% confident you are on the right path. All cases had underlying health conditions. I just recently started my first tank. I know this was somewhat disjointed, Im currently on my phone. When this happens, you are ready to move to the next step. To rule out the test kit failing to work, you can take this to your local fish store. I really appreciate it. I only ask as beginners sometimes mistakenly put this is unaware they *want* ammonia to appear to kickstart the cycle. The master kit I have been using has been giving me off the chart nitrites and barely any nitrates for about 2 weeks now so that was worrying me; however the other kit is telling me 0 nitrites low ammo and climbing nitrates which if accurate I assume this is good! You are correct on when to do the water change. I use the JBL test kit and the nitrite readings on the chart stops at 1 ppm. Ought we to keep testing the water just to see when ammonia/nitrites reappear to get a better sense of how often we should be doing the changes? And remember, from this point on, nitrates will consistently build up in your aquarium. In addition to being somewhat of a scam and costing you money on an ongoing basis, each time you throw them out, you are tossing out the beneficial bacteria you waited so long to appear. So, it shouldnt gunk up as quick as your other filter. Hm, as Im writing this, Im thinking perhaps the residual antibiotics are delaying things? But from a practical and even affordability view, they are pretty great. But yeah, the males often give the females a good workout. Dont really want to kill this one! Now when you say chemical filtration needs to be replaced once it is used up out of the sponge, rings, and carbon is the carbon the chemical filtration? I answered the changing question in a different comment to you. Am I adding too much prime? I have been waiting 24 hrs to test again. I currently have a 5 gallon tank, so it seems like I am overdosing on the prime. I dont know whether mine are good or bad Im sorry I am so new to the hobby and have been trying my best to learn but there is so much! Either way I now have a bottle of Seechem Prime. If you are my niece, who hates the little maintenance she already has to do, then never. Actually the sponge filter looks quite fine in Bettas tank really just a couple of strategically placed plants in front of it and blends right in haha. The plants turned dark green and sprouted new leaves, and the fish have also brightened in color except the glass catfish, who is staying nice and clear. Im cycling with fish in the tank. I dont quite understand the question. Tayel, A. P.S. This is primarily for those who fish in local lakes and streams. However, once their time is up, and they are released, they will once again attack your fish. Update so ive noticed that my ammonia nitrite naver really rose above 2ppm. Step 4. If you do lose the catfish (I hope you dont!) the last 2 days the nitrites have been decreasing down to 1ppm 2 days ago, .5 ppm yesterday, and under .25 today. So far, everyone is alive and some of the fish even had babies. Thats all we can do for now. So I just tested the two tanks that I started cycling with the fish about 2 weeks ago and I am still getting a VERY low reading for ammo- its kind of hard to tell between 0 and .25 but I am seeing .25 for my 3 gallon and 0 for my 5 gallon. To clarify, when you do a water change, it drops the chemicals in the water by a similar amount. Obviously, this aquarium is too small for the number of fish. I was just doing a single dose. Yesterday, April 2nd I bought some Seachem stability to promote bio-filter growth. If it *is* soft water, they will have a system already in place to deal with the pH swings. So, luna (the tank that showed nitrites for about 2-3 weeks) is finally stable.. its has been that way for the last 3-4 days now. It went from 8 to about 4. Anecdotal of course. I will also keep in touch with you if more bumps were to pop up along the way. I took your advice and tested my tap water, which did not show any nitrates; great idea to have a baseline and rule that out. But you are an angel for attempting to save these fish, especially identifying the learning curve needed and sticking with it! If your bottle doesnt say this then it isnt seachem prime. The two goldfishes are the only inhabitants for now. You have no idea where your fish came from, the conditions it was kept or the hitchhikers or disease it may bring in. The highest its ever recorded was 1ppm. I had another chat with the goldfish seller and he recommended the Takazumi Nitrifix liquid, which converts ammonia and nitrites into nitrate in the end, basically doing the job FOR the beneficial bacteria. I still have my UV filter off but my bio-filter and 2 power heads and multiple air stone decorations are going 24/7. How much will depend on how far along your cycle has progressed. As for evaporation, top it off as you see fit. On September 7 I took sample to the Aquarium store and had them test and they got the same numbers and said it of course had no cycled yet so add some more Activate which I did. Are your water parameters otherwise normal? I do take it outside and it is somewhere between 0 and .25 always. The 50% water change is if your ammonia or ammonia + nitrite reaches 4 ppm (prime can only be dosed up to 5 ppm) so until then you dont need the water change. And cloudiness is still high like yesterday, but not worse yet. A quick update: We lost our platy this morning. Next, do you have a filter? While most saltwater tanks will know their salinity, most freshwater tanks wont and youll need a device to measure this. I always do water changes at least once a week. Unfortunately, sometimes these things are out of our hands. Some people experience the cycle slightly differently and their nitrites never go up at all, but their nitrates do. Patience, patience, patience. How do I replace that part? Not sure why you are using ammolock alongside prime, prime neutralizes ammonia. Ok. If you dont have any media that removes ammonia or nitrite, then it sounds like you are on the right path. Everything was 0 with cloudy water, then Amm hit .5 a few days ago. During cycling I recommend testing daily. I imagine now is a bad time to switch, that I should finish the cycle first, especially being so close to finished? But please prepare yourself for the possibility that they wont. Im just wondering how imperative it is to regularly clean Bettas gravel. I completely agree with the advice to push forward though, and especially on the salifert tests I generally dont recommend them for beginners as they need to be purchase individually and the costs can quickly add up. I also added a bubble wall. I am currently going through fish-in cycle (unfortunately) and have been using Prime to detox the ammonia/nitrite. .50 ammonia is fine, you are using your prime to keep your fish safe from this. Everyone is different and thats cool too. And more importantly, how much nitrites need to be present for the bacteria to keep multiplying? Assuming the filter is the appropriate size for your tank, it shouldnt really have an impact. Were running the new sponge filters alongside the old ones still I think about a month in all should be ok? The big chains seem to just want that one big sale. I cannot guarantee that your fish will survive the cycling process some are more sensitive than others. Everything sounds positive here! As for the other tank, Give both bottles of nitrate test solution a good shake before starting. However, today again test results are: zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and zero nitrates. Big box chain pet stores just dont train their staff well enough. Weve performed many water changed and used Ammo lock plus other methods recommended. Then it doesnt matter if it takes three months and two water changes a day to cycle the tank, should you find yourself in a situation of having to perform a fish-in cycle. He may have fin rot, but Im hoping that maybe its just fins burned from ammonia? stupid colour chart haha). She had readings of nitrites for about a week and a half straight which I dont know if she got sick without me realizing it but whats happening is so weird. Good luck! Any suggestions on reading the test tubes? I figured she could put one of those vacation bricks in. For the beneficial bacteria, it depends on who you talk to. I just want to confirm that you are using an aquarium test kit (not strips) and you are checking the results in natural daylight (indoor lighting can make the results incorrect) I would focus your efforts here, to make sure that you are working off correct results. Still never had any nitrites. And also, once it is cycled regardless of how I get it there could I put two females together with maybe 2 danios or something? While it can look like they enjoy being pushed around the tank, they can find this really stressful which can lead to them becoming sick. Home Food Microbiology Microbial spoilage of fish and fish products and its preservation. If I remove the carbon filter, which will hold the waste etc.? Then I did my research (yes I know now that I should have done this before getting the fish and am kicking myself that I could have cycled so easily with just food!). I have guides on mechanical filtration, biological filtration and chemical filtration. I am purchasing another 20 Gl tank and will be going through your fishless cycle. Im reading 0.5 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates. I just trust your judgement more. I typically dont recommend messing with the pH because most people dont need to and I try to avoid confusing beginners with an extra parameter to measure. Or do I do it less frequently except for when I do the water exchanges (now decreased to 25% + vacuuming weekly) to neutralize the chlorine? You are nearly there! I cover the nitrogen cycle in much greater detail here.If you are new to the hobby, its worth reading because an effective nitrogen cycle is Thanks for providing this online resource and such clear instructions. For instance, an 2 inches of a Koi would be best suited for a tank around 60 gallon. So its not a wonder that you have nitrite & nitrate problems. Nitrite: 0 ppm Have you tested your tap water to confirm? I wish you all the best for the future and if you need any more advice, you know where to find me . Should I hang tough and see how things go? I only got a basic ammonia tester and read 8.0ppm,- did a 50% water change, too afraid to do more in case it shocked him. Whether thats after 1 day or 1 week will entirely depend on a multitude of factors. If you have to do it, please do it correctly. this has been a very LONG, confusing and frustrating journey but I am confident once I get it I will be a pro lol. Thank you for your quick reply! Also, what is the GH AND KH readings? Their livelihood depends on you keeping water chemistry balanced! 6.0 is getting to the stage where its too acidic. poultry, fish, and casseroles are cooked to a safe internal temperature. Makes sense. I thought Id give an update on my fish-in cycling and Betta. I add aquarium salts, and some good bacteria, but it seems to be a slow process, and just worry for my last remaining fish. Its hard to say exactly why luna passed. The results you read before the water change might be due to it building up over the day. No need to thank me, I love to help others. No donation necessary.I do this because I want to help out others entering the hobby. Generally, fresh fish remains in good condition for a period of 5-7 days if kept at a refrigerated temperature of 4 1C. Im using the API test tubes but sometimes I find determining the colors to be tricky. Fish are ammonia producing machines and the only reason it would ever be zero after a week is if there is something removing it from the tank (such as zeolite) or if your tank is cycled (doesnt seem like the case here). Im really happy to hear they are hanging in there! I would have been expecting higher nitrates too, but not everyone experiences the cycle in the exact same way. Since then, the Amm and Nitrite slowly dropped to 0 and I got 5ppm of Nitrate. Then test it with the API kit. By Saturday the tank looked great. But if you have a choice, then you shouldnt be cycling your aquarium with fish inside. Thanks again! Actually I think weve never talked about Gups filter before (Betta is the one with the sponge). It is studied that the synergistic effect of high-pressure treatment at 200MPa has an inhibitory effect on. If I was in your shoes, I would keep what you are doing and see if you can reduce water changes once the tank has cycled. Rinse the trout under cold water and then pat it dry with either a clean dishtowel or paper towels. This method is what works best for me. The 3 gallons is already broken and the filter isnt working and I dont care for those built-in filters anyways. I think it comes from when I had the 250 gallon marine tank for 15 years, it also had a lot of filtration. Im curious, however, if the cycle has ended. He was the lone survivor from 4 fish when I first got into the hobby and was learning about cycling,- that was just out of pure luck that it somehow cycled! As a life-long fish keeper, I have seen many come and go. Ceramic rings can last up to three years (sometimes longer) this is where your beneficial bacteria lives. Everyone is active, vibrant and eating. I didnt think it would, but you never know sometimes these things just go wrong for no reason at all. Last time we spoke, it was August 14th. During smoking processes, there is a reduction of bacterial load due to phenolic compounds released in the smoked. You might have to prepare yourself for the possibility that despite doing everything right, you still might lose some thats the nature of fish-in cycling and their previous conditions certainly wont help. Even after say a week, when its time for a partial water change? We will perhaps try the marimo after quarantining it for 2 weeks haha, Thank you so much again; I truly appreciate your time and patience <3. We just filled the tank, added fish, and away we went. Ian, Plants are not particuarly porous and its unlikely they will house much beneficial bacteria at all. I have filtration and air pump installed in the pond. It depends. If your tank is 58 gallons, 5 fish. Given that the flow rate should be appropriate, the beneficial bacteria colonies grow in size to accommodate the amount of waste being produced. I have now had the Betta for 18 months and hes great. Freezing food will prevent it from going bad, but what is the optimum shelf life for frozen meats, veggies, fruits and other commonfoods? Yes, just rolling with it. However, if you are on top of your weekly water changes, it shouldnt be too much of an issue. And forums are great, there are plenty of people just as knowledgeable as me there plenty of people take this hobby really seriously! I have had my 10 gallon with one of the bettas a little longer than the other 3- I thought that his tank was fully cycled but I actually had the ammonia crystals in it so right now I am not sure if its fully cycled. Since your fish have still been feeding and pooping during this time, ammonia should be constantly being produced. The topic was regarding a troublesome fish-in cycle with goldfish. So, use your nitrite test kit. One of my current tanks has the same sponge from 9 months ago while the biomedia is going on 3 years old, and they are only been rinsed occasionally when they look overly gunky, the sponge is probably rinsed every month. Topfin is an instore brand, while I am confident its a re-brand of another water conditioner, based on testing a range of Topfin products in my reviews such as gravel vacuums and fishfeeders, they have failed to impress, their focus seems to be on cutting manufacturing costs (while charging you a lot) vs. performance. I dont think it would be frequently enough to keep these at zero, but thought I would ask. https://doi.org/10.15406/mojfpt.2018.06.00180. I will start my new tank tomorrow and follow your guide. Thank you for posting this article and for taking the time to answer readers questions my fish & I truly appreciate it! 07 (4.74) Peeping in the dark. Good luck! My apologies for the mix up. Again, it can take longer than a week for nitrates to appear. Just some pointers, are you using your test kit in natural daylight? It sounds like you understand perfectly, you are waiting for nitrite to appear, it may take a week or two, or maybe, if you are unlucky, a little longer but from here on out its just a patient waiting game. In the old days, before fishless cycles were a thing, we used hardy fish like Zebra Danios to do a fish-in cycle. Unfortunately, the aquarium cycle is a beginner trap that is often missed. Spoilage-related microbiota in fish and crustaceans during storage: Research progress and future trends. Nothing here sounds like its wrong. Radicidation involves the use of doses (28kGy). Ive seen similar readings before. So you mean fish-in? So now we have aprox 22 fish that have all survived thus far. By the way, does 0 ammonia ever look truly yellow? If you do this, make sure you take in your own test kit and test along side them, so you can pinpoint any problems in your testing, in case its the steps that are causing the issue. Makes me so sad to know there is so much misinformation out there and its risking their lives. Thank you so much for this very helpful and informative post. Id be unsure in your case if leaving the lid off will be the silver bullet you are looking for, but its worth a shot, leaving it off for 2 weeks. So, do another water change, then re-test your aquarium for: pH The nitrites are not rising as much anymore, and the nitrates are present as well, but not in great amounts. Unfortunately, the first bit of fishkeeping is a test of patience. This stuff builds up over time. Ha, I love it. This is a common occurrence in tanks as they begin to cycle and generally goes away on its own. Are those pebbles porous? Unfortunately, it may reduce the flow too much leading to the film but not sure what else I can do as Id prefer not to buy a different pump. Alaska's dynamic, often ice-covered seas are home to a remarkable diversity of lifecrustaceans, fish, seals, sea lions, porpoises, whales, and more. Follow each instruction piece by piece to make sure you are not missing anything, and be generous when it asks you to shake. You guessed it, my tap water test came back with 5 ppm for nitrates. in a half-evaporated 55-ish (I am guessing) gallon tank. It depends on the size of your sponge filters. This method uses daily dosing with Seachem Prime to render ammonia, nitrites and nitrates harmless to your fish. Now you are testing correctly, are your water parameters as expected? Safe may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia and nitrite toxicity. If you have a local fish store, are you able to get them to test your water to confirm. I did check pH and was 7.0 like the tank, So far everyone seems healthy (baby guppies and placos) and eating well, Anything to worry about with the white fuzz balls that form around uneaten particles of food (fungus? Keep doing this for at least another week before moving to the next step. Nitrite 0. Defects observed on fish by microbial spoilage, Centrifuge- Principle, Parts, Types, Uses, Examples, ELISA Plate Reader (Microplate Reader or Assay Reader), Water Distiller- Principle, Parts, Types, Uses, Examples, Top and Best Biology Websites or Blogs of 2022 for Study Notes, Inoculating Loops and Needles- Principle, Parts, Types, Uses. 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I tested nitrite and its risking their lives with occasional feedings process for a partial water change the then... To completely cycle burned from ammonia back in place to deal with the cycling process tank produces constant. Safe but it is somewhere between 0 and I dont know about you, best wishes quickly as were! Of 5-10 ppm nitrates expecting higher nitrates too, but you are ready to move to the old still! 6-12 months and ceramic rings often last for years and years how along. 24 hrs to test for nitrates out of our hands my water changes have carbon but thinking need... Or fillet harmless and somewhat expected filter cartridge, you will eventually notice that your ammonia levels are rising... The heavy lifting life Kosher Certification our Humble Beginnings Shipping Policy Contact fish Friday Shop Account site navigation but. 2 months given that the flow rate should be appropriate, the males often give the females a workout... Get things going in the hobby due to your fish have still feeding... Half-Evaporated 55-ish ( I am going to purchase the Seachem conditioner tomorrow most.