OK Ian back to the topic You bet. I have done about 4 water changes at about 25-30%. I havent added anything to mitigate ammonia, and have just a regular Aqueon charcoal filter (QuietFlow CA10-2H) that came with the tank. I was so excited! I will definitely check in when i see sum nitrite lol thanks for your time. Ive been testing twice a day, and every time the ammonia and nitrites are lower than the last, and for 2 days now theyve been either barely detectable or zero, even though Ive started feeding the fish more generously. I have a new puzzler, though. How high is abnormally high? A water change will lower your parameters. While you are waiting for the bacteria to grow in numbers, your fish are going to be exposed to elevated levels of ammonia and nitrites. Or do I just need to be patient? I have a small Anubias and IAL and running the small Whisper filter. How To Identify Influencing Shelf-life Factors. Your filter should consist of mechanical filtration ( a sponge) and biomedia (usually ceramic rings) the biomedia is where the beneficial bacteria live. I thought my cycle was starting all over again from scratch somehow and I was about ready to cry a lil bit at the thought. Im not sure what i was doing And have slowly built this up. Also, just to confirm again, you are testing the water in natural daylight? Such packages are often termed modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum packaging (VP). Keep repeating this. Dont panic if one of your fish dies. You sure have come a long way from stumbling across neglected fish! This all just paints a complete picture. This will keep the current that flows through the sponge constant, rather than potentially blocking off areas. Nitrates: 10, Before I moved him This would involve cutting away the existing silicone and reapplying new. Squeeze the sponge filter and work at the surface with your thumbs, rubbing to remove trapped detritus. Stage 1 Waste such as pee, poop and uneaten fish food break down, releasing ammonia, a toxic chemical, into the water. They will both be detected by the API test kit as ammonia and the reading is the total of the two. This is especially true of fishkeeping, where many aspects are not black or white and can be debated. If your ammonia and nitrites read zero, and your nitrates are continually on the up and up, then you are correct, your cycle is done. After capture, biological and chemical changes take place in dead fish due to the action of various enzymes found in fish. Thanks, I spent some much needed downtime with my fish! Bought Prime but everything back to reading 0 before I could use. I highly recommend making the switch to seachem prime. I dont cover this in the guide as I dont like to confuse beginners who struggle with chemistry and simply refer to it as ammonia (since thats what the recommended API test kit measures). Thats a good question! Hi Mary, Odd that your nitrates vanished. Exhibitionist & Voyeur 08/16/17: The Garden Shed Opens its Door Ch. Home Food Microbiology Microbial spoilage of fish and fish products and its preservation. The clarification really helps, I sure appreciate it. Of course, fish show different signs of stress (or even none) according to their sensitivity, but just because a fish doesnt die doesnt mean that its thriving. But from a practical and even affordability view, they are pretty great. If you do go down this route, dont forget to acclimatize him when you transfer him. Fish flesh is composed of protein, fats, carbohydrates, water, and amino acid compounds such as trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), urea, taurine, creatine, free amino acids, and trace glucose, etc. AMMO .25 (both kits) this has also remained the same barely .25 no nitrites and ammo is not rising! I just recently got a betta fish and Im doing a fish in cycle (unfortunately). Fish in cycles can move incredibly slowly, since the focus is on keeping your fish safe rather than providing the bacteria with the optimum amount of ammonia to grow quickly. Im sure Gup and co will love it. Ill be happy when your tanks are cycled and you are on the road to fishkeeping success . Thank you!! It should be done in my opinion only if theres a big problem with the quality of the water. Hey, no need to doubt your abilities. More gardening at Heather's, more feeding the fish. ? is my tank doing what its supposed to? If your nitrites are dipping, then nitrates should be almost a certainty. If it returns positive for nitrates, celebrate! 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. I just did about a 40% water change about 40 minutes ago. Its frustrating and you may find you have another 2 weeks or even longer before it looks like its wrapping up. Thank you. Dishes that won't fare well in the freezer include dairy-rich foods such as cream sauces and custards, as well as salads of any kind. NITRITE- 1-2 (this is another one that is very hard to read I can definitely see a difference in purples until I get to 2 and 5. I have a mesh bag to contain it. For the last 2 weeks, I am seeing only Nitrates, no Ammonia and No Nitrates. Unfortunately I was told I could start a 29-gallon tank without cycling, so I am in the process of fish-in cycling. I changed the filter about 3 days after adding fish. Oh, and a tip on the automatic fish feeder, Use tape to cover half, or a third or more of the opening The default small setting on most automatic fish feeders is often still too large for small pellets. Ill be very interested to hear your results after performing maintenance. As far as I know, Seachem is the only test kit manufacture that tests ammonium and ammonia separately. Yet it seems quarantining is advised? We change at least 100% of the water every week, even if the parameters are great (last tests showed NO2=0, NH3=0, NO3=10, 3 days after a 50% water change), to keep the nitrate at a minimum and give them the best conditions to grow and stay healthy. This is an easy fix. I just want to make sure Im going about this the right way. 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. Wishing you all the best! Great article! Id seek expert advice on whether this is the case, as there is nothing worse than dealing with a water leak with a fully stocked aquarium. Therefore I decided to use some sodium bicarbonate to bring it up. Dont spread it out over the day. Its possible the cycle and other stressors are responsible for the new rotting areas, assuming you have confirmed the fin-rot isnt a secondary symptom of another disease, either bacterial or fungal. Lucky, you seem like a very patient person. I have filtration and air pump installed in the pond. Short of a fish dying, you have basically gone through every rite of passage that a new fishkeeper will encounter. Again, its best if you change as per your test kit. 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. I have been testing little to no ammonia, and only nitrates and nitrites for a few days. I put some water and decoration from a exist dirty 2 liter fish tank with fish inside and add to this new tank. To this day, I have never used Prime. Thus, preservation methods are used to stop the various spoilage of fish. Looking for some good advice on cycling my tank. I notice the scale of the nitrate test is less sensitive will it take a while to build up to a detectable amount? Nitrate 10-20 (I know daylight makes it easier but for some reason on the nitrates 10 and 20 look pretty much identical to me), 5 GALLON It means the world to me! Controls are focused on good hygiene practices to minimize the risks of contamination and ensuring shelf life does not allow the pathogen to reach levels capable of causing illness. I can imagine the extensive range of inert rocks you would have to choose from. So this becomes your baseline of 0 and you would look for 10+ to indicate that it is going up. since Friday. Make sure you test closely. I personally use the Seachem Auavitro but it cant be bought online and it can only be found in local fish shops. Read each step twice if you have to. Ive read that low pH can prevent the nitrifying bacteria from growing. Were trying to establish a water change routine for Bettas tank and have been doing readings every day. I now have Seachem Prime to replace the Fluval products. Best wishes as always. Thanks!!! Youll want to monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrates as before and react accordingly. When it comes to fish-in cycling, you have two choices cycling with Seachem Prime or with water changes. Nitrate is always the end product. Total ammonia was off the chart. Gasping for air the surface is more likely an oxygen issue, unless your fish is a gourami, betta or similar then it may be normal read up on labyrinth fish. If prime wore off before the 24 hour period, it would be very well documented by now, its a very commonly used product by beginners and experts alike. Despite the new-tank maintenance, overall theyre very relaxing and I love observing them the TV has not been on much since they arrived. Even so, if anything does seem unusual or if something goes wrong, please drop me a comment here and Ill attempt to provide guidance to the best of my ability. Not only will this keep your fish as comfortable as possible, but it will also make your tank cycle faster. I hear the low pH comes with some extra challenges. I did a 35% water change 2 days later, again using Fluval water conditioner and added some Fluval Biological enhancer. (CFU/g) applies to foods placed on the market, during the products shelf-life. Ill give this a try today to see if there is any difference. By the way, were upgrading everyone in Gups tank to one thats about 4 times bigger so excited! It sounds like they wouldnt have made it if you didnt intervene. Do you have any suggestions for actions on my tank? then it is indeed the better option to swap over to a fish-less cycle. By how much? If they're frozen quickly, they retain many of their original nutrients. pH was 7.6, HRpH 7.4, Ammonia .5ppm, no No2 or No3. or is it implying I should use one dose per gal of my tank ie 6 doses, even though I am only currently replacing 5 gal of water? I think Ill go ahead and order the test kit, too, because then I will have more data and advance another step on the beginners fish-keeping scale (pun intended.) Alternatively, keep dosing and monitor your nitrate levels. Just keep changing water weekly or so? I didnt know about the cycling. I mean, I know in regular tanks that means theyre cycled, but in our case, the waters being changed every day its about as pristine as it could get. Does this make sense? Thank you Ian, my tap water is .50 ammonia so thats a huge problem! Welcome to the hobby! Once the tank has cycled, can we add a few more fish to it? My only bit of advice is that if you read your test kit outside in natural daylight, you will get a more accurate color match. Curing fish is an old-age technique for the preservation of fish and also gives a desired flavor to the fish. Ill be excited for you when the tank is finally cycled, so please reach out again when you reach the goal. I kept up with twice daily water changes in the cooler until I got a test kit, and then rehomed the Pleco and CAE on Craigslist to a family with a large outdoor pond that is heated all year (yay! Thank you, Ill expect the cycling to be unmitigated by the plants and stay on high alert, then! As for the sponge filter frequency, it entirely depends on your rate of build up. I initially had sand substrate and some zebra snails in the tank, but I delivered the snails back and removed the sand to make things easier for myself. A 5 gallon is too small for 3 guppies. Unfortunately, this is how most beginners learn about the cycle. Right now I am just doing daily Prime, monitoring PH, and not feeding until hes no long bloated. I am devasted. Since you are a beginner, and it doesnt appear you are confident, Id probably stick with the 50%. Thanks again for the advice. I think theyre survivors, even if they have to go through some bumps in the process. If I was in your situation, Id keep testing for another week or two, waiting for these to appear. I was given bad advice from my LFS and install a brass gate valve on my reef system. What should I do at this point? Since then it has been a rollercoaster of events. Thanks for the lovely feedback. Preservatives are substances that are capable of inhibiting or retarding the growth of microorganisms. I know the 2 tanks showing 0 ammo for so long was something you have not seen but now that theyre at .25 what do you think about them totally skipping nitrites since I have been testing this whole 4 weeks and now showing ammo and rising nitrates? It was likely done to combat spiking parameters. As for this youtube expert, speak to 10 different experts and youll get 10 different replies. (Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, pH ~7.5) They seem to enjoy the additional space and stability of the bigger tank very much. It might have taken a long time, but trust me, it was worth it! spp. NITRATE- STILL 5, So once again I think that things MIGHT be getting better since the nitrites were off the charts and now have lowered to around 1-2 but Im confused why nitrates arent rising in this tank and in the tanks that showed nothing for so long they just automatically showed the smallest amount of ammo and have higher nitrates then the tank which has been going through the entire cycle from HIGH ammo to lowering rising nitrites.. then have just stayed at 5ppm nitrates. 2 snails (not mystery snails) Its not as powerful a filter as Gups, so well see. I am to the point where I am thinking that I should take all 4 fish out, put them in 1-gallon holder tanks with no filter and do daily water changes and just start the cycle over the right way on all 4 tanks. Obviously, this aquarium is too small for the number of fish. It generally takes 2-4 weeks for the filter to colonize. I thought I did my research well but apparently it wasnt good enough, many of the videos I watched said that you could put the fishie in after conditioning the water, waiting 24 hours, and acclimating them. I hope it all goes smoothly for you! Should I just keep testing the 3.5 gallons with the nitrates finally lowering from 5 but no rising nitrates and dosing with prime or would a water change raise my nitrates? I have never experienced this, but flashing is when a fish scrapes themselves along the glass, rocks, decorations etc. if it doesnt work I will only try the once and go to the preferred method. feeding time? But please prepare yourself for the possibility that they wont. Is your water also soft/harder than you would like? Just keep doing what you are doing and your tank will eventually be cycled Unfortunately, its just a waiting game here. I put bio media in a bag in my filter. pH has risen to about 7 and is hanging out there. I remembered what you said about keeping the pH above 7, so I thought oh no, I hope the low pH didnt kill the nitrifying beasties! You do mean just till its all stable right? 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. Can you give me some advice, thanks. Thank you for the advice! And I am sure you are doing this, but you are conditioning your water before adding it to the tank? Happy to say I saw the first beautiful periwinkle color for nitrites after only a week, and am halfway through week 2, with two days of no ammonia or nitrites so farhey, I should check for nitratescan it be so soon? I use the JBL test kit and the nitrite readings on the chart stops at 1 ppm. Its a tricky one since for fin rot, you want to keep the water as pristine as possible, but to cycle, there also needs to be a degree of ammonia. Nitrate is being produced, so there is activity on that part, but I am slowly reaching my wits end by not knowing if what I am doing is right or not. I posted on your other cycling blog and your responses were very helpful. cycle? I hope I was clear by starting with the first two tanks that went through the same thing and I dosed the same exact way then moved on to the last tank with a totally different situation, im sure from all prior posts you know exactly what tanks are which lol. However, this is often not possible. Second, since youve been so kind as to answer hundreds of questions, I have another! I was under the impression to use the water conditioner when adding tap water, and use the prime daily or every other day based on the test results. It is good to know that I can douse daily, so far so good, but once I get nitrites and my lvls increase w/ ammonia I will begin dousing daily. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. Youll notice your nitrites spike before they go back down, so water changes might need to be done more frequently from here on out. Ive had the tank for a week or so and the other day got a active sponge filter. Your beneficial bacteria are going to adapt to that 0.5 ppm and it will then read zero. Instead, what they do is provide the beneficial bacteria with a place to call home. 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. Betta come from calm almost still water, if the water current is strong, it will stress your betta which will lead sickness or even death. Carbon generally lasts a month or two before needing to be replaced. Is there a certain ppm I should aim for? Why did Nitrites go to 0, but Nitrates are still going up? You have nothing to lose by adding a bacterial booster. If you are not confident doing a 100% water change, perform two or three 50% ones over the next three days. Just note that it will get diluted if you do water changes, so dont think you are going backwards if it dips after a water change. Thanks again for this post and all of your replies. For now Ill stick to admiring their glory from afar. In the wild, a hand fed meal wouldnt come along every day. Is it worth taking to a store for testing? I only had gravel, a piece of river rock, and 3 small plastic plants. While you are doing that, you should have a chat with the local fish store on your issues. That must be so confusing! And dont beat yourself up over it. So I was expecting nitrate to be 0 again, but now its definitely bordering on 5.0. It was only later with the liquid tests that we saw the nitrites/trates and learnt our ph was 7.6. So we keep putting in new Prime every day right (at 24 hour intervals)? So after researching online for solutions, many people with Bettas posted that they use a Fluval pre-filter sponge which greatly reduces the strength of the flow into the tank. They are probably right in that their method is easy but, and this is my opinion, it may not necessarily be easy on the fish. kept in check), seems excessive. Awesome, Rob. My nitrites havent fully colonize. Saying just change this often will cause even more problems. If I do that, how do I not lose all the good stuff built up in to the old cartridge? I would think regardless of what BB you tell me to choose I could use safe and matrix along with it correct? Ive gotten advise elsewhere that instructed to let my ammonia level rise up to 1ppm, but again I am confused as to how long I should let it hover around that level before changing the water? TSS + your ceramic rings + water conditioner *should* work. I highly recommend the curved spring shears you dont have to manualy open them, after each cut, they spring back open. Ive been thinking of using Bio Balls instead since they are plastic. By the way, Im using Microbe-lift special blend water care in addition to Seachem Prime. So when measuring your nitrate levels from here on out, 5 ppm is the baseline, as opposed to zero. Depending on your bioload, how much you feed etc you dont have to clean your whole gravel. Congratulations for making it this far, a fish-in cycle is no easy feet and you should be commended on your patience and attention to detail. 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. Another commenter used the analogy that fishkeeping isnt really about keeping fish, its about keeping water. Readings today were still zero for Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. I have an account there too and its amazing the solutions a crowd of fish keepers can come up with when they put their minds together. now I use a old turtle tank for remaining 1 catfish. Thank you for your quick reply! We have 2 remaining small african cichlids. If so, for the purpose of cycling, 5 ppm becomes the basemark for testing your nitrates instead of 0. Given that the vast majority of beneficial bacteria hides in your filter media, vacuuming the gravel and doing a water change shouldnt have an effect if your tank is already cycled. Ive been doing some water changes and using Seachem Stability and Prime to help with the nitrogen cycle. I am starting a new comment thread because I have a quick question that is totally separate from the prior issues we have been dealing with cycling my tanks. Reducing feeding and keeping the tank clean will prevent ammonia from spiking outside of your control. Stage 2 Beneficial bacteria eat the ammonia and release nitrites, yet another toxic chemical. I did take several years of college lab sciences, so this isnt my first test tube rodeo, either. Or is there perhaps something else I should be doing to promote the nitrites? Thank you so much for this very helpful and informative post. Also, thats awesome to hear about your progress! I have a 20gallon tank with one large goldfish thats almost a year old. 0.25ppm Nitrites The nitrates are low (under 10) most likely because of all the water changes. Should my levels constantly read what they are? Unfortunately, I cannot provide guidance as to which test kit is accurate based on your results. I have 13 fish in and im terrified to lose them. You are certainly on the right track and Im sorry to hear there were some speed bumps before you got here. Simply grab a super fine filter pad (50-100 Micron) like this one and place it after your coarser filter pad. You take care now . I do have a question though.. Its a relief to know! Sure, I totally understand! Also, should I only use prime once daily? If so, I would add these to the cavity before you replace the filter cartridges. Also, do you see my confusion as to the nitrites testing consistently in 3 out of 4 tanks. Admittedly, I have no experience with food releasing ammonia so quickly. I really wish I had that silver bullet of advice to give you. Typically, this will take a week or two. The pH rising is very likely due to the crushed coral. Drop me a line here in the comments if you need any more advice on the cycling process. And by that I mean proper antibiotics prescribed by a vet, ideally a marine vet like ours is (yes, he actually treats dolphins and so forth as well). I have been waiting 24 hrs to test again. There are three modes of fish spoilage: Oxidation, Enzymatic and Microbial spoilage. It sounds like you are doing all you can do, 50% water changes will cut ammonia in half and prime should take care of the rest. Thank you so much! A 100% waterchange is best done in an emergency. So yes proper meds. Even if I lose these fish I would at least like to make my tank safe for future ones. Yep, fish-in cycling is very stressful for your fish. If I was in your shoes, I would continue to wait. What is happening? I answered the changing question in a different comment to you. I would be hesitant to add any more fish to your 20 gallon. I tested today and there was definitely no ammonia. and keep testing until they show up. Then, the pristine water conditions. If your dose is 5 ml, then in an emergency, for 2.5 ppm, you would put in 15 ml, three times the amount (or 12.5 ml if you want to be exact). While in the cell, these nasties cannot harm your fish. A water change can get this back down to lower levels, which will make it easier to see if its still rising. I have been testing every other day and adding a dose of seachem prime every two days when I test. Is there a product you recommend to lower PH and at what level does it need to be done. Zip. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) suspect the source of contamination to be a salmon-smoking processing factory in Scotland. Thank you for the reply. Ive never had to ever since buying that water for it). Some people told us they didnt need one; in fact the people we rescued him from were doing 100% water changes every 3 days. However, it certainly wont harm your tank. It sounds like you are doing the best you can with the water changes, I hope your catfish pulls through! In which case, it would mean the tank *wasnt* truly cycled right? Are you reading your tests in natural daylight? I did notice my tank got a bit cloudy last night. They currently have this (a larger size of this): https://www.amazon.com/Roka-Filter-small-aquarium-operated/dp/B002RUYQ7E. Which was essentially where it became like how we cycled Gups tank one small water change every day until ammonia consistently read zero. The start and end are the same, but the middle gets a little odd. If its the first scenario, is that a good thing? If it has been properly stored and within its expiry date, it wont harm your tank. Ive checked for nitrates 3 times each time nothing. Let that determine how often you change. Once done, you should be able to see out a week between water changes. I wish you all the best for the future and if you need any more advice, you know where to find me . According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world harvest by commercial fisheries in 2010 consisted of 88.6 million tonnes of aquatic animals captured in wild fisheries, plus another 0.9 million tons of aquatic plants (seaweed etc.). Hello Ian, i wanted to ask.. my uncle has 3 discs and he hadnt cyled his tank. So, 2 ppm of ammonia can be treated with two doses of Prime, 3 ppm can be treated with three doses, and so on. Well, I didnt expect to have anything to say for at least another couple of weeks, but Im a bit confused by the test results Ive been getting over the past 4-5 days. I have my fingers crossed you see signs of progress soon. If you do lose the catfish (I hope you dont!) Also, what is the GH AND KH readings? The filter pad is attached to the filter. Ammonia is still 0.25ish and zero nitrite. If I do a significant water change (like 50%) would that make the cycling start all over again or help to get things going? I might get 6 more catfish in a couple weeks, and then some snails a couple weeks after that. With that said, based on what you are saying, bettas in particular like slow currents. Because you have added gravel from an established tank, you may experience the cycle slightly differently, hopefully at a faster rate. Then about a week ago our own API testing kit arrived, and our ammonia was very high (2ppm). After the course, his fins were still fragile and raggy, so we held off on the filter and did partial water changes daily. You would dose prime the same as if it was ammonia only (per ppm) As for measuring it out, I use plastic pipettes, they allow you to easily measure out the correct amount (I never got the hang of measuring to the cap thread). And I skipped the bio on the wc. Im not sure if that was my spike bacause im now nothing my ammonia getting lower without me doing anything. Sometimes this can happen before the first beneficial bacteria (ammonia ->nitrite) has established itself to the extent that it can process ammonia just as quickly. It might be worth testing after the water change, to make sure that the levels are not dropping down to unreadable levels. Based on your dosing, you are treating a 50 gallon tank. Im concerned that this might be too high for my community tank long term. Do you have any suggestions about what I should do about which kit to use? Hi Ian Gups tank has a traditional filter, with layers of spongey (and stony) filter media within a plastic casing; sometimes one of the sponges deteriorates to the point where we have to replace it with a new one. Thats awesome to hear, hopefully its just a little longer now. The pH was back down to 6.0 without the wood, so I did a 50% water change and that brought it up to 6.6. On your cartridge, there is probably white (or used to be) fluffy stuff? I tested the water this morning and chemistry is good, tank water looks much better. Try testing your water straight out of the tap. Ppm EXTRA note: This evening the tank looks Even More Cloudy. Although I am extremely nervous for this process, I am hoping and praying that my baby will be strong and get through this. Hello! I was going to wait another 2 weeks, replace the second filter and do another 25% water change. Sorry to hear that you will technically be starting from the beginning on this one. It could be another week. And the 10-gallon tank had the crystals in it, but they have been out for at least a month. These results have stayed the same each day and Ive dosed with 1 dose of prime each time. And, it all comes down to the number of fish you have in your aquarium. Not so convenient, but maybe best option if you think worth it? I have guides on mechanical filtration, biological filtration and chemical filtration. PH has risen a bit. Now Im not sure how to proceed at least some percentage of the tank water is still protected by Prime, while presumably some of the earlier Prime has already worn off. And, you need to make it a routine. Prime converts ammonia to ammonium. If you want, I can keep you posted on the development. I also have done a few 25% water changes. From here, attempt to carry out the cycle. Thank you so much for the quick response! XD Thats the plus side of how chock full of minerals this state is, we already have an extensive rock collection laying around and it wasnt hard to find something pretty (and inert, of course) to stick in the tank. Im of the opinion that every tank should have a filter. I noticed that the nitrites almost completely disappeared with this, but only when I used it. Oh Ian, were so sad to observe that Betta is just now showing some new ragginess/loss on a bit of his tail when we did his water test today. Also another weird question is it a nasty/unwise/ridiculous idea to save Gups used filter sponge to seed Bettas tank? Also, considering that my test kit stops reading at 1ppm, it will be rather difficult to achieve. However, your fish will be VERY happy in their new 55 gallon! Nitrate 5ppm or 0 given tap water. Id do a second water change, as we discussed earlier, we want to get rid of that yellowy stain almost completely, so we can see if it comes back. It sounds like you are on the right track! The popular "Call of Duty" game franchise will become available on Nintendo's Switch console if the acquisition of its developer goes ahead. The platy and cory catfish seem ok (but I think this is due to the danio being gone since it had a very active and clashing personality). I dont think it would be frequently enough to keep these at zero, but thought I would ask. Thanks so much Ian. For your fishless cycle tank, is there anything else in there that is present that has not been added to the other tanks? So, its up to you to kick-start the nitrogen cycle. Aquarium glue wont cut it. The beneficial bacteria need a surface to cling to, namely your substrate and filter media. Dont worry, you are not alone here. 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. Dont sweat it, getting poor advice as a beginner is sadly a rite of passage in the hobby. Im super happy to hear that your fish are doing well. Nitrites had risen even more. I picked out a few fish medicines to keep on hand so I can respond immediately if anyone does crop up with parasites, bacteria, or fungus, but I doubt Ill need them if I keep their stress levels down. I got busy cleaning the house and forgot to empty the test tubes immediately and came back to the about 6 hours later. You see, fish-in cycling is how your grandparents would have cycled their tank. I cut a piece of filter sponge to out near the outflow of water and it slowed it down to where there is barely any movement. I feel like Im stuck. Tomorrow Im going to do the same thing with the bio media in the Fluval canister. Im a little concerned how to care for the fish for that short period in an uncycled tank. it is 10 gallon, I restart the cycle. Dont worry I am on week 3 not six, I am expecting to see them (nitrites) any day now, hopefully I am still on schedule. PLEASE give me some advice on how to continue. I took your advice and got the testing kit you suggested. Ceramic rings can last up to three years (sometimes longer) this is where your beneficial bacteria lives. Hi there! Nitrate The beneficial bacteria needs SOME ammonia and nitrite to eat. Not sure what it was for? If your fish is suffering, youll need to try continue the cycle while keeping the water as pristine as possible. This way the beneficial bacteria can colonize that. Its a tricky one and why I generally just skip it altogether except your mystery cycle has me stumped. Continue testing for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. For instance, an 2 inches of a Koi would be best suited for a tank around 60 gallon. This is where most of the beneficial bacteria will live. 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. This morning, it looks So much better! Hes been eating and swimming around a bit, but I know its a lot for him and hes hurting. Follow each instruction piece by piece to make sure you are not missing anything, and be generous when it asks you to shake. Since carbon can trap these smells, it can hide the problem. No need to go crazy just yet. Are you monitoring this too? Maybe I get it early, set it-up and put them there until her tank is fixed? Ammonia: .5 .75. so Ive been on this ride doing the fish in cycle. Firstly, thank you for doing your best to save these guppies. 6 (*), ? I have a slightly weird question today, so please bear with me! I dosed with 2ml of prime since its a 3.5 gallon and 2ml of stability. Some people have no heavy metals and crap in their water, so the need of a water conditioner iszero. Hello its been 24 hours and At this point I knew something was up and then started to research about coldwater fish, and low and behold found out about cycling. cup if I place it in front of something white. There are many different things that could do this, so I wont be able to help narrow this down. Yes, just a hint of it. And the more they poop, the faster your ammonia levels are going to rise. Ammonia is reading 0.50ppm and Ive added 1ml of Prime (we have 10 gallon tank) today. If you can understand the nitrogen cycle, then this should be a walk in the park! I have moss balls, should I add them???? Freezing food will prevent it from going bad, but what is the optimum shelf life for frozen meats, veggies, fruits and other commonfoods? This may be a silly question regarding topping off the water- I am using top fin water conditioner, it says 1 dose per 10 gal- so if it looks to me that I am topping off about 5 gal should I use a 1/2 dose ? It looks like the nitrates could be climbing to the first orange bar, mabye. 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! With our older gup tank, I think it got cycled (with the fish in) through our almost daily 25% water changes, dosing only the fresh 25% volume of water with Prime and Quick Start each time. It is the simplest method to both preserve and process fish. Keep daily testing and dosing with Prime as Ive read smaller tanks are harder to cycle. Good luck! As for the fish, I assume you mean gourami? The ammonia was definitely yellow no more doubt that it had any green tint. I got very scared because I was treating her with melafix and primafix for 7 days and her behavior was insane last night. Also, I had 2 other thoughts. Was very happy but as soon as I topped off tank (just a quart of water to a 2.5 gal tank), the Nitrate disappeared and after several weeks, its not back. I think I follow the rest of your steps. I told him that I would pick it up after the tank is fully cycled. I looked at your videos, those are some beautiful Koi! Let me know if you need any more clarification. Its much more concentrated and lasts significantly longer. Dont forget to add the dechlorinator! Its also nice to have on hand in an emergency in case something goes wrong. I have the filter I did use it 2x when while doing a wc my filter stopped working for a bit (forgot to unplug it before the water got lower). Tomorrow I will begin testing for ammonia. Sure, 5 ppm of nitrite will make the cycle proceed faster but thats not what a fish-in cycle is about. Did I wipe out what little progress I made in cycling the tank? Im just wondering how imperative it is to regularly clean Bettas gravel. p.s. How do you perform a successful fish-in cycle? If I am understanding right, once the cycle is complete I should do 50% water changes weekly to get the nitrate lvls down which may be high once the cycle is done requiring several 50% changes in a row. Keep in mind that if you sweat in them, which I imagine you might in AZ, they will smell a little funky, but it beats the toxic rubber smell the others gloves give. Or? A pretty scummy move, right? They get fed every other day they are healthy and moving. The secret to successfully cycling with fish in your tank, Essential products to perform a fish-in cycle. Ammonia hasnt gone past 0.25ppm, nitrites, 0, and nitrates havent even made it to 10 ppm. Food law is written on the basis of reducing risk as far as is reasonably practicable. Sounds like a good plan. All values are very stable, except for the nitrites. Ammo .25 Nitrite 2 Thanks for your reply! And remember, from this point on, nitrates will consistently build up in your aquarium. I was wondering (and please excuse my ignorance!) Yes, I think that about answered it Ian! This is good for beginners, as it helps to narrow down things that can go wrong. I consider it an essential product as poop and uneaten food can fall into gaps in the substrate and turn foul. I have some free time today so I thought Id bring you up to speed on the cycling tank with healing fish affair. As long as the water is immediately added and not left to sit, then this should be the same as adding a dose directly to the tank. Sounds like you have a pretty advanced setup especially if you are able to go weeks without water changes. There is never a guarantee that your fish will survive, regardless of how you cycle. Now Im not trying to say that fish-in cycling doesnt work. So if you do a water change and your nitrates are at say 15ppm, a 30% water change would get it down to 10ppm, which is why you wont see a change. Thanks so much for the update. Sorry, I missed this little add-on. There arent any beneficial bacteria in a brand new aquarium. I am so sorry to be such a hassle but I am new to this and have some strange things going on and just want to make sure I am doing this right so I can provide the healthiest, happiest life for my bettas! Thanks for the lovely feedback. Advice to people over the age of 65, those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems is that they should thoroughly cook ready-to-eat smoked fish before eating it. You could read through that exchange for more info. I mean, I know people generally clean their gravel because of poop and food debris, but I honestly wonder how much of that is in Bettas gravel. There are none! I dont think it has stalled, your nitrites or ammonia would be climbing if it had. I dont understand why its been 3 weeks and I am still barely seeing any ammo. I am using a test kit and reading it by my window. How do I know what my ph really is? Please advise on how to treat, thanks so much. Hi Ian, There are numerous studies on nitrite toxicity in freshwater fish. Then as they fail, upgrade the ones you use to something nicer proper stainless steel tools can be very expensive. Ideally, closer to 7 is best. She thinks it would be better to take him home (3 hour trip). How do I replace that part? Thanks Ian! I dont really agree with adding these bacterial agents to the tank since they are an added cost and dont really help the tank cycle faster (often they dont work at all). Looking for direction in what to do next. (sidenote: very very angry about this and lack of knowledge from PetSmart) Now, I am on week three of trying to do the fishless cycle, having taken the time to learn more about this and petrified of killing more fish. By the way, do you think new fish should be quarantined before being added to an established tank? This is a good sign that the second beneficial bacteria is beginning to grow in your aquarium. Repeat this process until you notice that your ammonia levels are not rising as quickly as before. Yes, got it. Its a pretty accurate description of the hobby. I have 3 fish in the tank. Every successful ending deserves to be shared with the people helping you get there. Bad plan? I did see a small amount of nitrates but I think that may have just been my tap water. If you test your water before adding it to the tank, is it 5 ppm? This may even involve stocking nitrate tolerant fish! Simply raise the temperature and add your fish. We are talking about your tap water here? I DO NOT have anything in there to remove them all I have in the tank is a filter with a sponge, carbon, and ceramic rings, a heater, plastic plants, and gravel during the cycle I did see nitrates however now that everything has been at 0 I have not been able to detect nitrates in any of my tanks. You should NEVER use Melafix, or even Bettafix on a Betta. I monitor the water closely though. The results you read before the water change might be due to it building up over the day. You are an angel for grabbing the Betta and attempting to give it a better life! 100% water changes every three days, while harmless (assuming pH temp etc. I brought a water sample with me to the pet store and had them check it with liquid tests. My main concerns are using the primafix and melafix I read some reviews where it actually killed the Bettas but I dont wanna blame that. Hi Ian its Steve, I havent talked to you since sometime last year. Hard lesson learned. What do you think my next move should be if any, and is there an accurate way to test for copper? Focusing on high quality and saty products we want to sovle the new challenges for the next coming generations. The lighting in your room can throw these off dramatically. Radicidation involves the use of doses (28kGy). If I remove the carbon filter, which will hold the waste etc.? Here are some articles which may help you: https://fishlab.com/mechanical-filtration/, https://fishlab.com/biological-filtration/. I have a 20 gallon long tank. As the tank gets closer to being cycled, ammonia dropping to zero is expected. I started heating the tank cause it looked like there was ich. Well we cleaned the gravel and the filter anyway (gravel didnt seem gunky at all; filter mildly). To top off the story, my male goldfish was so eager to eat one morning that he managed to dislocate his upper jaw a little, so we are getting a visit from a fish veterinarian this upcoming week. Indoor lighting can make the colors look off, and can lead to an incorrect match. I put the sponge in first, then a bag of carbon, then on top of the carbon bio ceramic rings. So now Im stuck doing a fish in cycle to keep these babies alive. I have been testing the tanks every day for the last 2 weeks and i always get the following results in all 3 tanks. The nitrates are not from a cycled tank, they are the same as from my tap.. my next question is.. Could I take some gravel from our planted tank and throw it in the crashed tank to seed it? 0.3? Then whichever test kit matches, is the one thats correct. Cut that out with a pair of scissors and stuff it in with your new sponge. If you google, there are hundreds of different ways to cycle your tank. Too busy and sick and things seemed ok or the same at the time. Ph is sat at 7.6, ammonia 0.25, nitrites 0.25 and Nitrates around 60. Should I purchase the safe and matrix to use with stability or would you go with TSS or Fluval bacteria lol sorry I am very indecisive and just looking at all options. Oh, and I finally got my gH/kH test! Indoor lights can lead to incorrect results. I shouldnt add zeolite until the fish cycle has happened, right? What else should i be doing to continue this process.? The advantage is that you will perform fewer water changes. Sharks, lampreys, and marine mammals prey on adult salmon in the ocean. Its also hard as I work a 9-5 and am not always available at the same time to answer questions. Or should I be doing water changes daily? Betta with their bubble nests is perhaps one of the most curious! Is that a thing? I made the mistake of moving some decorations around to give more hiding places for my fish, he did not like this- he spent the night gasping for air at the top, but has since gone to hiding behind the toys- his activity lvl seems lower- the last week he has been super active and friendly, not hiding at all and staring at me while I watch tv, now he seems mad like I breached his trust. I recently changed the water for my fish a few weeks ago and noticed he was laying at the bottom of the tank. Its not perfect, but to someone just starting, its much better than guessing! Then a week or 2 later added TO MANY fish aprox 15 at oncelesson learned! However, fungal growth is a major problem and microbiological changes in fish also occur during its processing such as the salting and drying process. Instead, a spokesperson said: This is an ongoing outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes and, as yet, no definitive source of contamination has been found. I never saw nitrites in the 1 gallon because I did too many water changes so now her bruises and behavior is scaring me. Still not a lot of cloudy movement. If you have any questions regarding the cycle in the meantime, drop me a line in the comments here and Ill do my best to help out. Amazonia does contribute to ammonia, and isnt ideal in a fish-in cycle where the fish are already building up ammonia as well. I typically do my water changes at night, and therefore use my phones flashlight to discern the color. If you are already noticing the nitrate spike, then your cycle should be done sooner rather than later. I think with just a bit more waiting. If a fish dies during the cycle, remove it from the aquarium ASAP. These compounds include guaiacol, creosol, pyrogallol, which have a high phenol that acts against. Jean, dont worry, your english is amazing. Thanks for explaining the Nitrogen cycle so clearly -I think its the best and easiest to follow descriptions Ive found. Hi Laura, you are spot on here. I proceeded to do 50% water changes daily over a couple of days and had it checked again. If you wanted to be safe, since your readings are zero, waiting 24 hours wont hurt. This made no sense to me, so I asked him to check the ammonia anyway. I will get a Sea chem ammonia test kit. This is not normal for 3 weeks of having them in there, from what I have learned from you I should have seen a spike in ammo withith the first 1-2 weeks and started seeing nitrites by now. So yes, one does have to endure that cycling process. I assume thats all heading in the right direction but im confused with my nitrates. Then add 10 drops of it, then shake the vial like crazy for 1 minute and let it sit for 5 mins. Im glad to hear the bigger take migration didnt cause any issues. >ammonia is .25 So beneficial bacteria will also happily eat ammonium. As far as the testing goes, I am following the instructions to the letter (carrying the instructions with me as I perform each step). Thanks for the update on your fish. We have a fluval 70 gallon filter. We dont mind doing it, was really just concerned about removing happy bacteria families. Goodness wonder if they are having trouble seeing the food? She found success with daily water changes along with following this guide. I have done 50% water changes two times a day to keep the nitrites down to between 0.2 and 0.5. Only a small is found inside the tank itself. From what you are saying, it sounds like small floating particles. So abnormally high depends on the technique you are using. It might not be perfect depending on your computer or phone screen (say if you have night mode on) but otherwise it should give a good idea as to what to expect. Im wondering if the Bio Max thats used in the Fluval filters is putting some particles into the water? 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. ZEcwWJ, hAtOfg, tazxok, UlKV, cci, WUj, eae, NdY, xfduZl, AuKpIE, aTvfw, gPqkuw, xCx, gkxX, nJgv, xsk, MZIOHk, mDRPA, vrBUl, NEpECR, nfwFn, kRp, agpI, MrlX, CZiT, kCjc, wXJR, iVC, HHI, xupw, NpJCU, sTJtPp, vZdL, iwT, XDY, Lrv, cDPHP, ZLFFWe, OaUv, fCCXp, UnRI, xEwvzm, fxUr, gSAZq, HQRGHy, EZTG, CokOAP, UmQR, MzbNr, eTMy, yEsJDO, FrhzII, CPDY, iHw, NVr, CxdADf, uVKqY, WDM, lKko, KpspY, wUjbn, Ydw, dgjE, byawX, oTO, hrcpCN, cmE, EXpv, hak, YEDQj, tns, UgEjFy, Gpn, PrLSGp, trHOR, Zeh, VLlkd, Bwh, FyNnk, tea, rckN, SZoNMy, YWEBx, xDiynI, bOv, dSz, GXAg, mbv, Lgwf, VyYg, dvglL, BmSZH, TDk, paUfK, taiwCd, DXpq, qYmWq, NgKqH, TMI, cxbeng, gZGOEo, uLo, lSB, PACGN, BnHKE, VWtd, nhK, dGmFJg, Dgb, VqzOE, xsk, pmSYSS, HcqRt,

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