Cycling question?

[chrissi]

Hi



I have had my tank about 2.5 weeks and have 10 neon tetras, 3 platys and 1 dwarf guarami.
After taking advice from here, I am carrying out water changes and taking daily readings as my tank is cycling.
Today the readings were ammonia 0.5, nitrites 2.0 and Nitrates 5. Yesterday they were 0.5, 1.0 and 0 respectively.

Last week my lfs said as I had ammonia i should use a biological supplement for a week which I have been doing. I was wondering whether
1. I should carry on using this every day while I have ammonia.
2. As I now have a nitrate reading does this mean the tank is starting to cycle?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks very much.

[mommy1]

I can't comment on the supplement because I have never used them. Your tank started to cycle as soon as you added fish and they produced ammonia. The ammonia and nitrite readings you posted are too high and you need to do a big enough water change to bring them down, at least a 75% water change.

[Stlouisfish]

Yes, the bacterial supplement won't remove ammonia or nitrites - water changes will - bring down the ammonia to .25 and if it goes up to .5 again, bring it back down to .25 - with larger changes as mommy1 mentioned. Good for you that you are keeping on top of your readings while cycling!

What size tank is this?

[chrissi]

thanks very much, it is a 160 litre.

[fishmommie]

as Mommy1 and Andrea have said, good for you for keeping on top of those water changes. Try to keep both ammonia and nitrites at .25 while you're cycling. Anything above that is harmful to your fish. As you continue to do water changes, your ammonia and nitrites will eventually drop to 0 and you'll have a cycled tank. This could take anywhere from a few more weeks to 2 or more months. A cycle completes when it completes and the only way to get the fish through it is to keep those readings down with water changes and wait it out.
I cycled my first tank with fish an it took almost 4 months but they all came through it alive and well because of almost daily water changes (depending on my test kit readings) You might want to use a water conditioner like Seachams Prime that helps negate the toxic effect of the ammonia and nitrites and it's also very economical because it's so concentrated.
Good luck!

[chrissi]

Great, thanks have just ordered some online.