Nematodes like fishless cycle!!!

[eteller]

Last night I was looking at my 29 gal. tank I'm fishless cyclying for goldfish and noticed thousands of tiny white worms about a 1-2mm in length stuck to the glass. The tank is my old community tank, was washed out with vinegar and water, but I'm using media from before the tank was cleaned out to kick start the cycle. I'm about 3 weeks in to it, no ammonia now and about .50 ppm nitrites. Tons of nitrates. I figure when the cycle is done the tank will get a 90% water change and that should take care of the nematodes.

[Lady Hobbs]

Ammonia daily. Add enough to bring the amount to 2-3 or your bacteria you have already grown will die. The ammonia will probably kill those worms.

Please read the cycle link in my signature.

[eteller]

I have been adding ammonia Lady Hobbs, what I meant was it's down to 0ppm in 24hrs. Now I just gotta get rid of the nitrites, they seem to be taking alot longer.

[doug z]

I figure when the cycle is done the tank will get a 90% water change and that should take care of the nematodes.

The fish you add when your cycle is done will take care of them.. :)

I would be careful about changing out that much water..

Might mess with your cycle.. If you do, just take it out of the top, don't suck up anything off the bottom or on any ornaments..

Good luck with your cycle!

[Wild Turkey]

The fish you add when your cycle is done will take care of them.. :)

I would be careful about changing out that much water..

Might mess with your cycle.. If you do, just take it out of the top, don't suck up anything off the bottom or on any ornaments..

Good luck with your cycle!

Good advice!

There is certainly something for them to eat in there, but when you introduce fish the nematodes will become the hunted.thumbs2:

[eteller]

Nematodes it's whats for dinner!!

I thought I was supposed to do a huge water change when the cycle is done? Would 50% be better?

[doug z]

Yup, you do a waterchange..

Just make sure you don't suck up anything off the bottom, where the bacteria lives (as well as in your filter, of course)..

And yeah, 50% would be better..

All you're doing is knocking back the nitrates to an acceptable level (below 20).

[eteller]

Do I do it now, or wait till nitrates are 0ppm?

[Wild Turkey]

Do I do it now, or wait till nitrates are 0ppm?

Once the tank is cycled, its rare the nitrates ever go down. Often during the process of fishless cycling people build up excess nitrates in their tanks and so you want to take them back down to below 20ppm or so before you introduce the fish, just like you would if you were introducing new fish to an already established aquarium...which in a sense you are.

[doug z]

Do it when the nitrItes are at zero, correct..

(that's what he meant, WT, I think)

And the ammonia, of course..

[eteller]

Okay, thanks Doug. You guys are great!!

[doug z]

You bet..

Let us know how it works out!

[Wild Turkey]

Do it when the nitrItes are at zero, correct..

(that's what he meant, WT, I think)

And the ammonia, of course..


I was kinda wondering but i didnt want to say "nitrites?" and then be corrected on a correction :D

[eteller]

Guys, the tank has been clearing 4ppm ammonia daily for a week now, just waiting on nitrites to go to 0ppm, how much ammonia should I be adding daily? I've been adding enough to get it to 2ppm.

[doug z]

2-3ppm is good..

You're almost done!

[eteller]

Sweet! Can't wait to add fish! Currently running two airstones and keeping the temps at 80F.

[Wild Turkey]

Sweet! Can't wait to add fish! Currently running two airstones and keeping the temps at 80F.

You can jack the temp up a little higher if you like

[eteller]

Done, 84F. I was gradually reducing it as this is going to be a gf tank and the heater will be pulled before fishy time.