Drum roll please........MY cycle is done too! :)

[poler_28]

After 22 days of nail biting, paceing, and breaking 3 test tubes...my 29g cycle is done!! :hmm3grin2orange:

Thanks to all who answered all of my questions..I know things get repetetive around here.

Here's a recap:
3/23 start date (added 1 tblsp. ammonia, which brought it to a 4)After I test for my ammonia, I always add enough to bring the level back up to a 4-5.
3/30 first Nitrite reading 0-.25
ammonia .50-1
0 trates
3/31 Ammonia 2
Trite .25
Trate 0-5
4/1 Ammonia 2
Trite .50-1
Trate 0-5
4/2 Ammonia 2
Trite 5
Trate 5
4/3 same
4/4 Ammonia 0
Trite 5
Trate 5-10
(This is how it stayed for 7 LONG days)
4/11 Ammonia 0
Trite .50-1
Trate 9
4/12 Ammonia 0
Trite .50 at the 5 min. mark, then lightened to almost clear, then at the 10 min. mark itstarted to turn blueish.
Trate 9
4/13 Ammonia 0
Trite 0 at the 5 min. mark (was a clear blue, not bright like on the card, but def. blue)
Trate 10
My Ph tested @ 7.6 (it was slightly darker than the blue on the card) I did a High Ph test, to see how it tested, and the color was red, not ANY color close to the card. What does that mean?

So...I think that's it! YAY! YAY! YAY!! :19:
I won't be able to add my fish until tomorrow, so I added a little ammonia to keep it fed and tomorrow I plan on doing a 50% water change...sound ok?

Now, for my stocking plans, it's a 29g. Here are my preferred fish in order:
2-3 GBR's
some type of Cory..either Albino or dwarf? 4-6 maybe?
Either 8-10 cardinal tetras OR Praecox Rainbowfish ( I don't know how many would be ok or if it will be a big problem with the Rams)

So...a little guidance would be helpful. Which should be added first and does the stocking list sound ok? Any better suggestions? Thanks!! thumbs2:

[Ryuu]

Congrats on the most hard, grueling, and boring part of the hobby! =D enjoy your newly cycled tank =D

[Northernguy]

Congrats!:22:
When you get your fish get the corys and the tetras first.Give it some time to stablize and then get the GBRs next month.
The GBRs need a well cycled but clean stable tank.

[Fraoch]

Congratulations! It's a really good feeling, isn't it? Like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders.

Also congratulations on such a relatively short cycle, it could have gone on a lot longer!


breaking 3 test tubes

How did you manage that? Did you drop them?

I'm just wondering, I'm a klutz and I'm worried I'll do the same.:ssmile:


I won't be able to add my fish until tomorrow, so I added a little ammonia to keep it fed and tomorrow I plan on doing a 50% water change...sound ok?

Sounds good!thumbs2:

[poler_28]

Fraoch,
lol..yeah, I'm a TOTAL klutz! I was rinsing them out and shook out the water into the sink and totally threw one across the bathroom, the others I broke while testing for the Trates(that 30sec. shake is a doozy!)

[Fraoch]

Fraoch,
lol..yeah, I'm a TOTAL klutz! I was rinsing them out and shook out the water into the sink and totally threw one across the bathroom, the others I broke while testing for the Trates(that 30sec. shake is a doozy!)

Sorry to hear about that, but yeah, I'm amazed I haven't done that yet!:ssmile:

Also yeah, that nitrate test is kind of involved!

[Cameron]

Fraoch,
lol..yeah, I'm a TOTAL klutz! I was rinsing them out and shook out the water into the sink and totally threw one across the bathroom, the others I broke while testing for the Trates(that 30sec. shake is a doozy!)


So far i've broken 2 lol i know its ok. They aren't very forgiving when you drop them..

[brianyu]

:19: shop time ?? what you going to put in your tanks ? :18:

[Wiggs]

Seems to be the month of the cycle :P

Grats on another AC member completely the patience test, now for the fun part ;0

[poler_28]

Well, not so fast...

So, last night I met up with my hubby to eat dinner out. It happened to be close to my favorite LFS. Since my water readings were good, I decided to go ahead and get 4 juve peppered corys.

I did a 75% water change, added in my silk plants, and completed the decor. Floated the bag and acclimated the corys. Put them in when they were ready and all is great.

This afternoon, I decided to test the water to make sure all params were good.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite 1-2!!! (WTH!)
Trate 0-5

The fish are good, eating, active, colorful. What happened here? Stupid me, I should've tested BEFORE adding fish. :14:
I've got some Tetra Aqua Safe, should I go ahead and add some? I don't know what to do now...

[Fraoch]

Well, not so fast...

So, last night I met up with my hubby to eat dinner out. It happened to be close to my favorite LFS. Since my water readings were good, I decided to go ahead and get 4 juve peppered corys.

I did a 75% water change, added in my silk plants, and completed the decor. Floated the bag and acclimated the corys. Put them in when they were ready and all is great.

This afternoon, I decided to test the water to make sure all params were good.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite 1-2!!! (WTH!)
Trate 0-5

The fish are good, eating, active, colorful. What happened here? Stupid me, I should've tested BEFORE adding fish. :14:
I've got some Tetra Aqua Safe, should I go ahead and add some? I don't know what to do now...

Sorry to hear that - does your tap water contain any nitrites? It sure shouldn't, but I figured I'd ask anyway.

How long did you wait after adding the last ammonia dose (i.e. how long between adding ammonia and putting in fish?)

1-2 nitrites can be very toxic. AquaSafe won't help, it's a tap water conditioner. It will remove chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals but not nitrite.

You need to do an emergency 50% water change immediately to save the fish. Test, and if nitrites are 1.0, do another 50% WC.

[Wild Turkey]

Froach, the newer aquasafe comes with a small amount of the safe start ingredients for "supplementing" the bacteria bed when doing water changes. I think thats what the op means

But you are right its ineffective. If you want bacteria culture buy the actual safe start. Either way, water change the nitrite down to at least 1.0 and keep it and any ammonia that low at least. Test daily

[Fraoch]

Froach, the newer aquasafe comes with a small amount of the safe start ingredients for "supplementing" the bacteria bed when doing water changes. I think thats what the op means

Ah right! They call it "BioExtract"!

Not sure why I didn't clue into that, I bought a bottle on my last trip to the LFS and was purposefully looking for the version with BioExtract. Had to dig behind the old bottles that didn't have BioExtract.:ssmile:


But you are right its ineffective. If you want bacteria culture buy the actual safe start. Either way, water change the nitrite down to at least 1.0 and keep it and any ammonia that low at least. Test daily

Right, it won't do much. poler_28 needs a proper bacteria booster, but before that, a water change.

[poler_28]

The bottle I have does say "with BioExtract"...it says on the back that it "helps support the devel. of beneficial bacteria.." Ok, off to do another w/c. There are no Nitrites in the tap water.

WHY would my trites spike? Before they were reading 0.

Yesterday morning, I did add just a tiny bit of ammonia (as I wasn't planning on getting fish yet) to feed the bacteria, and later in the afternoon, I did retest. Ammonia was 0, Trites were 0, and Trates were 10....the same that it has been reading. I'll double check my tap water, but before it was 0 for trites as well.
I could always take the fish back until this is resolved....

[Fraoch]

WHY would my trites spike? Before they were reading 0.

Perhaps you had a weak nitrtite->nitrate bacteria colony that is adjusting to the bio-load, giving you a mini-cycle.

Not sure why it was specific to only one bacteria type though?

[poler_28]

Allright...I'm just baffled and frustrated.

I did a 50% water change last night. Added in some Stress Zyme. I tested the levels and the Nitrite was still high like a 2! Just to be sure, I tested the tap water and it read 0. I did notice one that was panting and sort of "floating" through the water. The rest were acting normal. It was late so I said a little prayer for the poor fish and went to bed.
This morning, I saw that everyone looks good/normal, eating well. I retested, now it's a 5! Ammonia 0, Nitrate 5-10. I'm just going to take them back to the LFS until I get this sorted out.

WHY would my Nitrite spike AFTER a water change...isn't it supposed to come down? ANY CLUES?!

[Northernguy]

Are you shaking up your chemicals properly before using them?
Is the test kit old? Check the date!

[poler_28]

I am shaking properly and it's not expired. Like I said, I am baffled...

[Fraoch]

Allright...I'm just baffled and frustrated.

I did a 50% water change last night. Added in some Stress Zyme. I tested the levels and the Nitrite was still high like a 2! Just to be sure, I tested the tap water and it read 0. I did notice one that was panting and sort of "floating" through the water. The rest were acting normal. It was late so I said a little prayer for the poor fish and went to bed.
This morning, I saw that everyone looks good/normal, eating well. I retested, now it's a 5! Ammonia 0, Nitrate 5-10. I'm just going to take them back to the LFS until I get this sorted out.

WHY would my Nitrite spike AFTER a water change...isn't it supposed to come down? ANY CLUES?!

That's crazy, it's like there's something rotting in the tank?

It is defying explanation and putting suspicion on the testing. Do you have a way to correlate the nitrite test (i.e. try another brand?) Would there have been some way that debris (food, waste) got into the test tube? Do you test right after feeding or several hours later?

Also if it really was 5, your fish would be all dead, floating at the surface.

[poler_28]

I fed them yesterday early afternoon and tested later afternoon.
I have red flint sand for substrate, silk plants, Mopani driftwood.
Could it be the DRIFTWOOD? It does grow some funky slime on it, maybe that's contributing to the reading? I took it out while cycling last week bc it was really slimey and scrubbed it, then I left it in a bucket w/ water to leach more tannins, but I never put it back in until I redecorated for the fish.
I've got some strip tests, but no other liquid test kit. I guess I'll try those...be right back...

ok..the Trate is 20, the Trite is off the chart (neon pink) 0 ammonia.

[minneapolis]

I have heard driftwood is good for a tank but I wonder about it because it is organic matter so possibly your aquarium is adjusting to that? I am cycling with my driftwood in the tank, plus it came from another tank so I was hoping it had some good bacteria on it to seed my tank (which it obviously did as I am seeing nitrates already today on day 6 and everything about my set up was new except the wood!) Do you have a 2nd tank you can put them in for 2-3 days to see if your tank settles down? Just to get them out of the nitrite part of the cycle... Or maybe leave one fish in and take the rest back since it sounds like your tank is so close to finishing? I am not an expert cycler it's my first time cycing a new tank but I have taken over established tanks a few times and sometimes saw a spike in nitrites when I added a really large plant or a larger fish. My guess is that the wood/fish combo overloaded the tank a bit but since you already have bacteria going I bet it catches up soon.