Is that going to be it for a spike in nitrites/nitrates???

**Pixxie75** · 02-01-2013, 05:01 AM

Well I made it, I hope.
I have a 20 gallon tank and have 2 goldfihs, 2 irredesent sharks, 1 pictus, 1 pleco, 1 rapheal catfish.
I thought I had done the cycle with my two gold fish for 3 weeks...
I found out the hard way and my tank hit 10 for my nitrites and 200 for the nitrates.. for a week it sat this high.
I was doing half water changes everyday.
It started to come down and I changed the filter (cartridge) and vacumed the tank with my water change and it spiked again to the highest levels on the stirps.
Then over night it went down to 1 and 40.
And then the next day 0 and 0.
Its been good like this for a week. I think I was over feeding as well during all this and started to be a bit stingy with the food.
Does this mean I am through the cycling and I am good now?

**mizzoutank** · 02-01-2013, 05:27 AM

Sadly No.
Could you elaborate on how you cycled this tank? Im not following what happened?
Also, we need to address your fish as they physically cannot fit in 20gallons

**Honey Badger 1** · 02-01-2013, 05:30 AM

I would love to see a picture of your tank and the fish in it.

**mizzoutank** · 02-01-2013, 05:32 AM

I second that, with the new forum look we areable to share pictures better and it is fun to see all the different aquarium styles

**Lady Hobbs** · 02-01-2013, 05:34 AM

Not me. The mental picture of 2 goldfish, 2 iridescent sharks, 1 pictus, 1 pleco, 1 rapheal catfish is enough for me in a 20 gallon tank.

You might want to read about cycling in my signature?

**Pixxie75** · 02-01-2013, 05:40 AM

I have a 150 gallon tank my dad is giving to me once he is finshed building his custom tank so they wont be in the 20 gallon for long as they will get quite large.
I seet up the 20 gallon tank and let it run with a starter bacteria for 1 week. Then I added 2 gold fish for 3 weeks.
Then I was under the misunderstanding that I had established the tank and could add more fish. That is when I added the 2 irredecent and rapheal. Then a couple of days later I added the pictus and pleco.
And I started testing the water and noticed the nitrite climbing. I think I was over feeding adn I am not sure if my fliter is the best. Its a cartiage one, and you pull the whole thing out and put in a new one. Which I did. (maybe the canistser filters hold more bacteria as you dont have to pull out the media?)
With in a couple of days my Nitrites and Nitrates were the highest level on the tester.
I keep up with 50 % water changes daily, added the air rock and put the temp up to 78.
It stayed up like this for a week. I thought for sure the fish were going to die. They all survied and I am at week 8 now and the nitrite and nitrate are showing as zero when I test.
I am just unsure if that means my tank is stable and cycled?

Mommy1 I will post a pick as soon as I figure out how:)

**Lady Hobbs** · 02-01-2013, 05:47 AM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...cent_shark.jpg

Here's your shark and you have two of these. If you have a pleco, you must have driftwood because it's a food source for them and a diet requirement. Pleco's should not go in new tanks as they will often starve to death. Goldfish are cold water fish and the others you have are warm water. Good rule of thumb is do not get the fish until you have the tank.

Removing the cartridge in your filter also removes the bacteria and why you lost your cycle.

**Pixxie75** · 02-01-2013, 06:03 AM

So will it spike everytime I remove the cartridge to clean the filter?

**Lady Hobbs** · 02-01-2013, 02:58 PM

Most of the problem is your stock. You are WAY overstocked for a tank of that size and I "assume" you have a filter adequate for a 20 gallon. In other words, the filter is also not adequate for your stock. Sorry, but you do not have even one fish that belongs in that tank. Everything should be returned and you should only buy stock that works for 20 gallons..........and do not stock the 150 gallon until you have the 150 gallon.

Goldfish do not work with warm water fish and iridescent sharks will not work even in a 150 gallon tank. Start over and do this right and prevent lots of headaches down the road.

**Pixxie75** · 02-01-2013, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

Most of the problem is your stock. You are WAY overstocked for a tank of that size and I "assume" you have a filter adequate for a 20 gallon. In other words, the filter is also not adequate for your stock. Sorry, but you do not have even one fish that belongs in that tank. Everything should be returned and you should only buy stock that works for 20 gallons..........and do not stock the 150 gallon until you have the 150 gallon.

Goldfish do not work with warm water fish and iridescent sharks will not work even in a 150 gallon tank. Start over and do this right and prevent lots of headaches down the road.

When you do the math my tanks stocking level is at 63%. I am very aware of the need to move to the 150 gallon tank in a short period of time. I appreciate your advice of not stocking a tank until you have the tank set up. Tanks are costly and sometimes with the best intentions money could delay aquiring a tank in time. Mine will be in the garage for a cleaning in the next 2 weeks as I have it I am just waiting on it shipping so to speack. Thank you for your concern it shows you care deeply about your hobby and the welfare of the fish.

You did assume wrongly my filter is a larger filter and the filtration capcity to the comapnies specs, the amount of water and my stock is at 163% so I am good there for a while yet.

When their sizes increase and my stocking level is nearing 90% the 150 gallon will be ready for them.
Where my knowledge was shaking was how the cycling worked and I was trying to reach out to a fourum of hobbyist that would have working knowledge that was current.
I am sorry if you find what I am doing as offensive in some way.