New Aquarium Owner! Cycling Help

**CrackFox** · 11-08-2012, 09:04 PM

Hi. I'm completely new to the tropical fish hobbie but i've been reading countless amounts of information on the dos and don'ts. Ok, I set up my 60ltr aquarium last Saturday and I used Nutrafin Cycle that came with the tank. I used it for the first three days as indicated. I got a huge bacteria bloom that lasted about three days. Yesterday morning I woke up and noticed that the water was significantly clearer and today it's almost crystal. I don't have any fish yet as I want to cycle the tank before they're added. I've been putting in some fish food flakes as advised in order to add some ammonia. I've been putting in a few drops of flakes for the past three days. The food doesn't seem to be decomposing though, so I've stopped because It will start to build up. For the first time, I checked the water today just to see where I was in the cycle. Here are the results:

Ammonia: 0.5/1.0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
PH: 7.6

I know that these aren't the desired conditions for fish just yet. Can anyone tell me how far I might be into the cycle based on that or if I need to do a water change, also any tips on what might speed things up.

Thanks so much.

**Shidohari** · 11-08-2012, 09:16 PM

You're just starting your cycle. From what i've heard on this forum, ammonia eating bacteria and nitrAte eating bacteria grow first. the NitrIte eating bacteria take longer to grow.

How many gallons is your tank? that also affects how long your cycle may take sometimes. Also it may help you to read Lady Hobbs's Cycling Stickies.

**CrackFox** · 11-08-2012, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Shidohari

You're just starting your cycle. From what i've heard on this forum, ammonia eating bacteria and nitrAte eating bacteria grow first. the NitrIte eating bacteria take longer to grow.

How many gallons is your tank? that also affects how long your cycle may take sometimes. Also it may help you to read Lady Hobbs's Cycling Stickies.

My tank is 13 gallons so not that big really. I just read Lady Hobbs's guide and it helped a lot. A water change is a bad idea I see. I'm very tempted to buy some pure ammonia and stop with the fish flakes, it sounds quicker. Also my temperature is about 24c at the minute. I could turn it up, I had it at about 27c at first but it was producing a lot of condensation on the glass and it wilted a few ferns so I turned it down.

**Shidohari** · 11-08-2012, 09:35 PM

If you are cycling with fish YOU HAVE TO DO WATER CHANGES. Your ammonia and NitrItes and NitrAtes could be high unless you've tested your water. also you won't see nitrItes for the first couple weeks of your cycle.

The number of fish in your tank can affect how often you need to do these water changes, especially if you've got too many for your tank size. (take it from me having that issue on that) I just finished a week's worth of water changes due to my nitrItes in my 10 gallon being 3.0. From what i have also heard on this forum relayed to me NitrItes are the most lethal of the three chemicals.

check to see what temperture your fish require. I know you're doing celsius while we do farenheit over here...but most fish have a average freshwater range of 72-78. Yours may require higher or lower temperture range due to what they are.

There are alot of specific fish boards on this forum, you should check them out if one fits along the types of fish that you have. That way you can determine the temperature all your fish can survive in.

Hope this helps, and welcome to the school

**CrackFox** · 11-08-2012, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Shidohari

If you are cycling with fish YOU HAVE TO DO WATER CHANGES. Your ammonia and NitrItes and NitrAtes could be high unless you've tested your water. also you won't see nitrItes for the first couple weeks of your cycle.

The number of fish in your tank can affect how often you need to do these water changes, especially if you've got too many for your tank size. (take it from me having that issue on that) I just finished a week's worth of water changes due to my nitrItes in my 10 gallon being 3.0. From what i have also heard on this forum relayed to me NitrItes are the most lethal of the three chemicals.

check to see what temperture your fish require. I know you're doing celsius while we do farenheit over here...but most fish have a average freshwater range of 72-78. Yours may require higher or lower temperture range due to what they are.

There are alot of specific fish boards on this forum, you should check them out if one fits along the types of fish that you have. That way you can determine the temperature all your fish can survive in.

Hope this helps, and welcome to the school

I'm doing a fishless cycle so I don't need to worry about temperatures or ammonia levels harming them. Also, I know what fish I'm getting and i've checked the ideal temps for each one, 24c is perfect for them. They're small and pretty hardy.

**Shidohari** · 11-08-2012, 09:48 PM

Ah i thought you were doing a With fish cycle. My bad. Then definately don't change the water.

Sorry about that.

**CrackFox** · 11-08-2012, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Shidohari

Ah i thought you were doing a With fish cycle. My bad. Then definately don't change the water.

Sorry about that.

That's ok, I appreciate the advice. Tomorrow I'll head into town and try to find some pure ammonia. Any ideas what kind of dosage a 13 gallon tank would require to reach 4pmm? I don't want to over do it.

**Shidohari** · 11-08-2012, 10:12 PM

I've never done a fishless cycle, so i'm not the one to ask. Actually before this forum, i never even did a with fish cycle (which i'm doing now on both of my tanks).

I would wait for one of the senior members to respond, as they know more on this than i do.

**CrackFox** · 11-08-2012, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Shidohari

I've never done a fishless cycle, so i'm not the one to ask. Actually before this forum, i never even did a with fish cycle (which i'm doing now on both of my tanks).

I would wait for one of the senior members to respond, as they know more on this than i do.

Ok thanks, I just found one of those online calculator things for the ammonia dosage and it came back as 2.35ml for the size of my tank. Doesn't sound like a lot. Can someone confirm that it sounds about right?

**Goes to 11!** · 11-08-2012, 11:06 PM

4ppm is too high a concentration for that small of a tank, Go with 2ppm instead.

No idea if that dosage is correct because the standard route to determining what you have dosed is to dose, Then test the water and read the results.

Get yourself an API Freshwater Master test kit to use for this, You will need it.