Cycling tank first readings

[djceri_g]

Im currently cycling my 190L Juwel trigon. I did put too much ammonia and it weno off the chart and did a 30% water change

Day 3
Ammnia 8ppm (could be more!)
Nitaite 0

Day 5

30% water change to get rid of some ammonia

Day 7

Ammonia 8ppm! (could be more)
Nitrite 3ppm
Nitrate 5ppm

Day 8

Ammonia 8ppm
nitrite 2-4 ppm
NitrAte 10ppm

Does this look okay to you? I aint too sure! Should i try reduce the ammonia to about 5ppm

[fishgeek]

in theory higher levels of ammonia are inhibitory to the growth of the bacteria

and in your tank it looks like they are developing anyway

i wouldnt worry too much about the water changing at this point, i am sure others will have varied answers as most things will work in the grand scheme of things

andrew

[djceri_g]

in theory higher levels of ammonia are inhibitory to the growth of the bacteria

and in your tank it looks like they are developing anyway

i wouldnt worry too much about the water changing at this point, i am sure others will have varied answers as most things will work in the grand scheme of things

andrewThanks for the input! So how long till a fully cycled tank you think? Cant wait to get new discus!! When the tank is ready should I carry on adding ammonia until I get my new wet friends?

[fishgeek]

3 weeks would be quick 6-8 would be average

once the ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrate on your readings this is just suggesting you have a bacterial population

feeding this would allow them to grow in number , so yes i would continue adding some nitrogen source, the ammonia is the easiest to measure with fish kits

you will probably find that as bacterial numbers increase additions of ammonia will be detectable for shorter periods

andrew

[djceri_g]

this is the readings now, my tank seems to have back fiered!!

Day 10

amminia 8ppm
Nitrite 2ppm
Nitrate oppm ?/?? have vanished

Day 12

Ammona 8ppm
Nirtite 1ppm
Nitrate o

WTF is going on? Is it because I put too much ammonia in the first fill? I havent been putting any ammonia since starting the cycle

[fishgeek]

maybe the intial colour change readings were from something other than nitrate?

do uyou have plants in the tank, although they would probably fix ammonia in preference ot nitrate

have you done a water change
what type of filter

patience is the key though , cycling will take time and in theory above 5 ammonia will atke longer, so prehaps change some water to bring it down

andrew

[djceri_g]

I have 2 plants in the tank that is currently cycling and a piece of bogwod, Iwas told to put pleanty of airaton so i but my airpump attached to my spounge gilter. Didnt have a air stone. Pulled the spounge off the filter as I thought it will affent the main filter in cycling.

Havent done a water change, maybey I will to try get ammonia level down

I have a juwel record that has been running for 6 months and have fish in it. It has the same filter spounges as my new tank im currently cycling, would I be able to swap spounges to get the cycling faster?

[DiscusEden]

Hi there,

Andrew is a vet, so is giving you professional advice, while I can only tell you about my experience in cycling tanks. Having got the disclaimer out of the way:

I believe that the bacteria grow in highest populations on filters, sponges, walls of tanks, plants, wood, that kind of thing, far more than in the water. So removing the sponge may have taken the process back a step or 2.

Taking a sponge or filter material from an established tank to add to a new one will speed the process, yes. Be careful not to take so much that you make the old tank re-cycle.

I had no idea that too much ammonia could slow the process, so because the ammonia stank, I threw in twice as much half as often. It still cycled.

HTH & good luck!

[fishgeek]

i wouldnt change the filter media though that is totally acceptable

i tend to just squeeze the muck out of the sponges into the new tank and allow the bacteria to colonise from there

dont forget that this may inadvertently add pathogens to your tank form the first, though if you intend to shre nets fish etc from the tanks then this is of little consequence

andrew

[djceri_g]

Thanks everyone for the replies! Im so so chuffed! Just checked the water readings and all the ammonia seems to have disapered! Nitrite at approx 2ppm and Nirtate 5ppm! Its funny last night ammonia was very high. I have added some more ammonia not to see if it disaperars in 24 hours. When should i do a water chage.

[DiscusEden]

That's great news!

What I have done is to leave the w/c until about 24 hours before the fish are due to go in (keep adding ammonia at 5ppm until then), then do as many w/c as is necessary to get the readings down (has been 3-4 total w/c, depending on how much water is left in the filter).

Then add the fish & grin!

Oh, I've been told you can push it up to a week before adding all of your fish - before the bacteria in the filter die off to the level that are required for only the current fish in the tank.

HTH & good luck!

HTH,

[djceri_g]

Great! Do you think I can keep 5 discu in 190 liters? Have got a juwel filter also a spounge filter. Thing is i like to keep and odd number of fish, think 5 will be better than 4? Thanks

[DiscusEden]

Yes, 5 are better than 4.

Rule of thumb is 1 adult discus for 40 litres. So 5x40=200L. It's only just over, so if you increase the water changes a bit it should be OK.

[djceri_g]

Cant wait to get my fishes! Ive just tested the water and bit dissapointed! Ammonia was 0 last night so I addes some. tested it tonight and it is still there!

[djceri_g]

Update on my cycling, this all is not going as planned!!

Day 14

Amminia 0

Day 15

Ammonia 8 (off chart) (added more, too much again!!!)

Day 16

Ammonia 8 (off chart)
Nitrite 2
Nitrate 5

day 18 (40% water change to try reduce ammonia)

Ammonia 8!
Nitrite 2
Nitrate 5

Day 20
Ammonia 5
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 0

Day 22

Ammonia 5
Nitrite 1
Nirtate 40!

Added plants

Day 24

Ammonia 5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Is this how it should look? I aint sure as i havent cycled this way before

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!

[endless]

hmm that looks a bit wierd. How did nitrate reduce from 40 to 0 in a day. I dont think plants alone can do that

[djceri_g]

Well, i think because in the filter system there is a nitrate removal spounge or maybey the nitrate liquid test wasn't accurate?

[Robdog]

Do a 50% WC and throw a few fish in. I think your tank is as good as cycled. There is obviously some good bacteria in there by now and having plants in the tank will help the cycle too.
Just add your fish gradually over a few weeks and your filter should adjust.
Have some Seachem Prime on standby and you'll be sweet.

Having said that, I hope all your fish don't die and then you blame me :oops:

[DiscusEden]

If the readings have been as you say, I'd be doing more that one 50% w/c (sorry Robdog). I just wouldn't trust that kit.

When I have used the same method, I've had to do at least 3x 95% w/c's one after the other to get the nitrate readings down to safe levels, having added that much ammonia.

Just a thought, but when you did the w/c part way through the cycle, did you add untreated water (with chlorine, which would have killed the bacteria, leaving you at square 1), or did you treat it with something first (locking up the ammonia you added, so not giving the bacteria a food source).

Just thought that might explain some of the readings?

[taksan]

ok .... typical Juwel crap


Remove the Carbon sponge and the Nitrate removal sponge as this will prevent your tank cycling


Then start again

[djceri_g]

Do a 50% WC and throw a few fish in. I think your tank is as good as cycled. There is obviously some good bacteria in there by now and having plants in the tank will help the cycle too.
Just add your fish gradually over a few weeks and your filter should adjust.
Have some Seachem Prime on standby and you'll be sweet.

Having said that, I hope all your fish don't die and then you blame me :oops:I aint too sure about that. I need to be 100% sure the filter is mature before I put any fish in there. My plants have actually died in this tank! Its very wierd, it like they just collapsed over night! Maybey all the ammonia killed them?

[djceri_g]

If the readings have been as you say, I'd be doing more that one 50% w/c (sorry Robdog). I just wouldn't trust that kit.

When I have used the same method, I've had to do at least 3x 95% w/c's one after the other to get the nitrate readings down to safe levels, having added that much ammonia.

Just a thought, but when you did the w/c part way through the cycle, did you add untreated water (with chlorine, which would have killed the bacteria, leaving you at square 1), or did you treat it with something first (locking up the ammonia you added, so not giving the bacteria a food source).

Just thought that might explain some of the readings?Ohh dear, I didn't treat the water! I was told not to! but look at the readings, the filter has managed to get rid of the high levels of ammonia in a day.

[djceri_g]

ok .... typical Juwel crap


Remove the Carbon sponge and the Nitrate removal sponge as this will prevent your tank cycling


Then start againI think my nrxt step is to remove as much water as I can, then remove nitrate and carbon from the filter. I shauld add this aswell, the nitrate levels from my water tap is near enough 0ppm! Maybey this is why I have trouble with my plants!

[Robdog]

I think your next step is to throw out your testing kits as they seem to be giving you widely differing results.

Start from the beginning and just throw a cube of frozen food in the tank or get a ladder and wee in it.
Hey presto, cycle started.

[djceri_g]

I think your next step is to throw out your testing kits as they seem to be giving you widely differing results.

Start from the beginning and just throw a cube of frozen food in the tank or get a ladder and wee in it.
Hey presto, cycle started.Why throw the test kits? Ive got good liquid ones. Its just maybey I put too much drops sometimes when not concentrating! When my daughter is moidering me :lol: Ill defo start from scratch and maybey chuck a prawn it the tank. Dont know about weeing in it but maybey think of that after a couple of drinks! :lol: Saves me walking to the bathroom. But If i add ammonia is there any point in the weeing thing and the prawn? Isnt that going to build more ammonia after me making sure i add enough to bring it up to 4ppmmm

[Robdog]

Well if your other posts are anything to go by you seem to dose a little heavy on the ammonia. :wink:

[DiscusEden]

You shouldn't treat the water, just let it stand for 24 hours before doing any top-ups into the tank, to let the chlorine blow off. When starting the tank the first time, just fill with tap water, add an ammonia source & wait.

You're right, prawns, peeing and pure ammonia are all just alternative sources of ammonia. Choose one for re-starting the cycle & stick with it.

As Taksan & Robdog have said, remove the carbon & nitrate removing sponges.

You may choose to drain the tank & re-fill, up to you. Then there is no need to change the water (other than topping up due to evaporation) until 24 hours before you add fish.

Good luck!

[djceri_g]

Thanks guys. I will change all the water i think! Its gone all brown! Any with my plants dying it has polluted the water. Will keep you updated! One more question, when changing 90% of water, should I take spounges out and let the soak in water to stop bacteria from dying?

[DiscusEden]

I think that if the sponges don't dry out, as long as the change is done in an hour, you're OK. That's what I do with mine.

[djceri_g]

Thak You..Thank You! Will keep you posted

[djceri_g]

I did a 09% water change and started again!! The cycling seems to have stalled! Added 5ppm Ammoinia 5 days ago and still no changes!!!

[djceri_g]

ok .... typical Juwel crap


Remove the Carbon sponge and the Nitrate removal sponge as this will prevent your tank cycling


Then start againHave you had the same problem with juwel? Ive started the cycling again and still seems to be very slow. Have took carbon & nitrate removal spounge. Im so angry! Been waiting 2 months now!