cycle my tank??

chelle what do you think i should do about my ammonia nitrates and nitrites? they arnt matching up like they should

 

I think I figured out what might be happening. When you started cycling the tank did you clean out the filter and/or replace the filter media? Or is it still set up from when you had the pacu? If it's still set up, then it was already partway through the cycle. You already have some of each type of bacteria, but only enough to handle about half of the ammonia you have been adding for the fishless cycle. So at this point it is going through a mini cycle.

I would just keep adding 5ppm ammonia each day. You should eventually get to the point where you can add it one day and the next you will have 0 ammonia & nitrIte and some amount of nitrAte. When that happens it's safe to do a water change and get an oscar.

-Chelle

 

yeah thats what i thought it was b/c i didnt change the filter and it still had some water in it from the pacu. so do you think that i am almost there?

 

Yup, sounds like you should be pretty close.

-Chelle

 

ok there is one more thing that i don't get. if i have 2.0 amminia, 0 nitrite, and 2.0 nitrate. wouldnt the nitrate eat all of the nitrites before they could get a chance to eat the ammonia???? :?:

 

Ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte are chemicals, not the bacteria.

Nitrosomonas are the bacteria that eats ammonia & produces ntirIte.
Nitrospiras are the bacteria that eats nitrIte and produced nitrAte.
There is no bacteria that eats nitrAte. That's why you have to do water changes.

-Chelle

 

ok so the one that eats ammonia gets eat by the other one right? well how is it going to eat the ammonia if it is getting eat.???

 

No. Nothing eats the bacteria. The only things that get eaten are the ammonia & nitrIte.

-Chelle

 

i added some more ammonia today. if i still have the same problem can i just add something to the take that will start the bacteria (sp) and lower the ammonia.

 

If you can find a product called BioSpira you can try it (but none of the imitations like Cycle or StressZyme). It says it's supposed to instantly cycle a tank, but from the reports I've read it can take up to 5 days. Make sure it stays cold until you use it. Follow the instructions but instead of adding fish immediately add 5ppm ammonia. Then check the parameters the next day and see what they are.

-Chelle

 

so if my ammonia is already at 5 then i can just add the stuff and be done or do i still add the ammonia?

do you know where i can get this stuff at? i looked at www.bigalsonline.com and i couldnt find it.

 

Keep in mind I've never actually used it; everything I'm telling you is from reading other people's experiences.

From what I understand, it can be difficult to find. I would start asking around at your LFS's. If you find someplace that carries it make sure it's been refrigerated (otherwise all the bacteria will be dead).

Although the instructions say you can add your fish immediately after adding it, I wouldn't do that. I would add the biospira and normally add the 5ppm ammonis (but since you already have an ammonia reading, don't add any more). Then wait a day and check your parameters just to be sure it worked before adding your fish.

-Chelle

 

i have been doing some research and i think that it hasd been pulled from the shelves due to the high demand for it and the distributer does not have a stock pile. i looked on ebay and bigals but noone has it. thanks anyways.

you were telling me about using fake plants from walmart. i have one at home that i woukld like to use but it has glitter on it. could i just wash the glitter off? thanks.

 

As long as you get all the glitter & glue off it should be okay.

-Chelle

 

my ammonia, nitrate and nitrite all seem to be staying about the same. they are all at about 2. when i add 5pp of ammonia it takes about a day and everythig goes back to about 2. i was wanting to know if since i have to have some bacteria in my filter and my rocks but just not enought would it be ok if i did like 30-50% water change to take some of the ammonia nitrate and nitrite out??? thanks

 

I can't remember if you've told me or not, but what filter do you have?

I'd go ahead and do a water change and see what that does.

-Chelle

 

i have an aqua-tech 30-60
when i do my water change should i put prime in the water or stress zyme to remove the chlorine?

 

I wonder if part of the problem is you don't have enough filtration. The Aqua tech 30 - 60 only does 330gph so it may not be moving enough water across the filter media (where the bacteria is) to remove all the ammonia. For a 55 gallon tank you really need 550 gph with HOB filters.

And Prime is a dechlorinator, not Stress Zyme.

-Chelle

 

ok i will work on finding another filter.

so you are saying that i should use the prime? i have been told that you can over dose on it. is this true. also the bottle saies that i use one cap full for every 55 gallons. if i am going to to only change about 30-50% of my water do you think i should put a little under a half of a cap full for a 50% water change?

 

Yes, you should only use enough dechlorinator (Prime) to cover the new water you're adding. So if you do a 50% water change add half a cap full.

-Chelle