# Fishless cycle issue?



## Prelude2Life (Jun 22, 2010)

Before i start just wanted to let you know that im using the Nutrafin test kits..
Ive been fishless cycling (with ammonia) my tank for over a month now and was missing for about a week in whistler. All the tests i run have been very simmer

Ammonia 1.2-2.4
Nitrite .5
Nitrate 5

Is my cycle complete? This seems like its taking forever.


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

when was the last time you dosed ammonia before testing and was it quite a bit? 
5 nitrates seem really low tho have u been doing water changes??


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I agree with Mferko. In a completed fishless cycle, your nitrate tests should be deep purple - very high nitrates. You're probably a week or 2 away from completing the cycle. Usually takes me 6 weeks.


----------



## Prelude2Life (Jun 22, 2010)

Mferko said:


> when was the last time you dosed ammonia before testing and was it quite a bit?
> 5 nitrates seem really low tho have u been doing water changes??


Like 2 days before test. Maybe i should dose more ammonia?
No water changes but topping up for water evaporation.
been awhile. The day i went to go buy sand... seems almost 2 months ago.


----------



## davej (Apr 28, 2010)

When I have done a fish less cycle the thing I wait for is the presence of nitrates and the key is for the nitrites to drop off. The first bacteria to take hold are the ones to convert the ammonia to nitrite. Then with the food source of nitrite there for the second type of bacteria starts to grow and convert the nitrite to nitrate. I don't worry so much as to what the nitrate levels are just the fact that they are there indicated the cycle is in the works. The nitrites (and ammonia) are the things that are toxic to the fish.
So in my mind once the nitrite levels drop off to nothing you are good to go.


----------



## paul_28 (Jan 20, 2011)

i gota ask is all this necessary or waste of time/money? petshops say leave tank to settle for 3 days then add fish lol or like my mate does set up tank wait few hours and bung new fish in. 6 week cycle man u lose intrest in hobby that way?


----------



## davej (Apr 28, 2010)

paul_28 said:


> i gota ask is all this necessary or waste of time/money? petshops say leave tank to settle for 3 days then add fish lol or like my mate does set up tank wait few hours and bung new fish in. 6 week cycle man u lose intrest in hobby that way?


Sure if the fish are really tough there is a good chance that they will make it through the cycle, Some people use cheap fish to cycle a tank. But poor fish suffers through the cycle. And what if the fish you plan on keeping isn't so tough, or very expensive? Do you want to risk loosing those fish? Some fish run in the hundreds of dollars. Are you willing to risk it? The tank will go thru a cycle regardless. Another thing to ask yourself is after telling you to not worry about cycling your tank, and then your fish dies. Who makes more money selling you another fish? 
Food for thought.


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

paul_28 said:


> i gota ask is all this necessary or waste of time/money? petshops say leave tank to settle for 3 days then add fish lol or like my mate does set up tank wait few hours and bung new fish in. 6 week cycle man u lose intrest in hobby that way?


I find that patience (sometimes $$) goes a long way as to whether an aquarist stays and have longterm success in this hobby. If you're trying to breed a particular strain of fish, growing out juveniles, the time to do water changes, waiting for an illness to run it's course or establishing the nitrogen cycle, it takes time and tests our patience at times.

Fishless cycling is not a necessity - there are instant bacteria products available that would establish your nitrogen cycle sooner. Or you could seed from an established tank. Pluses and minuses with any option. We have our choices/options and choose what we think works best in our setup.


----------



## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

paul_28 said:


> i gota ask is all this necessary or waste of time/money? petshops say leave tank to settle for 3 days then add fish lol or like my mate does set up tank wait few hours and bung new fish in. 6 week cycle man u lose intrest in hobby that way?


I bet your mate is not putting in $1200 plecos, or $500 discus. If you're going to throw in some guppies, fair enough, but the thing is, as already stated by Davej, is it fair that your impatience is causing the fish to suffer? Only you can answer that question.


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

exactly, i happen to know prelude is going to be importing fish so he doesnt want them to die 
what i did when i setup my first cannister was just buy a big bottle of stability and soak the media in that for a while, then put that in the cannister and put what was left of the stability back into the bottle with a funnel and continue dosing with it after adding the fish


----------



## big_bubba_B (Apr 25, 2010)

i seaded my tank and had fish in there the next day never ever had a problem with sick or dying fish


----------



## Prelude2Life (Jun 22, 2010)

Mferko said:


> exactly, i happen to know prelude is going to be importing fish so he doesnt want them to die
> what i did when i setup my first cannister was just buy a big bottle of stability and soak the media in that for a while, then put that in the cannister and put what was left of the stability back into the bottle with a funnel and continue dosing with it after adding the fish


What he said 

Doh! why didnt u tell me this earlier! lol if this last thing doesnt work im gonna hijack one of your sponges.


----------



## paul_28 (Jan 20, 2011)

did'nt think fish sell for 500 pounds plus. at petshop they sell many for say 5 pounds. alot of what i have im guessing they are beginner tropical fish and they doing well.. coridoras, black tetras, fighting fish etc.. my mate likes getting red tail sharks but they have died its like they not as hardy as the clown fish and other cat fish he has.


----------



## H . (Apr 23, 2010)

Prelude2Life said:


> Before i start just wanted to let you know that im using the Nutrafin test kits..
> Ive been fishless cycling (with ammonia) my tank for over a month now and was missing for about a week in whistler. All the tests i run have been very simmer
> 
> Ammonia 1.2-2.4
> ...


Your filter doesn't cycle well yet. Check PH of your tank water. If your local water is soft, you need to buffer PH over 7.0 quickly. put an air stone if you have it.

Good luck.


----------



## davej (Apr 28, 2010)

paul_28 said:


> did'nt think fish sell for 500 pounds plus. at petshop they sell many for say 5 pounds. alot of what i have im guessing they are beginner tropical fish and they doing well.. coridoras, black tetras, fighting fish etc.. my mate likes getting red tail sharks but they have died its like they not as hardy as the clown fish and other cat fish he has.


I recently purchased over $1000 in plecos, you can be darn sure I cycled my tank fully before having them shipped to me. Discus can easily run $300 each and if you put 6 in your tank theres $1800, it can add up rather quickly.

Regardless of price is it really fair to put a fish in an environment that will make it sick? Would you want to move into a new house that was toxic to you? What if you were told, "Oh the air is a little toxic but it probably wont kill you." What are the chances you would subject yourself to this? Why do it to a fish.

A little more food for thought.


----------

