Help cycling new tank

[tyler1503]

Either way will work the net idea is just less messy. I've never worried about the net as the mysis tends to break up and you lose a lot of it through the mesh anyway. It's purely a personal preference though.
Tank looks nice

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Cool thanks Tyler

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

So this is what I tested today results came as follow
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0.50 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 80 ppm
Is there anything I should do ?

 

[tyler1503]

I'm guessing you havnt had a nitrite spike yet?
Wait till the ammonia and nitrite drops and stays on 0 for 2-3 days and start weekly water changes to get rid of excess nitrate.
Once you get nitrates down by water changes after the initial ammonia and nitrite spikes, you can consider adding a fish
Do you have a CUC?

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Thanks , ok so ammonia supposed to drop by itself than ? Or I do have to do anything , and I don't have a clean up crew should I add one yet ?

 

[tyler1503]

Your ammonia will go away by itself
Without going into too much detail, the way the cycle works, is ammonia is introduced into the tank by the shrimp or whatever die off is in the tank, or by fish waste/uneaten food. A special bacteria develops that consumes the ammonia and turns it into nitrite, a 2nd type of bacteria develops which consumes the nitrite and turns it into nitrate. There is a 3rd bacteria that does consume the nitrate, although not many people have a large enough population to be able to rely on it to get rid of nitrate. That's one reason why we do water changes.
This continually happens in the tank no matter how old the tank is, the bacteria (assuming it's a healthy tank) just consumes ammonia and nitrite before it can become an issue after the initial cycle.
In short, yea your ammonia and nitrite will disappear by itself, but nitrate may not. That's why I suggest starting water changes as soon as you have 0 nitrite.
I hope that wasn't confusing haha.
I'd get a clean up crew when you start seeing your nitrates come down after starting water changes

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Cool thanks for all the info , and sorry for to many questions

 

[tyler1503]

All good mate. Too many questions is a good thing, now you know what you may have to deal with when you decide to upgrade and start a new cycle everyone wants an upgrade eventually!

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Yea , actually I have a Red Sea max 34 gal , up and running , but I bought that tank established n everything , so the fluval it's my first tank that I start from beginning I didn't know anything on how to cycle and all that , but thanks to u I'm learning appreciate it tho

 

[tyler1503]

Ok cool, do you have a thread for the 34?
Yea I was in the same situation when I started in this hobby. I was looking after a few established tanks at the time and had never cycled one before, I used the method I told you and have never a problem.

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

I don't have a thread but here's a couple pics , I remove the hood and hanged a led fixture

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Should I do a water change ? Or no yet ?

 

[rock_lobster]

your tank is very near cycled but now you have to wait for the nitrates to dissapear or else buy some macro algae to absorb them.

 

[tyler1503]

Nice tank I must have missed that post before.
Your bacteria is still developing. That's why you still have some ammonia and nitrites. After they're stable at 0 for about 2 days or so you can start water changes to get rid of the nitrates. It looks like your right at the end of the cycle though, so it shouldn't be long!
It won't hurt too much to do water changes now, but if you starve your bacteria of ammonia and nitrites you'll slow it's growth and in the end you want as much of that bacteria as possible. Personally, I'd leave it, but It's a judgement call at the moment.

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

your tank is very near cycled but now you have to wait for the nitrates to dissapear or else buy some macro algae to absorb them.

Thanks man

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Nice tank I must have missed that post before.
Your bacteria is still developing. That's why you still have some ammonia and nitrites. After they're stable at 0 for about 2 days or so you can start water changes to get rid of the nitrates. It looks like your right at the end of the cycle though, so it shouldn't be long!
It won't hurt too much to do water changes now, but if you starve your bacteria of ammonia and nitrites you'll slow it's growth and in the end you want as much of that bacteria as possible. Personally, I'd leave it, but It's a judgement call at the moment.

Thanks Tyler I'm gonna wait for a water change than , **** man it's so hard to have patience in this hobby ha ha ..

 

[tyler1503]

Thanks Tyler I'm gonna wait for a water change than , **** man it's so hard to have patience in this hobby ha ha ..

Haha yea waiting is the worst part.
Considering your nitrates are so high I recon your initial cycle should finish sometime early next week and you'll be ready for a water change and maybe a fish!

 

[mOnsterzOas26]

Haha yea waiting is the worst part.
Considering your nitrates are so high I recon your initial cycle should finish sometime early next week and you'll be ready for a water change and maybe a fish!

Cool , that's what I like to hear bro !! Thanks so much for ur help ..

 

[Dalmatia]

your tank is very near cycled but now you have to wait for the nitrates to dissapear or else buy some macro algae to absorb them.

You meant nitrites? Nitrates come after nitrites. Than you have some sort of bio load to take care of ammonia, which turns in to nitrite than to nitrate and eventually in to nitrogen gas (clams, filter feeders, as mentioned macro algae .....they will help with nitrates, best is a water change)

 

[Dalmatia]

Ammonia source, Is needed.

Not good advise, bio spira is used to keep ammonia levels down and trying to compete with your live stock bio load? It's used to house fish instantly, the bacteria living won't handle excess amounts of ammonia.