# Waiting for the fish-less cycle is driving me batty :(



## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

That's all.

Waiting is not my strongest suit.

Tank is taking 15 ml of ammonia down to 0 in 24 hours, but my Nitrites are off the charts still.

Ugh 

And I think that high Nitrites are too toxic to add anything safely, right ?


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## streeker02 (Apr 11, 2014)

HOWsMom said:


> That's all.
> 
> Waiting is not my strongest suit.
> 
> ...


you need to wait for nitrite/nitrate conversion, nitirite is toxic to the fish.


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## KJSMSW (Mar 24, 2014)

If nitrite is present/too high, your fish will not be able to breathe.

Adding livestock when there are nitrites is a big no-no.


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

That's what I thought.

Ugh - the waiting is awful.

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Have you tried to add the gunk from someone else's filter? That will speed up the process.


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## GAT (Oct 8, 2011)

can't you do a big water change and add few fish. I thought you already added some fish? read your other thread.


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

GAT said:


> can't you do a big water change and add few fish. I thought you already added some fish? read your other thread.


2 different tanks.

We got used "gunk" for the 10-gallon, and there are 2 guppies in it.

It's the empty 75 in the living room that is sitting here taunting me at the moment


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

Squeeze the sponge from the ten gallon into the 75 and that will speed up the cycle, you could do this every second or third day.


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

bob123 said:


> Squeeze the sponge from the ten gallon into the 75 and that will speed up the cycle, you could do this every second or third day.


They were started the same time - the cycle in the 10g isn't stable enough for me to risk it.

If it were "well established" - had been running for months or something - I would do that.


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## GAT (Oct 8, 2011)

I think you can get away with adding few fish to the 75 gallon. You need to do a big water change to reduce the nitrite and add some stem plants. You can't add sensitive fish or larger fish but you can add smaller ones slowly. Something like guppy or platies would be great


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

GAT said:


> I think you can get away with adding few fish to the 75 gallon. You need to do a big water change to reduce the nitrite and add some stem plants. You can't add sensitive fish or larger fish but you can add smaller ones slowly. Something like guppy or platies would be great


I actually did a 50% wc just a day or so ago, and the nitrites are still up there.

I have water sprite, sword plants, giant val, java fern, anubias and tonina belam (sp?) in the tank at the moment.

Substrate is part gravel, part sand.

I have a small amount of driftwood in there as well.

Just have to wait it out for a bit longer, I guess


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

HOWsMom said:


> They were started the same time - the cycle in the 10g isn't stable enough for me to risk it.
> 
> If it were "well established" - had been running for months or something - I would do that.


You wouldn't be risking anything.


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## woopderson (Feb 12, 2014)

The wait can be brutal, trust me I know! It took 8 weeks or so for my 26g to finally cycle.


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

I think my tank got sick of my whining !

It's cycled. Just over 3 weeks.

Dosing 7ml + per day, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 40+ nitrates so I did a big water change and brought that down.

SO happY !


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

What are you planning to put in it? Stocking is my favorite part, but I can never make up my mind : )


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

colio said:


> What are you planning to put in it? Stocking is my favorite part, but I can never make up my mind : )


Starting with a small school of rummynose tetras and a few juvenile bushy-nose plecos. Those are coming on Thursday.

I have a pair of GBR's on hold as well, while they recover from some fin nipping or some such. Currently injured, but being well taken care of while they recover though.

In the long term - I'm looking at adding diamond tetras, angel fish, and panda corydoras as well.


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## bluegularis (May 12, 2010)

I have kept fish for over 25 years, a 75 gallon tank in my house would be cycled in a week at the most, I put in one of the chemicals that removes chlorine, chloramines can be removed by adding some abscorbic acid, plain old vitamin C.
It still takes about 2 days. Get the tank up to temperature tag on another day. on the 2nd or 3 rd day put in an already used filter, sponge or hang over the side. By day 3-4 put in the decorations plants etc, day 4 install the eheim or fluval or whatever big filter you plan on using. Day 5-6 introduce high load inexpensive , waste producing fish, plecos, guppies. Watch to avoid getting cloudiness, if the tank gets a little cloudy change water, 50% with aged heated and aerated water. Keep an eye on cloudiness, change water again if required in a couple of days. By day 10 add more fish.
I use aged water to set up smaller tanks 10-20 gallons fish can go into those the same day as the water. Aged water usually has no need to cycle, use pre-used sponge filters and they are seeded ready to go.

PS I never bother with test kits, the results are usually incorrect and the readings can drive you crazy. Use a TDS and PH meter, much more accurate.

I also use RO for more demanding fish. No need to age RO water.

Just the way I do it, may not work for everyone.

Thanks

John


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

it is easy to cycle if you have used media but the OP didn't have that


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