Recommended time period to live new tank cycying before adding a ammonia source

tori-ann · Jun 8, 2005

any ideas
thanks

brian · Jun 8, 2005

It won't cycle without adding an ammonia source. The bacteria need ammonia to feed off of in order to grow and multiply, so add a sources of ammonia to the water. Some pieces of food or a couple of small fish works well. Cycling take several weeks, I generally recomend 4 weeks before increasing your bioload, but you should be testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate every other day while it is cycling. when you have no ammonia or nitrite, your tank is fully cycled.

grant · Jun 8, 2005

When I cycle my fish tanks I just put some water, water conditioner, and a few feeder fish in. This gets the bacteria to start to build up. I had started cycling my axie tank and then my girlfriend surprised me and bought him for me and so I tried doing the 20% water changes everyday to continue it to cycle with him in it, but that didn't seem to be working and the ammonia was getting higher than I had liked, so I ended up having to put in some precycled water from one of my fish tanks. I didn't want to do this because of the chance of disease or something, but my fish are healthy and I didn't really have any other choice, but he has been doing great. I would suggest putting in some frozen brine shrimp into the tank to let it cycle, because feeder fish are notorious for disease and stuff. But as Brian said it takes about 4 weeks, sometimes more sometimes less, it also depends on the tanks size. What size tank are you using, and how many axies are going to be in it? But I don't know that much about axies so I'm mainly going off my knowledge of cycling fish tanks.

michael · Jun 8, 2005

If you are cycling an axolotl tank just put in an axolotl or two. If you put in less animals than the tank has capacity for they should be fine. as the ammonia level drops and water clears put some more axies in.

cynthia · Jun 8, 2005

Michael - The idea behind tank cycling before adding animals is to spare the animal from the ammonia and and nitrite cycle, as it is more humane.
I would not encourage anyone to place any kind of animal into an uncycled tank. I think any ammonia is too much ammonia.

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jennifer · Jun 9, 2005

In answer to the original question, right away.

For better or for worse, most people cycle their tanks with animals in them. It is what most fish stores tell their customers to do (if they tell them anything at all about cycling). Sometimes it can't be helped, like when someone moves and has to set up a new tank for their animals. If the tank is understocked, as Michael suggests, the animals do just fine. Based on what I have seen, there is no sign that a low level of ammonia hurts them in any way. When I say "low" I'm thinking 0.5 ppm or lower... just barely detectable on a test kit.

cynthia · Jun 9, 2005

I do not recall an ammonia reading .5 at the highest point in a new cycling tank. It has always been much higher, even back in the day when I cycled using a few small fish.

I do realize that cycling with animals happens all the time. And you are correct most pet stores tell customers little or nothing about cycling. Making people wait to buy fish makes the store lose money.

I still can not recommend cycling with animals in the tank. There are too many variables. There is a difference in dropping a single small axolotl into a 55 gallon tank and dropping him into a 10 gallon tank. I do not want to be responsible for causing harm that can easily be avoided. In the case of axolotls they can be cared for in a small container while the tank cycles.

As always your milage may vary, this is only my personal view.

jennifer · Jun 9, 2005

The times that I've cycled tanks with animals, I've kept the ammonia low with water changes (not always needed) and strict removal of waste.

Which is more likely to stress the animal, a low level of ammonia, or being kept in a temporary container? It depends on how it's done, in either case. In the hands of someone inexperienced, either method has its risks.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I see no reason to rule out cycling with animals, as long as it's done carefully.

tori-ann · Jun 9, 2005

i will add a small bit of food in tank next week and keep testing till all water test r good then i add the axies thanks

joan · Jun 9, 2005

I also cycled my tank with the axolotls in it. As long as you keep up on water changes, and don't let the ammonia level creep up, they're fine. You've got to be diligent about water changes though. And it takes a fair bit longer to cycle, because of the water changes. But my animals are healthy came through with no stress.

vanessa · Jun 9, 2005

I do my tank 3 weeks before an new axolotl. Well this time it's 2 axolotls since mum decided to have one too (she just loves the whites and axthantics with hot pink gills (or just pink)).
A petshop guy told me to get those porous gravels which gives a good amount of beneficial bacterias and can keep the pH down (natural filtration) but I'm sticking to my Undergravel.

tori-ann · Jun 15, 2005

ok here we go
ph is 7.0
ammionia is 0
nitrite 0
gh is below 20 so is kh
i added the food tonite hoping all goes well

brian · Jun 15, 2005

Your ammonia should start climbing in the next few days. ZIt doesn't take too long

tori-ann · Jun 16, 2005

ok someone please tell me what i do after adding the food its been 24 hours alittle mixed up what i need to do thanks

joan · Jun 16, 2005

Sit and wait. You need to monitor your ammonia levels. The ammonia will start to rise. Once it rises, and then falls, and your nitrAtes start to rise, you're almost there. When Nitrites = 0, and Ammonia = 0, do a 30% water change to reduce excess nitrates, and you're all set. Mind you, this could take weeks.

brian · Jun 16, 2005

The whole process usually takes 4-6 weeks, although it can be much shorter or longer.

grant · Jun 16, 2005

I had my axolotl in his tank that I thought had cycled because the ammonia had gone down after a spike and everything but then there was another spike again so I took him out. That was about 2 and a half weeks ago and he is still in the holding tank. I have a loach that I've had that in there with some ghost shrimp to let the bacteria develope and the cycle to proceed. The ammonia levels are sooooo incredibly high right now they rate about a 6!! And the pH is about 8 so it is super deadly so no way I would put my axie in that. For some strange reason the loach has been doing fine and even the little shrimp and n ot one has died! They've been in there since I took my axie out. So I'm still just waiting around for it to hurry and cycle.

anne-marie · Jun 16, 2005

I would take the loach out, Grant. They are quite sensitive to water quality and I don't think they have scales to protect them. Leave the ghost shrimp in there though

Recommended time period to live new tank cycying before adding a ammonia source

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