Cycling run down required

Ok. Tank is running, took a few rocks from my flatmates tank to help it start, along with using new plants, fish, yabbies as well.
First water check showed everything at reasonable levels. What do I want it to get to, and what can be done to speed it up? (someone said gravel from another tank would help?)

It was a new filter so I couldn't use the old media.

What should I be doing, looking for and watching out for?

Ok... to be more accurate with my questions - There's a couple of baby yabbies (1.5cm each,) 2 silver sharks and 2 goldfish in there at the moment. A couple of rocks from an established aquarium were added, along with new sand and a new ornament (pics of all of it in gallery.) 3 plants were purchased and put into the tank, along with the remainder of a potted plant from my old tank.
Filter is a new Cascade 100 (380 litres/hr, adjustable) and sits on the side. Bought a air pump as well.
Tank is 2ft x 1ft x 1ft. approx 55 litres apparently.

Water test today showed that Ammonia and Nitrites have risen a little, and nitrates even less. Ph is fine.

So... What am I looking for in the test results? (the cycling page gave info on fishless, but not what would happen with animals in there.)
Its there any way to tell when it is fully ready?
Should I use some gravel in a container from my flatmates tank?
What do I have to do as the process runs and what should I look out for?
How much water should I change and how often?
Should I have less fish? am I best to reduce the number as time goes on?
What (if anything) can be done to speed up the process?

Think that covers it

The same levels are seen in a fish containing aquarium as in a fishless. The tank is cycled when the ammonia and nitrite have risen, peaked and have dropped down to zero, and there are nitrates present (usually somewhere over 60 ppm). If you overstock the tank, you run the risk of the fish dying and this doesn't speed up the process.
Cycling typically takes close to 30 days but I have seen it take as long as a little over 90 days and as short as 14 days.

Ed

Water changes? or not? How much?

There's now about a half dozen baby yabbies in there. Mate dropped them over. Lotsa little critters running around.


(Message edited by graphite on January 19, 2006)

since you have fish and you dont want them to die i suggest so, i dont think you should vacumn the gravel though as the waste is needed for the bacteria to feed on.
generally if a person has a axie in a uncycled tank they do 30% or more water changes daily, im supposing the same would go for fish?

You got it, Sharn.

Be conservative on feeding, Charles. Too much food and poop, and you'll be changing water twice daily!

Yeah. Going to take the goldfish out and put the silver sharks in there, Goldfish are just pooping machines, plus they've eaten at least one of the baby yabbies.

As a rough guide, I would say try to keep ammonia and nitrite below 0.5 ppm. If it gets this high, do daily partial water changes, as much as needed to get it down. I think you may still have too many fish. For cycling, you only need one or two small fish for a tank that size (it's only about 15 gallons).