Is this possible???

argray90 · Sep 14, 2012

I have had my tank set up for around 3 weeks and my filter has been running for about 10 days now. I did buy the filter off of eBay and when I received it all the old media was in it so I went ahead and used all the old media for now. I just did a water change and test and here are my reading:

pH: 7.1
Ammonia: 0 ppm
NO2: 0 ppm
NO3: 0 ppm

Is it possible that using all the old media and having white minnows in it my filter is cycled? When I set it up and did a test about 12 days ago my readings were way different. Or am I still a beginner and don't understand the cycle process? I have white minnows and ghost shrimp in the tank currently.

SapphireTigress · Sep 14, 2012

If you have no NitRITES, you have no cycling going on at all. Its possible you could have already crashed your tank, and now have to start over.

argray90 · Sep 14, 2012

I will recheck them again to see if I get another reading. By starting over your saying redraining the tank and refilling it?

argray90 · Sep 14, 2012

When I began the cycle my nitrates were .25 and 5 ppm accordingly. Now they are 0. The fish are doing well for 3-4 days now.

SludgeMunkey · Sep 14, 2012

Are you using a liquid reagent based test or a tablet based test? What water treatment are you using? (hint hint hint many dechlorinators and certain types of test kit are incompatible and will give al sorts of screwy false readings.

I would chalk these results up to operator error, as we say in heavy industry.

My advice, take a jar of water to you LFS and have them test it too, just to compare.

The real indicator here though is the critters you have living in there. How are they fairing? Also, what does the tank smell like?

argray90 · Sep 14, 2012

SludgeMunkey said:
Are you using a liquid reagent based test or a tablet based test? What water treatment are you using? (hint hint hint many dechlorinators and certain types of test kit are incompatible and will give al sorts of screwy false readings.

I would chalk these results up to operator error, as we say in heavy industry.

My advice, take a jar of water to you LFS and have them test it too, just to compare.

The real indicator here though is the critters you have living in there. How are they fairing? Also, what does the tank smell like?

These results are based on a liquid reagent based test. I have not used any dechlorinators or anything so far I let the water sit 24 hours before adding it to the tank. I will take some water to Petsmart and have them test it. The chick told me since I am using all used items I could have a cycled filter. I have white minnows and ghost shrimp both are doing great lots of activity and still alive.

Kaysie · Sep 14, 2012

Unless the media was kept wet during transport, all the bacteria likely died.

SludgeMunkey · Sep 14, 2012

argray90 said:
These results are based on a liquid reagent based test. I have not used any dechlorinators or anything so far I let the water sit 24 hours before adding it to the tank. I will take some water to Petsmart and have them test it. The chick told me since I am using all used items I could have a cycled filter. I have white minnows and ghost shrimp both are doing great lots of activity and still alive.

Using well water or municipal water?

argray90 · Sep 14, 2012

SludgeMunkey said:
Using well water or municipal water?

Municipal water.

Jacquie · Sep 15, 2012

Are there any plants in the tank?

SludgeMunkey · Sep 15, 2012

argray90 said:
Municipal water.

Well my friend, there is your problem.

All municipal water supplies in the USA use either chlorine or chloramines(and sometimes bromides). In you case, the proof is in your test results- you have chloramine. The levels are high enough that right around the time the cycling starts, the sterilization chemicals kill off all your beneficial bacteria. They try to feed on the chloramine and then die off. Since it is not 1960 anymore, just letting the water "age" overnight does nothing to remove them.

What you need to do is buy a dechlorinator like Amquel+ or the like and treat any and all water you use in your tank, every single time you add "new" water. Then, you will get your tank to cycle properly.

argray90 · Sep 15, 2012

SludgeMunkey said:
Well my friend, there is your problem.

All municipal water supplies in the USA use either chlorine or chloramines(and sometimes bromides). In you case, the proof is in your test results- you have chloramine. The levels are high enough that right around the time the cycling starts, the sterilization chemicals kill off all your beneficial bacteria. They try to feed on the chloramine and then die off. Since it is not 1960 anymore, just letting the water "age" overnight does nothing to remove them.

What you need to do is buy a dechlorinator like Amquel+ or the like and treat any and all water you use in your tank, every single time you add "new" water. Then, you will get your tank to cycle properly.

Ok, I bought Prime because it also takes care of ammonia. Should I add prime to the tank right now? I also got a bacteria supplement some people are for and against it but I figured for the $6 give it a try. How often should I be adding the bacteria supplement to the tank as it cycles?

Is there any way to continue with the water I have in the tank now because lugging 55 gallons up and down the stairs is a ***** let alone time consuming.

Are there any plants in the tank?

Yes I have 5 live plants and 4 moss balls in the tank since I set it up.

Kaysie · Sep 15, 2012

Prime is not an acceptable dechlorinator when you're trying to cycle a tank. It binds the ammonia in a way that it's not accessible to the bacteria. Amquel+ is much better.

Any 'starter bacteria' you add that was not refrigerated is just dead bacteria and will do nothing but add more ammonia to your tank.

Plants will use ammonia quickly, leaving none available for your bacteria.

Re - water: Get two 5 gallon buckets and think of it as good exercise. I used to lug 2 gallon jugs per hand up and down.

SludgeMunkey · Sep 15, 2012

Kaysie said:
Prime is not an acceptable dechlorinator when you're trying to cycle a tank. It binds the ammonia in a way that it's not accessible to the bacteria. Amquel+ is much better.

Any 'starter bacteria' you add that was not refrigerated is just dead bacteria and will do nothing but add more ammonia to your tank.

Plants will use ammonia quickly, leaving none available for your bacteria.

Re - water: Get two 5 gallon buckets and think of it as good exercise. I used to lug 2 gallon jugs per hand up and down.

Agreed. in my experience and experimentation, when cycling, Amquel+'s sodium thiosulfate/deionized water mix is superior. everything else is overkill.

Bdyoung · Sep 15, 2012

Plants more so will eat more nitrates than ammonia. Also you'd need a HEAVILY planted tank in order to disrupt cycling. I'm not 100% its chlorimine either. Contact your water supplier and ask them if they use it. I use municipal water with my tanks without dechlorinator or anything with no problems for almost 3 years now. Mind you it's also been in bigger tanks and not 10g tanks.

argray90 · Sep 15, 2012

I decided I would try the product "one & only" it has a guarantee to cycle the filter pretty much instantly. I will obviously try to make sure this is true with water tests and water changes as necessary but I found a guarantee online that is I was unhappy with the results money would be fully refunded. If it works great. If it doesn't then I will have to start from scratch and work on this again. I moved the shrimp to a bucket that I am adding a sponge filter and water changes daily on. My axolotls will have daily water changes performed as well until I figure out the cycling issue.

Bdyoung · Sep 15, 2012

Yep one and only works I've used it from axolotls to freshwater fish to saltwater fish.

argray90 · Sep 16, 2012

Bdyoung said:
Yep one and only works I've used it from axolotls to freshwater fish to saltwater fish.

Awesome, does it come with instructions for use? Like how soon am I able to put my axolotls in, etc.?

hacelepues · Sep 16, 2012

Bdyoung said:
Plants more so will eat more nitrates than ammonia. Also you'd need a HEAVILY planted tank in order to disrupt cycling. I'm not 100% its chlorimine either. Contact your water supplier and ask them if they use it. I use municipal water with my tanks without dechlorinator or anything with no problems for almost 3 years now. Mind you it's also been in bigger tanks and not 10g tanks.

Yeah, not all cities use chloramines to treat water. You have to call the plant that supplies you water to ask. I live in Atlanta, and they don't use chloramines. When I called to ask, the people on the other end didn't even know what chloramines were! I had to get transfered around to different people before someone knew what chloramines were and that they don't add them to the water.

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