Question: Can I just cycle my aquarium with my newts in it.

[Aesyir]

Hello I think I am going mad, I don't know what to do at this point so i'm looking for some guidance. I have been trying to cycle this aquarium for two months now and I have been keeping my newts in a 5 gallon tub in a wine cooler. I have been doing 100% waterchanges every day and they seem to be doing fine. Whats not doing fine is my 20 gal i have been trying to setup for them.... I was getting bacteria to consume ammonia at a pretty decent rate but it seems they have stopped doing so recently I added ammonia yesterday and none was consumed so I guess they died?? I would be okay with this but I don't really want my newts to wait for it to finish cycling from the start again! I don't feel comfortable keeping them in that small of a tank for so long with big water changes every day that probably stress them out. Is it possible that if I test my water every day, use plants like elodia and use prime to bind ammonia that i can just do a "fish in" cycle with my newts. I know it will probably take forever to cycle due to my chiller making the water really cold (im not using the chiller atm to help grow bacteria) but I feel they might be happier with the space.

PS: I already did a post about this but my ph keeps dropping super quickly and im not sure why could it be because I use a lid and it traps CO2 (this might be why my cycle has stalled even though I do a 50% change when i see it maybe i was too late)?

 

[Jennewt]

If you are using actual ammonia to cycle the tank, that's probably what caused the pH to drop. And the pH or the ammonia itself may indeed have killed off the bacteria.

Yes, it's OK to cycle a tank with the newts. Be super-careful not to leave any uneaten food, and be prepared to do large water changes if ammonia develops, but it should be fine. Having some live plants in the tank will make cycling a lot easier.

Some water sources tend to drop pH easily (soft water). It might help to keep some limestone rocks to add some buffering capacity.

 

[generaltoaster]

Go to any local aquarium store and pick up some bottled bacteria, often sold under names like "Quick Start" or "Cycle". This will establish nitrifying bacteria that will convert your ammonia into a non-lethal nitrogen form. Getting rid of that ammonia will likely level out the pH too.
Once you get rid on a majority of the ammonia, live plants are really useful for keeping ammonia down and holding a steady pH.

 

[Aesyir]

I have been using pure ammonia... People told me it wouldn't lower ph but make it higher... It makes so much sense now! the ph would drop whenever i dosed 2ppm! (I never let it get any higher so I dont think it hurt them) I have been using seachem stability to add bacteria. My water, its really hard - here in florida we call our water liquid stone which is why I found it so strange. I was told bacteria consume kh so I thought it may be just that. I only really want Elodia, Would that be okay during a cycle? I would think a cycle could hurt plants too. I also have an issue My tap has some ammonia in it due to my water having chloramine in it about 1 ppm. Can i just use prime to keep the ammonia binded untill bacteria handle it?

 

[generaltoaster]

My water is super hard where I live too so I get the struggle, ha.
Elodea or anacharis is super hardy and can tolerate about anything. But most plants can and will suffer ammonia burns if it's TOO high; I don't think it should be if you've been using stability.
Do a water change and see. Cycling is patience. I don't know how we managed before bottled bacteria!

 

[Aesyir]

I did a water change they still seem to be alive, probably went dormant when the ph dropped to low. I still have TONS of nitrite though, according to this:https://www.reddit.com/r/Aquariums/comments/437tfi/discussion_high_nitrites_do_not_stall_a_cycle_or/#bottom-comments nitrite wont harm the bacteria. I know the bacteria that process nitrite take forever to gain sizable numbers but man its taking forever.

 

[generaltoaster]

Yup. Just take your time at this point then and add more plants to assist in nutrient uptake.
Tank maturation doesn't happen overnight but the payoff is always worth it :happy: