Cycling an aquarium

[frank]

I'm trying to cycle my aquarium before I get the new eggs from my student, but I'm confused about the page"cycling an aquarium for aqautic animals" It says:
After 24 hours, test the water and record the results. Monitor the water results every day or two. When the ammonia level begins to drop and the NITRITE levels to rise, add another small piece of ammonia source to keep feeding the bacteria. Keep monitoring the water quality, and when the nitrates begin to rise again dose the tank with the ammonia source.
The word I've put in capitals is nitrite, but should it be nitrate???? That would make more sense with what follows.....
Thanks!

 

[colin]

The second stage of the nitrogen cycle after ammonia is nitrite. It is produced by bacteria who break down the ammonia...

nitrate is the third stage and is produced by bacteria breaking down nitrite.

To keep the tank cycling when not using fish (which i always prefer) then you need to keep adding an ammonia source to the tank or the cycle will fail.

I normally prefer to use white cloud minnows or mollys or something similar but some people are against that now

 

[mik]

Nope Nitrite is correct.

I used mollies to cycle a tank too Colin, and very successful they were. Plus when tank is cycled they become food for the axies. yum yum!

 

[colin]

Yeah, something similar usually happens to the mollys when they are cycling tanks for octopuses and cuttlefish

kinda like a 'welcome to your new home' gift

 

[jennifer]

Frank, here's a link that explains the nitrogen cycle more clearly:
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

 

[leah]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't use fish to cycle your tank!!! The ammonia burns their gills- you might as well be pissing in the tank with the amount of ammonia you'll have in there! It's SO CRUEL to cycle with fish

I don't care if it's going to end up as food in the end, it deserves proper conditions until that happens. Fishless cycling works just as well, all you need to do is throw a chunk of shrimp in every now and then.


You wouldn't cycle the tank with your axolotl, so why the #!&* is a fish any different?!?!?

Don't hurt the fishes.

 

[leah]

Besides, the babies will be waay to small to eat the fish

Go fishless!

 

[mik]

Sorry Leah, won't do it again...honest.

 

[kaysie]

Actually, I cycled my tank with axolotls, and I know a lot of people who don't cycle their tanks before hand, either. As long as you keep up with regular water changes, there isn't any harm to the animals (fish or otherwise).

 

[jennifer]

Right, I see nothing wrong with cycling a tank with fish, as long as you keep the ammonia level down to a reasonable level. A couple of small fish in a decent sized tank won't make enough ammonia to be hurt. The danger from cycling with fish, however, is the chance that the fish have a disease. I would only do it with fish I know to be "clean".

 

[frank]

Thanks Jennifer, that webpage is heaps clearer than the other one.....

 

[katy]

Kaysie, I did the same. Regular water changes and the axy I cycled with is just fine!

 

[frank]

The water is starting to get lower, as I don't have a lid on it, I guess it's evaporating, can I put more in without having to treat it?
The kids in my class are really getting into this, we're testing the water every day to track the changes!

 

[kaysie]

you have to dechlorinate the water, but yeah, you can add more.

Also note that as the water evaporates, the toxins produced by the animals will become more concentrated. make sure you keep up on water changes!

(Message edited by kaysie on September 16, 2004)

 

[edward]

If you have access to distilled or deionized (RO) water (not softened water) you can use this as top up water. I use RO (reverse osmosis) water as top up water and dechlorinated water for water changes.
Fish can be used to safely and humanly to cycle tanks but the density of fish needs to be much much lower than the recommended levels you hear in the pet stores. I have even cycled salt water systems with "delicate" species (sea horses, various gobies, even tangs) with no problems.

Ed

 

[frank]

I have just tested the water again and these are my results:
Ammonia 0.1
pH 8
Nitrates 20
Nitrites 2

Is the pH too high?
Also, one of my eggs looks strange, all the others are just starting to uncurl and are quite dark, whereas this one is just a huge white dot still. Is it dead? Do I need to get rid of it?

 

[leah]

Are your eggs in the tank now?!

The tank isn't done cycling. When the ammonia and nitrite have both leveled out at ZERO, and the nitrates are less than 20 it's safe to put the eggs in. The ammonia of 0.1 probably won't kill them, but 2ppm nitrite could! Get them out!!!

Not sure about the egg as I haven't had any before, but it's probably worth removing it in case it starts to mold, so that it doesn't spread to the others.

 

[ira]

yeah, remove the white one, it is unfertilized.

 

[frank]

Yes the eggs are in there, I don't have anywhere else to put them!!

 

[jennifer]

It's OK, that amount of ammonia isn't going to hurt them! Yes, throw away the white one before it starts to mold.