First - Please forgive me if I don't do this right, it's my first post.
I have a 10 gal tank that I 'm trying to get cycled. I have no fish in the tank, This would be my quarantine tank for new fish. I have had it up for about two weeks now. I add Seachem Stability (1 cape) daily. My ammonia levels are at 2.0 PPM, Nitrite 0. How long will it take the cycle to start so add can add a fish or two?
I usually recommend using Tetra SafeStart for live bacteria seeding. It is a proven product with the right species of bacteria for aquarium nitrogen cycle. A lot of other products out there don't have the right species of bacteria and sometimes they drown in the water after a few weeks and thus crash the seemly finished cycle.
Tetra Safestart usually gives you near "instant cycle". I have used it on multiple occasions. In one case, it cycled the fish tank within a day. In another case, it only took a few days to get ammonia and nitrite down to 0ppm.
Anyway, your cycle is incomplete at the moment. Unless you want to sacrifice the new fish, I won't add them now.
The usual fishless cycling can take anywhere from a few days (with the help of Tetra Safestart), to as long as more than a month if without any heavy seeding.
If you have a nitrate reading, it must mean the cycling is making good progress. All you need to do is to wait for the ammonia to disappear while you have a constant source of ammonia.
Yes, for cycled aquariums the nitrate reading is usually quite high. 40ppm is normal. Although it is best to keep it lower. I personally aim for 20ppm or lower, but 40ppm nitrate usually won't affect the fish at all.
You don't have to get Tetra Safestart unless you are in a hurry. Take your time and let the fish tank cycle the natural way will take a month or more to finish. We all have done it the old way at some point.
Effective live bacteria seeding products do not need to be used on daily basis. It is an one-time thing.
If the beneficial bacteria start to grow in your filter media, there is no need to add any more bacteria every day.
However, we don't know Stability really work. For Tetra safestart, I have never used it more than once for the same fishless cycling. It always worked after I dumped the whole bottle into the fish tank on day one. It is meant to be used that way. Since you want as much bacteria as possible to start with, and the product start to lose its "freshness" as soon as the seal is broken. It is why we need to use the whole bottle at once. I always get the bottle of Tetra safestart rated higher than the actual fish tank size. For example, if I have a 10-gallon fish tank, I get a bottle rated for 20-gallon or more.
I hope you have stopped using Stability, and you have kept dosing fish foods.
While it is normal for ammonia level to drop as more beneficial bacteria develops, the nitrite and nitrate readings are both quite low.
For my own experience of fishless cycling, the nitrite would sky rocking (up to 5~6ppm) before nitrate starts to show. And once nitrate starts to show, it will go up to double digits within days.
Maybe you do not have enough ammonia to begin with, and it is causing low readings on all 3 nitrogen compounds.
You should wait until both ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm. Nitrite is even more toxic to fish than ammonia.
I would just wait for a few more days even after the two readings are both 0ppm to make sure the biofiltration is sufficient enough. And then, do not forget to do a partial water change first. And acclimate your fish when you introduce them to their new home.
Simply completed a fishless cycle myself...used ammonia&a modest quantity of squashed fish tank filter..dodon't let your ammunition get over 5ppm&when the nitrites start to climb quit dosing the ammo..all the while your nitrates should keep on moving as well,when both ammo&nitrites are at 0ppm your cycle will be complete..do a 90%pwc to evacuate as a great part of the nitrates as possible,retest inside a couple of hours to ensure the nitrates are inside an exceptable range..I cheer your endeavors in endeavoring a fishless cycle.
Hi, I have been endeavoring to fishless cycle my 10 gallon tank. I have the water set to 82 degrees, expert janitorial quality alkali and my channel going. I additionally bought an ace test unit. I began on January fifth (31 days back). I am including 4 drops of smelling salts a day simultaneously. My testing shows that my alkali is extremely high I despite everything presently can't seem to perceive any nitrites whatsoever. I just re-read the guide and I figure my issue might be that I have included more than 4 ppm smelling salts. Any contemplations or guidance? I joined pics of my tank, smelling salts jug and test outcomes on
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