cycling questions

[Raul]

I am cycling my 55G getting closer to day 7th but still 4~5 ppm of ammonia no nitrites, this is BORING!! But well this is not for whining, but had to vent , I got the tank set with two small live plants on it, but well not sure if it is a good idea or not during the fishless cycle , or would the plants start growing like crazy when the nitrates start too increase, and also would my nitrates peak since the plants will probably use some of them. It just two small bunches for a 55G.

[rage]

I am cycling my 55G getting closer to day 7th but still 4~5 ppm of ammonia no nitrites, this is BORING!! But well this is not for whining, but had to vent , I got the tank set with two small live plants on it, but well not sure if it is a good idea or not during the fishless cycle , or would the plants start growing like crazy when the nitrates start too increase, and also would my nitrates peak since the plants will probably use some of them. It just two small bunches for a 55G.

What else do you have in the tank? What is your biological filtration?

[Raul]

Sorry I forgot to put that, I got the thank on a garage sale and it came with the aqua-tech 30-60, and I added an eheim 2215, and colored gravel, 3~4 inches deep.

[aquabee]

The fishless cycle will take quite some time. I actually took about 6 weeks to cycle a 125 gallon using the fishless method. It got pretty frustrating, but what helped it along was using Seachem Stability (after I got a nitrite spike). Just for kicks, I added a parent narrow leaf chain sword plant in there from one of my established tanks. That one tiiiinnnnnyyyyy lil plant in that huge tank ate up over 160 ppm of nitrates and added some really great bacteria to my tank (they supposedly love living on the roots of live plants). That plant, combined with the Stability, combined with keeping the temp near 90 degrees, finally completed my cycle. I had been stuck at extremely high nitrite and nitrates despite full water changes for WEEKS.

I'll probably never stop advocating for Seachem Stability. Works every time, like a charm, but I wouldn't use it unless you have your fish ready to be placed in your tank within 48 hours (because otherwise your good bacteria will die off if they're not "fed"), and I would follow the instructions to the letter. It really does work, by (in theory) providing bacteria in spore form and also a carbon source for energy. In any case, Stability won't hurt your tank at all. You can also try adding some driftwood... that's something that helped start a cycle in another one of my tanks that I didn't want to cycle just yet! Hehe. Good luck and keep us posted!

[sunkenmetal]

Plants will help your cycle.. What type of plants are you going to put in there...

[wesleydnunder]

Adding something from a cycled tank will help by adding bacteria; plant, filter media, driftwood, gravel, etc. When we rely on our sterilized tap water alone to provide our beneficial bacteria, it can take a long, long time. Our water is chlorinated so it will kill bacteria. Chlorine doesn't discriminate between the bacteria we want to keep and the ones we don't.

Mark

[Raul]

I am not sure what I added in plants, one looks like a sword type one, the other one not sure, but they are hanging there during the cycle, still only ammonia but well still on day 6 so I guess have to wait (which by reading everywhere is the hardest part), I am going to go for AC tank, mbuna probably, but again still researching to where to go and buy them.Would it matter if I turn the lights during the cycle or would it slow it, it is one of those from ZOO MED, ultra day light one.Thanks again for all the suggestion and I will get the Seachem Stability once I get the fish, for now i am just waiting tic toc tic toc.....

[987klb]

I know how you feel, but once its ready it was all worth it! for sure, all the fish watching you ever wanted and could dream of..haha Im such a geek.

[Raul]

so today is day 7th of the cycle and I was around 4 to 5 ppm of ammonia, and I thought nitrities were going to increase slowly, so I just did a measurement and the ammonia is around 3-4 ppm and the nitrite reading was 5ppm, I didn't expect that fast to get that reading or it is normal, I had introduced during this week bacteria (microbe-lift special blend) maybe that is what triggered the increment that fast, but it seems the cycle is working.one other thing, would it matter if I replace a decoration with some clay pots that I was going to use for African Cichlids right not that the cycle is starting, I would think it will affect it but maybe I should hold untill the tank if fully cycled, I have already clean them and boiled them already.