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Cycling Progress for a 3 Gallon HT

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  • #1

    Cycling Progress for a 3 Gallon HT

    Hey all. I'm fairly new to the hobby and I wanted to get some insight on where I'm at in my first fishless cycle based on my current water quality.

    To start, I have a marineland 3 gallon with on of those whisper filters. The majority of my research and approach came from this site: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/tips-a...ishless-cycle/

    The tank has been running for about a week and the media I chose to help speed up the process is an old filter pad from my penguin 150 filter on my larger tank. I just put it in the 3 gallon tank b/c the whisper filter is too small to hold the old pad.

    The tank conditions are as follows:
    Temperature is at 85
    Ammonia is at .25 ppm
    Nitirite is at 0
    NitrAte is at 20 ppm

    Now, I dosed 1mL of pure ammonia to enable the ammonia-eating bacteria a food source to create the nitrite and eventually the NitrAte.

    The ultimate goal based on the article is converting ammonia within 24 hours to NitrAte.

    Can anyone give me a timeline of where I'm at?

    Can anyone let me know if i'm on the right track of doing this fishless cycle?

    I don't want to kill my pleco.

    Thanks!
    Tags: 3 gallon, beginner, fishless cycle, hospital tank
  • #2
    Thus far your well into the cycle, but have awhile to go. Using active media from another tank can quicken the cycle. It generally takes 30 +/- days to fully cycle a tank from a 'hard' start (no seasoned media/biological additive) and less if you are utilizing some. With any Ammonia reading at all, you are still cycling. As with any Nitrite reading. I generally don't recommend to cycle any fish in the tank as this prolongs the time needed. It allows the Ammonia/Nitrite to get to deadly levels and the denitrifying bacteria to grow in strongly. With fish in the tank, you must water change and remove what is feeding the bacteria you are wanting to populate. Will they grow in eventually, Yes it just takes more time. Plecostomus can be sensitive to most pollutants when small and in a 3 gallon I imagine its very small. If this is a common pleco, then this is a tankbuster (2'+) and will have outgrown this tank in a few months if that long. I recommend placing it in another tank, returning it, and finishing the cycle. Then look into an Otocinclus (O-cat) for such a small aquarium as it is more appropriately sized even at adulthood. Hope that helps and good luck! Let us know how it goes and let us see some pics!
    In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
    Desiderius Erasmus
    GHAC President

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    • #3
      Mnemenoi,

      Thanks for responding it's encouraging to know I'm off in the right direction.

      I am doing this cycle completely fish-free. That's why I'm so concerned to know if i'm on the right path. To clearify the exact species I have an Albino Pleco. My plan is to use the 3 gallon as a Hospital Tank as my small pleco has some sort of bacterial infection.

      So, overall I don't plan on using this tank longer than the recommended treatment time. Once healthy I will transfer the pleco back to my main tank. Once healed i'll just use the tank as a quarantine because I have nothing in it but a heater and filter.

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      • #4
        Hmm, can you post pics/give us parameters for the albino pleco tank currently? Is this an Albino bushynose plecostomus (Ancistrus Sp. L-144)? Try Google searches to verify species (There are thousands of different plecos alone, so it helps in identifying the species to assist in offering correct advice for your specific needs) by images. Once we know we can offer ideas and assistance in treatment that might be possible in your primary tank. Many health related issues can be attributed to water parameter related issues, thus any readings you can give us would help a lot and rule out certain things. Ph, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Temp, Tankmates, size of the tank, frequency of water changes, filtration, water additives, or anything that is odd or happened prior to first noticing the symptoms initially.
        In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
        Desiderius Erasmus
        GHAC President

        Comment

        • #5
          I have more information and picture of my pleco in a previous post. You can see it here: http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforum...ssible-Fin-Rot

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          • #6
            That certainly helps, hmm. Good Call on the bacterial infection and quarantine. Not sure what the root cause was, but it will be on the mend before long and solid treatment and water changes on the main tank should help.
            In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
            Desiderius Erasmus
            GHAC President

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            • #7
              HT set up and I have started dosing Melafix. We shall see what happens to my pleco after 7 days.

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              • #8
                Doesn't seem like a week of dosing has done anything to the fin. I suppose he just has a "lucky" fin.

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                • #9
                  That sure is...It looks week of dose but he is lucky..
                  track and trace

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