# Cycling and fish addition question from a newbie!



## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

Hello to all! Long time lurker first time poster...I've been enjoying this site, and wanted to run a few questions by everyone...

My 3 year old son wanted a fish, so we bought him a female betta, who is now in a 2.5 gallon minibow. He has loved it, so we bought him a 10 gallon aqueon set. It is cycling with 3 neon tetras for the last 2+ weeks. The highest the ammonia has gotten is 1.1ish. This is probably due to 15% water changes I have been doing. I have a few questions, so please bear with me...

1. How high will the ammonia get before any nitrites appear? I've been testing daily, and ammonia is the only thing showing.

2. I took an old filter from the 2.5 minibow's whisper 3i and put it in the 10 gallon tank. Will that help, as I would think it has beneficial bacteria.

3. When all is said and done, we are looking to do a school of 6-7 tetras, the betta, and a few shrimp. When should the betta be added to the 10 gallon? Can it be added during the cycling, or last because the bettas can be territorial?

Many thanks to all.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

1. The 2 are not related. The ammonia will keep going up until it doesn't. Keep in down with water changes to keep the fish alive. Suddenly the ammonia will start falling and nitrites will go up, This will happen when the first phase of cycling is happening. The ammonia to nitrite phase. Read the cycling stickies in the beginners section. 

2. Yes it should help. Assuming the small tank was 'cycled'.


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks emc7...what are your thoughts about adding the betta at this point?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Usually you add the most aggressive fish last and keep the ammonia down by adding fish gradually. But if you need to put the small tank's filter on the new tank, it makes sense to move the fish too. Running the little filter on the big tank with the new tank's filter, may give you a better boost than the old media.


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

I just replaced the filter on the minibow. The betta is still in it. I just took the old filter and put it in the 10 gallon tank.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

if you removed all the filter from the betta tank you may see an ammonia spike there now. Keep checking and doing water changes in both tanks.


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks for everyone's advice with this. I tested the bettas water and ammonia is at zero. The tank has a filter running, so I'm not too worried.


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

OK..so the ammonia has dropped close to zero, but there are no nitrites yet...shouldnt they be going up as ammonia goes down?


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

theoreticaly yes unless you are fortunate enough to have a bunch of nitrite bacteria in the tank. That is usually the slowest part of the whole cycle in my experience. 
Keep checking. Do you show nitrates yet?
If so you may have passed very quickly through the nitrite stage.


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

As of a couple of days ago, I never had any nitrates. I'll check again. Do you think it is at all possible that since I put a used filter from another tank and an ornament from that same tank into the tank that is cyclilng, that the two items pushed the cycle along, with only nitrates to remain?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Its possible. Cycling can be hit or miss. Sometimes it will go in days, sometimes takes months (usually something forces it to start over).


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

OK..I checked the tank numbers...

Ammonia - about .1
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - about 3ppm
ph - 6.8

Does this sound like its done cycling? I'm wondering if because the ammonia never got that high the nitrites and nitrates never really registered...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

if the ammonia goes to 0 and stays there while nitrate numbers go up test after test, you are done cycling. A tank with a light fish load and low ammonia readings can be hard to tell.


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## Brook16 (Jul 30, 2011)

Ammonia is down to zero, but so are the nitrites and nitrates...nothing on all three. What does everyone think?


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Okay, so, female bettas are not aggresive. They are good community fish. the betta should be happy in the 2 gal. I'd say wait a few days to make sure the tank is safe. You could just get nite out.


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