# I know you've all btdt, but cycle question again!



## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

I've read many posts about cycling......I'm one of those newbies that took the advice of a pet store and put fish in the tank, and is now cycling......... And now I'm really worried. I have a 30 gallon tank. I have 3 black tetras, 3 gouramis, three swordtails and 4 skunk loaches (yeah, yeah, bad idea, I've been reading about loaches......but so far so good thank God). My ph is 7.6 (thats bad....right?? I need to lower that a little.....advice here would be good too), my ammonia is .5!!! I've had the tank for 3 weeks....and had I been smarter, I'd have found this board and cycled fishless.... I hate thinking that I might kill my fish. I added a product called "cycle" at the advice of my pet store....

So, what to do now? Do I let the tank cycle and risk the fish or should I start water changes asap?? If I start water changes, will I not just prolong the cycle or is that okay as long as I am lowering the ammonia level??

I'm sorry if I am redundant but this is my first tank and I don't like the disposable animal attitude that most fish vendors and keepers (that I've talked to) have. I have reptiles, amphibians, spiders and regular furry pets....I feel the same about the fish that I do everyone else in my critter family.

Thanks for anyone's help and please don't be too mean to me!!:neutral:


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Aiiiieeee!!!!

Adding Cycle was a mistake. One day they'll finally pull that crap off of the market, I hope. It's been obsolete for 3+ years, but some people still haven't figured that out yet.

Change 1/3 of the water, and use a different product, one that actually works, called "Stability" by Seachem. Your fish will be fine then.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

Thank you!! I know less than nothing about that product so I will look for it. This along with the water change should clear up my ammonia and ph issues? 

Next, with this situation........should I do weekly water changes?


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

keep up with your water changes everytime they get up, it wont slow your cycle at all, to much amonia will kill fish as well as the bacteria. so def change the water, and keep testing. when it gets high (some one will chime in with the proper dangerous amount)


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

7.6 is a little low for swordtaiils, a little hight for tetras. Its fine for a community tank. You don't need to be messing with the pH while cycling the tank. Test your tap water. If it moderate (6-8), leave it alone. If it crashes (fall dramatically) you have a problem with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. I would skip testing the pH and test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The water changes needed for cycling should keep it near to your tap water. 

After your tank is cycled you could buffer it with seachem acid, neutral, or alkaline regulater, but you need to choose a chemistry that all your fish like. 
Read all about pH & kH before you do anything. Do not use ph UP (sodium hydoxide) and/or ph Down. 

Don't go crazy trying to fine-tune pH in a fresh water tank. There are only two reasons a beginner should play with buffers. 

1) Your fish don't match your water. You want to keep discus or apistos and have hard alkaline tap water, or you want to keep tanganikans and you have rain water. 

2) Your water has very little hardness (low kH) and the pH of your tank is therefore unstable.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

30% water changes are normal once a week. But while cycling test everyday and change enough water to get the ammonia (and later the nitrite) to the safe level as measured by your test kits. Since the bacteria are supposed to be on your filter, not in your water, water changes should not prolong the cycling.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

the stability should take care of most of your worries... however I'd still test every day until you've got a higher reading of nitrates, say 20-40.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

You guys rock. Thank you so much! I did a 30% just now and added the stablitity...... I'm going to have to order it online.......I searched all over my area today and only one dealer had ONE bottle....and even he said they don't usually carry it. 

At any rate, I did the water change, added the stability and it appears that the ammonia has come down slightly.......I say slightly because my test kit still shows a light yellow tinge to the water in my test tube (my kit goes by color changes.... I don't know what different kinds of kits are out there).

I'll test it daily to make sure its not climbing and continue with the weekly water changes.....

Now, if it still climbs, can I do a water change MORE frequently than once a week?? 

AND......I've noticed white spots on some of their tails.......so I've treated for ich. Will this affect what I'm trying to accomplish?


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

Aww crap. My kit only has ph, ammonia, nitrITE, chlorine, gh, kh and hardness..... NO nitrATE!!

Crap crap crap..... I'll have to run and pick one up.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

My nitrites are zero......


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

emc7 said:


> 30% water changes are normal once a week. But while cycling test everyday and change enough water to get the ammonia (and later the nitrite) to the safe level as measured by your test kits. Since the bacteria are supposed to be on your filter, not in your water, water changes should not prolong the cycling.



I'm about to look really stupid here but........if the bacteria are supposed to be on my filter, won't changing the filter monthly defeat the purpose? There is a foam filter and a "bio bag"...... Are the bacteria in the filter or the 'biobag'? I think I may be confusing myself.....


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Actually you are very smart. Most new people don't pick up on that. Don't change the filter media. Just rinse it out. Most of the bacteria will remain. As you do a water change, save a little of the old water in a bucket. Use that to rinse the filter pad. The bacteria will grow on any hard surface. Your gravel, the sides of your tank, everything. Most of it grows in your filter media because a fresh supply of oxygen rich water is constantly passing over it.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

ron v said:


> Actually you are very smart. Most new people don't pick up on that. Don't change the filter media. Just rinse it out. Most of the bacteria will remain. As you do a water change, save a little of the old water in a bucket. Use that to rinse the filter pad. The bacteria will grow on any hard surface. Your gravel, the sides of your tank, everything. Most of it grows in your filter media because a fresh supply of oxygen rich water is constantly passing over it.


Thanks Ron!!!


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