I am restarting my tank right now. After completly cleaning and rinsing everything out, I've had it running for a little over two days. Is this a good time to add back my little tetras? I've only got two right now. I'll be testing the water daily for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates...but what am I looking for? What is too high for each of those things? Thanks from Ruby and Rummert

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html

check this link out, it should help

What you are trying to create in your tank is a colony of beneficial bacteria that can process the fish's waste (ammonia) into a less toxic substance, nitrate. The "cycle" that is spoken of, is the fish's ammonia being processed into nitrite by one type of bacteria, this nitrite being processed into nitrate by the second type of bacteria, and this final product (the nitrate) is removed either by you during a water change or by real live plants using the nitrate as a fertilizer to grow.

YOu cannot get the beneficial bacteria to grow in your tank if you do not feed them. They need ammonia to grow. Unless you can find a source of bacteria to seed your tank with, you need to grow your own. This takes time - but will happen. By adding a source of ammonia to a tank and waiting, the bacteria will colonate and begin to grow.

The first type of bacteria will appear when there is ammonia to "feed" on. WHen they produce quantities of nitrite, the second type of bacteria will then appear to "feed" on the nitrite producing nitrate.

Your source of ammonia to start this cycle can be pure ammonia from a bottle (fishless cycle) or fish waste from some "sacrificial" fish - hearty fish that stand a good chance of surving the stresses of a cycling tank.

Your tank will never cycle just by sitting there. You need to add a source of ammonia. By putting your tetras into the tank, you will start the ball rolling.

ADd your tetras and test your water for ammonia the first days. You will probably see some ammonia. Since you have a 20 gallon tank ( Did I remember right?), two tiny tetras will not produce too much waste. You will only get a small ammonia reading. You should be fine for quite a few days. You will want to try to keep the ammonia at around 1ppm give or take some. When you see the ammonia reading starting to drop, and/or after about 1-2 weeks, test for nitrites. If you see some nitrites appear, you have completed the first step of cycling. Nitrites are a little nastier than ammonia to the fish. You want to try to keep them around 1-2 ppm. too. There are some tricks to helping the fish through nitrite spikes - salt and such. We can walk you through that when the time comes. Finally, after your ammonia drops to zero, and the nitrites appear to be diminishing, test for nitrate. If you see the nitrate reading rise, then you are almost completely cycled.

Several comments, though. With such tiny fish in a relatively large tank, you may never see much spiking of the various components of the nitrogen cycle. It may happen rather gradually. This is not all bad - it certainly is nice for the tetras!

You also need to realize that the cycle that is built from two tiny tetras will not support the waste of a messy goldfish. When you add a goldfish, the cycle will take a day or two and "bump" - show ammonia or nitrite - but should rapidly grow to the size needed to process a goldie's waste. Add one goldfish at a time.....and give it a chance to grow into it. A few days between fish is a good idea. Test the water and you will be able to tell how it is growing.

I expect you already read these articles on cycling, but I will post the links just in case you have not seen them yet.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Sometimes it is hard to type what I am thinking and it comes out all jumbled up and not too clear. I apologize - I am having a "senior" type night tonight!

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/FishlessCycle.html

Thanks Daryl, I can always count on you for in depth descriptions They are actually in a ten gallon (you probably saw some of my other posts about how I am dieing for a 20 gallon for goldies!) I don't have any goldfish right now, but am planning on getting some. I just need some more money. I love my tetras dearly but I have them in a three gallon bucket and they have been there for a little over a week because I was quarentining a goldfish that did not make it. They seem to be getting along okay but I think they would be more stressed if I kept them in there (even with daily 100% water changes and their two favorite plants) and tried to do a fishless cycle. I know they like aged water...which is definately not what they've been getting lately also. I hope they do okay. They are very hardy tho, and have been with me longer than any of my other fish and made it thru all my clueless mistakes

Actually, with a ten gallon tank, it shouldn't be that bad. I had 4 danios and a fantail in my 10 gallon tank, and it cycled just fine, and the danios lived perfectly well even when the goldfish got sick. so.....just saying, it may be easier on everyone if you use them, but I can see why you want to keep them healthy.

I put Ruby and Rummert in their tank last night and watched them for a bit. For some reason my bucket water is a little colder than my tank water??? The bucket water had been out for 24 hours and is in almost the same place as the tank! Oh well. They seemed kinda freaked and lost most of their color when I put them in, but after a few moments they were very happy. They were zipping around their tank with all their color back. I think they were very happy to cokme back home I just got home from summer school a little bit ago so I have not done the testing yet, but they are doing wonderfully! They are GLOWING with black neon color, all zippy! They have been begging me for food too. I usually feed them after my morning shower, but I just HAD to do it before, and just now again when I checked on them. They have gained weight and are filling out...I think they were too skinny before. Ruby and Rummert are so happy

Oh and phreno, I'm saving for a twenty gallon too! Its going to be a LONG wait, but I still check the classifieds every day

Yeah> Actually, i think I may get a 60 gallon at petsmart, my mom said that if we need more room, we're not splitting the 2 of them up. And so it's either a 40 or a 60 gallon! But it won't be for a looong time...

Wow your so lucky! My parents hate fish, along with most of our other animals. They haven't put a limit on gallons or fish numbers yet because they are pretty non destructive (except for my wallet), so I think as long as ithey stay in my room, I take them with me to college, and they don't ever need to spend their own money on them, I can have as many as I like! I think I have to stop at a twenty gallon tho. I don't know anything about colleges or which one I want to go to, but NAU, U of A, and ASU probably don't allow more than a ten gallon. (I have a secret plan to sneak in a 20 tho ) I know for sure ASU allos only a ten gallon.

instead of adding ammonia liquid can I take some poop I've siphoned out of my old tank and use it for a new tank?
I saw one on clearance and thought about getting it since my 10 gal is overstocked. I didn't know this when i bought all the cute fishies. Just curious... thanks :-D
ps... no one checks once you move in to a dorm. Well i think they looked to see if our windows were closed during extended breaks. However it's easy to cover it up. i knew people with all kinds of stuff that was 'not allowed' and they never got busted! College is all about experiementing with what you can get away with ENJOY!

Okay I'm still figuring out all this future new tank confusion, but that made me feel a little better. I'm still afraid that if they tell me I need to get rid of them then I have no one to give them to and I will be so sad