Hi guys

Ok so Paul and Marissa (I didnt name them )are in the 10G, both less than 1 inch new rescued fish....most of you know the story.....filter, air stone.......daily water checks

Nh3 0ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
pH 8.0
temp 69

So I obviously did a 100% water change when I added them to the tank, added Stress coat, a little bio-spira, Amquel and NovAqua to the tap water....then after 4 days (still with no ammonia) I did a 10% water change and added Novaqua as I didnt have enough water aged not to........

Now it is day 8 and there is STILL no ammonia????? I have been feeding them, and I can see poop on the tank floor as there is very little gravel in this tank. They just hang out underneath or IN the filter..........

Why is this tank not cycling....or less than that, why is there NO ammonia????? NO Nitrite???? and three days ago no NItrates either????

I am at a complete loss....my 55G that I set up three days ago is already well into its cycle...albeit with no fish but still....the ammonia has to come from somewhere

Is the filter media new? I am guessing that you used a mature filter in the tank. One more thing, you are reporting nitrite 0ppm, what about nitrate? Nitrate should not be 0ppm (unless there are plants in the tank).

How much AmQuel did you add?

Hi guys,

I added a brand new filter, but with some of the filter medium from my established tanks. Also, some rocks from that tank and there are two small live plants.

Drayl - I added about 4cc/ml the first time (amquel and Novaqua -just under a capful), but with the water change a few days ago I didnt add Amquel, just the novaqua (which only says it gets rid of chlorine and chloramines, not ammonia) and maybe a little bit less - maybe 1/2 capful???? That was Saturday????

I cant believe that A) the Amquel is still Locking the ammonia up after 8-9 days or that B) the tank has cycled so quickly?

Er, I might be out on a limb here but if you're using filter media, rocks and plants that all already have good bacteria on it, and you're not getting any ammonia or nitrites readings then there's no reason to believe that your ten gallon with two inches of fish can't cycle in a week. Cycling only means that the amount of bacteria you need to support the amount of fish waste coming into the tank is sufficient to transform all ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates. Since you've manually put enough bacteria there (where as new media would require time to establish that bacteria and in sufficient amounts) there wasn't really any unstable cycling that usually happens in the first month or so. I think anyways.

hi there,

I understand the old media etc, but I didnt think that meant it would cycle RIGHT AWAY...I expected some readings, if albeit faster cycle than normal.......I mean I have done the exact same thing with my new 55g and I am on day 4 with my nitrite spiking already......but there has NEVER been ANYTHING in the 10G and Ihave tested twice a day for 10 days!!!!

WHY?????

By transfering old media you also carried your nitrifying community into the new tank. Both the plants and the nitrifiers will sequester the ammonia... bacteria communities grow extremely fast if the right conditions are present.

What is confusing now is that you have nitrite present.

hi again.....Kingyo.....so youre saying that with the following
* 1inch square piece of old filter floss added to new filter
* some small rocks from established tank
* two tiny plants
* 1 tablespoon bio-spira

thant this 10G could have literally cycled overnight??????? I NEVER HAD ANY AMMONIA, NITRITES or NITRATES EVER EVER EVER!!!! Could it have cycled that fast?

I dont have nitrites at all, sorry if I confused you.....I meant I am cycling two tanks - this one above with NO READINGS OF ANYTHING EVER.....even nitrates.....and another 55G that I am doing a fishless cycle with and I have nitrites there in that tank.

SOOOOOOO CONFUSED