Fishless Cycle.....Day 1 and water is really murky...help!

[GFarra]

Hi Everyone

I set up a 3 gallon critter keeper yesterday so that I can do a fishless cycle and migrate the colonized filter to my 3 gallon tank with my CT.

The filter is the Deep Blue Professional Nano filter (2 stage....bio and mechanical). Water was tap treated with Prime. Ammonia source was fish food in an old pantyhose.

Checked on the tank when I got home from work and the water is really murky. Did I use too much food?? Should I do a water change?

Water parameters MUST be wrong....no way this is true after 1 day

Ammonia:0ppm
Nitrite:0ppm
Nitrate:20ppm

Should I just start over???

TIA

George

[Sena Hansler]

Just keep it going. Murky, as in cloudy? Probably a bacterial bloom which is GOOD

[GFarra]

Originally Posted by Sena Hansler

Just keep it going. Murky, as in cloudy? Probably a bacterial bloom which is GOOD

Yes murky as in cloudy...very cloudy. I'll let it keep going.

Thanks

George

[Sena Hansler]

No problem. Just do what you are doing, keep up water changes and testing. :) Eventually it should go through an ammonia spike

[aokashi]

no fish? leave tank alone XD

[Sena Hansler]

Exactly Eventually it should catch up with itself :p

I use a pinch of fish food (if there is no gravel). and it tends to work. Considering it is a smaller tank, you do not need to use a heck of a lot.

[Hallyx]

Keep an eye on your ammonia. When it reaches 4.0ppm, pull the food out and let the tank deal with it.

I always recommend "pure" ammonia for just this reason....well, that and the smell.