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Cycling tanks

432 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  paloverde 
#1 ·
So I have a 5.5 gallon filtered and heated tank.Yesterday I got my first ammonia reading!!!! I immediately did a 50% change along with a vaccum. Dropped down to 0 again. How should I proceed so that my tank goes down the right path of cycling? There is only one male plakat in here.

My other 2 tanks are both 10 gallons. As long as I've had them which is for over 1.5 months I have had no ammonia reading. I still do the weekly 50% change with vaccum. They have filters and heaters. All the same brand etc. The substrate is different. The two 10 gallons have marbles and the 5.5 has gravel. Could that be the problem? Also my plakat in the 5.5 gallon sometimes becomes a spoiled brat and spits out his food. My other two eat everything and anything refusing to let anything go to waste. Could that also be the problem?

Any advice will help.
 
#2 ·
Finally! Another fish-in cycler.

ANYWAYS, you should have heard about it taking a month or so to fully be stabilized and then there's the 2 special GOOD bacteria. All true, it doesn't take a day or two. To keep the fish safe during this cycle you would have to do 2 50% water changes per week until it has fully cycled. And only vacuum the gravel during the 2nd change, don't clean it on the 1st. You want those bacteria to keep on reproducing!
 
#3 ·
Hi, the 10 gal has more water volume so that the ammonia will be diluted/so might not have a reading. As Lebron said best not to disturb the substrate until the cycle is complete and stable. Your doing fine, trust your instincts. Substrate is a personal choice, while I prefer gravel, marbles are beautiful but do have a greater risk of trapping debris, although in a carefully fed betta tank that issue is mute.
 
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