just some info on my cycling

[prodrumernate]

im about 3 weeks in my cycle.im doing a fish in cycle.using 4 rosy red minnows(fathead minnows).unlike my past cycle.nothing seem to change for the 2 months or so i had it setup.i now have readings on ammonia,nitrate,and nitrite.im excited to finally see a change.

ammonia-0.25ppm
ph-7.6
nitrite-2ppm
nitrate-5ppm

using API master kit.10 gallon with live(red ludwigia) and plastic plants and decor...i have a DIY moving bed filter using a water bottle,plastic straws cut into about 1 inch cuts and a dual air pump..heated to about 78F.and as well as a HOB filter i replaced the stock filter cartridge with an aquarium sponge filter.

im going to keep the rosy reds as tank mates with my male betta.but before i do any water changes or anything else to the tank...i want advice on what i should do now.i had to clean my tank really we before..i dont want to mess it up this time and get my male out of the 1 gallon hospital tank into his 10 gallon.

how should i do water changes or anything else to the tank?im very hesitant rite now not to mess anything up.the readings i have above are from about 15 minutes before this posting.i just moved into a new apartment and am surprised my tank is still cycling after emptying out 50% of the water for the move the other day.but it doing even better.

what should i do?

[MSG]

• This is a 10 gallon tank you're trying to cycle?
• What kind of HOB filter are you using?
• There's 4 fathead minnows in residence?
• What type of gravel/substrate are you using?

[prodrumernate]

yes its a 10 gallon.sorry as i was typing i thought i had mentioned the info about it but think i lost focus(trying to stop smoking) and forgot some detail ;)

its a quiet flow Aqueon 10 HOB replacing the cartidge with a fluval foam sponge.

yes there are 4 fathead minnows in there.but im about to add a fifth as 1 died several days ago and i want to add another back in.plus needed to purchase 1 to get a special deal on dried blood worms.

its white gravel..and my live plants are in a mixture of gravel in water bottle pots i made.

in my aquarium pix is somewhat how my setup is in the 10 gallon.i just took out some fake plants and changed them around.if needed i can take a few pix of the setup showing the decor,plants,fish and substrate as well as the filters im using.

[prodrumernate]

there are now 5 fatheads in the tank

[Hallyx]

Yes, Nate, you did say it was a 10gal tank.

It sounds like it's almost cycled based on the nitrite and nitrate readings. Wait until the nitrites go down, then a big change to cut nitrates and you're done.

[prodrumernate]

wow great.really want to get my male out of the hospital tank into the 10 gallon....i did the water change yesterday as u mentioned in my other post.i kept delaying for a day because i wasnt sure.

but im glad its almost done :) im excited about that.and getting ready to prepare to cycle another tank as well..

[Hallyx]

Originally Posted by prodrumernate

.... getting ready to prepare to cycle another tank as well..

That one will go much faster because you'll have seeded biomedia to kickstart the new cycle.

[prodrumernate]

im glad it will.i have a female in a bowl waiting to get in there...would i also be able to add like another moving bed filter i made into my 10 gallon and then transfer over to my 20 gallon?i mean i know i can.but i guess i need to ask how long should i leave in the cycled tank to allow BB to grow on it before i put in the other?and or just add some of the media from it as planned in with new media and that would rapidly create BB and is just as good?

[Hallyx]

I've found that it takes about a week for a filter to fully colonize when placed in a cycled tank with a cycled filter running.

Yes, you can do it with one filter by putting both cycled and new media (50/50) in the filter chamber.

Keep an eye on your parameters and spot clean as necessary.

[prodrumernate]

sounds great...thank you for the info...getting ready for the new tank is going to be exciting :)