My tank is cycling...?

Question

.. I had an empty tank for 2 weeks and have had 4 platys in for 5 days now, and they are doing really well - I've done two water tests, and all results the same as before I added the fish.

I have two questions... I'm planning a 10% water change and gravel clean on Wednesday - but do I also wipe down the inside of the glass?? I want to get an Oto catfish eventually, so do I leave what's on the glass for when he arrives? Or do you have to clean the glass every time you do a water cfhange, catfish or not??

Also, for my next fish I want to get one male Betta - how long before I can get him? Do I have to now wait until my tank has cycled, or can I get him within the next week??

My water results on Saturday were - Amm 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 25, Ph 7.4 - this is exactly the same as before I added my platies...

To answer BarbR - this was a tank that I had fish in before, but due to lack of research, I lost them all.
I emptied the whole tank out, cleaned everything through (with tap water only, inc. the gravel) and started again. I did buy a new filter though, as I was not sure of the effectiveness of the undergravel one I had, so I changed that for an internal filter.
All new water was treated prior to re-filling the tank.

Sorry Copperhead, just saw your addition as well - so my answer to that is above, as I did have fish in it before...
I presume this has helped my cycling phase from what yourself and BarbR have said....??

Answer 1

I always clean the inside glass on my tanks, algae eaters or no. The fish don't eat all types of algae, if you have a lot of algae they won't be able to eat it all, and I like to be able to see my fish. Plus algae eaters can eat other foods, such as the algae wafers, romaine lettuce, squash slices, and other items.

What are your current water tests reading? Ideally you want to have the ammonia and nitrite both at zero, because fish begin to feel stress when the levels are 0.5 or above. I personally would wait until the ammonia get to zero and nitrites start declining before adding another fish, because this will cause another ammonia spike (leading to a nitrite spike) from the additional wastes. Wait a while yet before trying an oto - these tend to be sensitive to water chemistry changes in newer tanks (even if cycled).

You can speed up the cycle a little if you raise the temperature - this causes the bacteria to multiply more quickly. You'll still have a while to wait if you didn't has a bacteria source to seed your tank, or use an ammonia source before you added the fish. Thanks generally take 3-6 weeks to cycle, so yours is still in the early stages. See the graph of a "typical cycle - the numbers at the bottom are days: http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php


ADDITION: Good test results for only 5 days. Were you adding anything as a bacterial supplement or to seed the tank, or was the tank previously used for fish? If so, you may be able to add your betta any time you want if those readings are stable.


ADDITION: Yes, having fish before would have helped, but since you thoroughly cleaned the gravel, I would have expected most of the bacteria to be lost, since you wouldn't have had an ammonia source in the tank for the two weeks. Maybe you didn't clean the gravel as well as you thought (fortunate for the fish, because the water quality you have is so good). Maybe there were decorations or driftwood in the tank that had some bacteria on/in them as well that could have survived. At any rate, if the platies are doing well and your water chemistry is stable, it seems all is going well!

Only thing I would recommend is a slightly larger water change of 20-25% weekly.

Answer 2

Actually, water changes are very important during a cycle. There will still be enough in the water to continue the cycle, but we also want to keep any toxins at a reasonable level for the fishes health. Unless you started out with a 'wet' tank or filter that has supported an aquarium, it can't be cycled - the quick tests sold are not always accurate and do have a shelf life.

Otos should be fed other foods as mentioned for a long and healthy life, not just aquarium algae. In addition, you can't expect them to keep a tank absolutely spotless, so wiping the glass to keep a clear view is always a good idea.

I would leave the stocking for now and give it a couple of weeks before attempting to add anything - it's only been a few days and you can't be sure of anything yet. A tank can take as long as six weeks to fully cycle. Most especially, wait a couple of months before adding the oto's, they are very particular and don't handle the stress of a cycling tank well at all. The more mature the tank is, the better they do.

Did you know you can speed up or even skip the cycle by adding healthy living bacteria to your tank? If you get some filter media, like foam, from an established aquarium and put this in your own filter, it can make a wonderous difference. Ever since I learned this cycling simply hasn't been an issue for me.

Answer 3

Don't wipe down anything yet. The nitrifying bacteria are colonizing on surfaces (filter media, tank walls, decorations, gravel).
I'm really surprised at your readings though. Was this a new tank or did you start up an old one? Was the filter used? Gravel? Your tank has already cycled!
Ammonia rises to hit its peak after the first week or so. Nitrites then form and eat up the ammonia. It takes 2 - 4 weeks for the nitrite to spike. Then the nitrates show up. Once this occurs, your readings should be ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and a nitrate reading. You're done :)
The nitrate is a little high...fish do best at around 10 - 20 ppm. Do about 20% water change, vacuum the gravel, leave the rest alone.
Your ready for your betta whenever you'd like. You don't state what size your tank is, but if it's 10 gallons or larger, you're all set :)

Answer 4

I wouldn't try changing the water until all of the cycling is done. If you do, this will only make you hop back.

Always try to clean the walls of the tank when you clean it.

Try to get the Oto so it could eat some algae.

Answer 5

the tanks cycling - wow thats fantastic !!!