how long to cycle my 40 gallon tank
it has has been cycling for 3 days
i used lots of gravel out of my 30 gallon
i have two 800l p/h internal power filters going since day 1
i used terminate biological booster to increase beneficil bacteria today
and have 6 red eye tetras in it since day 1
HOW LONG TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2007-06-28 20:03:33 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
i added the tetras to help cycle
not the final fish
i dont care if they die
im having 2 oscars as final product
2007-06-28 20:21:37 · update #1
There's really no way to predict accurately how long it will take to get a stable tank. The fact that you used gravel from an established one will certainly help speed up the process, though. If you used most of the gravel and filter media from your previous tank, it may be there already. The only way to know for sure is to test the water and see if you;re still reading ammonia and nitrite - if you are, you still have a ways to go. If you only detect nitrate, you're done.
If you still are showing ammonia and nitrite, one thing you can do to speed the process is to raise the temperature - with warmer temperatures, the bacteria multiply faster.
2007-06-28 20:23:56 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the other tank was cycled and you used the gravel and all from it, the tank may not go through the cycling process. Test the water. If you get ammonia and nitrite, its cycling, if you get no ammonia or nitrite and there is some nitrate then it won't need to go through the cycling process.
Two oscars is one too many oscars for that tank. They get big. Unless you plan on getting another 40 or 55 gallon tank to house one in each when the do get bigger. I would just get one really pretty one to go in there. Less is more when it comes to keeping fish.
2007-06-29 11:28:04 · answer #2 · answered by Sunday P 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The short answer is it usually takes about a month for the bacterial colonies to build to handle the bioload of the fish that are currently in the tank. However testing is necessary to make sure that the cycle is complete. When the ammonia is at 0 ppm and the nitrites are at 0 and nitrate is detected than your biological filter is established, and you tank is cycled.
2007-06-29 12:05:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Live Rock can help, But I heard it takes aroudn 30 Days. The people at my fish store say to use Eco Start. I don't know what it does.. But I think it speeds it up. I'm going for a water sample today. I have a medium Whisper filter thing with a bio filter thing.. and it has 2 Lbs of Live Rock and 5 lbs of Live Sand (ArgaAlive) And if yours is a Salt water tank.. gravel isn't good..
2007-06-29 04:42:01 · answer #4 · answered by Spencer 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It takes about 3 weeks. All of your fish should be fine because of how many gallons and the filters you have so don't worry.
2007-06-29 03:12:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should have cycled your tank before you put the fish in it...
It could be a few months.
Patience grasshopper, don't add anymore fish until ammonia levels are at zero.
2007-06-29 03:13:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋