Have i stuffed up my cycle?

On the 30th i started my cycle with some squid and frozen brine shrimp.
I also took some water out of our other tank and used some of that as well.

On the 6th I started running the lights in the cycle.

These are the parameters I've been getting. I'm using API test kits.

Date ph amm Ni Na Salinity
1/11 8-8.4 0-0.5 1 5 1.022
5/11 8-8.4 0-0.5 0 0-5 1.023
10/11 8-8.4 0 0 0 1.023

I expected to get more 'swings' in my results, as it stands I've barely seen a blip in the results. Is this normal and am I worrying about nothing ? I know each cycle is different, this seems just a little odd to me.

 

Maybe what you put in wasn't strong enough for the cycle? Get a piece of uncooked shrimp from the store and throw it into the tank. Or your cycle might be done?


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Indeed a quick cycle. I would wait another week re-test. If all is normal do a small water change, re-test in couple in days and if everything checks out proceed with a cuc. Tried and true for me anyways.

 

+1 on above posts

there are no hard and fast rules with a tank cycle
there are terms used such as Hard cycle and Soft cycle

but if you started a thread asking, "what did your ammonia peak at when you where cycling" you would get different answers IME

as stated, best to take it slowly anyway, as on occasion with a soft cycle, the bacteria present are in low numbers and thus take a bit longer to multiply in order to catch up with new bioload

adding some members of the CUC 1st, after a week where the levels stay stable is a great idea IMO

Steve

 

I was wondering about a quick cycle. We have a damsel on had that will transfer into this tank. Is it worth while putting him in to see how it goes ?

thanks, its good advice. Is it possible to try a damsel and then move to CUC or would that be too much of a bio load increase ?

 

How large is the tank?
I have added Damsels prior to cycle, in order to cycle a tank
but I have never done that with any tank under 60 US gallons
thus even with a Damsel producing waste the levels never get to high as to cause the fish any issues (IME)

I would not want to do this with a smaller set up, simply because the same amount of waste produced in a 30, might cause cloudy eye and gill irritation in a smaller set up

adding the CUC or a few members of the CUC and watching them slide about for a week, will help continue the cycle ( adding nutrients and causing bacteria to multiply) and as the end of that week, if the CUC are OK and the levels still read with those 0s - that would be a good time to add that Damsel IMO

Steve

 

The tank is a 180. That is why i thought it was viable. I figured that the amount of water was large enough to absorb any increase from the damsel.

 

with a 180, I would have no hesitation to be honest and I hope that statement does not offend any of my friends on here?

as you say, the amount of dilution in a volume that large, is the very reason your spikes where so low
the fact that you have already recorded a peak, means bacteria is present and has processed the die off
thus bacteria should be able to multiply quickly enough with the addition of a single damsel


Steve

 

With 180 gal tank that has already shown a spike, I totally agree with trying out the damsel. Smaller tanks no, but you have a large system that appears to have nutrifying bacteria. The only caution I would consider is that if you want to remove that fish in the future it may be a challange.

 

Cheers for confirming this for me.