[ErnieB]

Didnt research in time ( to learn about fishless ) so i am currently cycling a 37g tank with 5 silvertip tetras ( recommended by my lfs ) They were put in on monday. Today ( Thursday ) the ammonia is 1.0 ( 2 days ago was just .5 ), ph is 7.6 ( as it has always been ) and everything else is zero. Temperature is about 78f.

How often should i be checking my water and at what point/how often and how much should i be doing the pwc's?

 

[flyin-lowe]

I have a couple of suggestions for you. I would recommend doing a water change when your ammonia reaches over .50%. Also there is a water conditioner called Prime that will keep ammonia from being toxic for the fish but it is still available for the bacteria to feed on.

Another suggestion is what I did and it worked perfect. I was trying to cycle a tank with fish and it was going very slow. You have to keep ammonia low enough to not kill the fish so the low amounts won't grow bacteria quick enough. Anyway there is a product called Tetra Safe Start. I have not heard much talk about it on this web site but many other forums talk about it at great length. (Google it). It is the ONLY bacteria that has a proven track record to work. You can add it to you tank now and do nothing to your tank for 7-10 days. Then test the water and it should be cycled.

The keys are, 1 Don't treat your water with anything for 24-48 hours before you add it. 2 Shake the bottle well and use the entire bottle. You can't overdose so if you have a 37g tank I would find a bottle for 55 g and use the entire bottle. It is not a chemical, it is living bacteria and it worked perfectly for me. It is made to add with fish in the tank because the fish will keep the bacteria alive. Again it must be Tetra Safe Start. You might have to order it online. If you have any other questions you can send me a private message and I can direct you to some other discussions on this product.
Good Luck

 

[ErnieB]

Thanks for the reply. My lfs was recommending a product called stress-zhyme that sounds like it is suppose to be the same type of stuff. Ever heard anything about it?

 

[phil_pl]

Yes they are about the same thing but i would recommend the tetra safe start.

 

[flyin-lowe]

From all the research I have done the ONLY one that will work as advertised to cycle the tank is Tetra Safe Start. Most places don't carry it so they will sell something else to you. It might help the tank along, but the only one you will need is the Tetra Safe Start. From what I have read many of the others don't have the right type of bacteria and it will die off, so you have to keep adding the stuff weekly. Once you stop adding it then you start going through mini cycles. I have no vested intrest in Tetra or this product other then the fact I did a lot of research and this one particular product is the one that works. Not some other brand that "is the same thing" or "will do the same thing".

 

[ErnieB]

Thanks again for the replies. I will see if any of the 3 lfs near me stock the tetra stuff. On a totally different note... know any or where i could find a list of community fish that like the top area of a tank or middle/top area? Tank is pretty tall and i would like the next fish to be ones that stay near the middle-top. My silvertips stay towards the middle bottom and do not like me to watch them, lol. They run and hide behind plant when they see me coming.

 

[Dmaaaaax]

Use Prime! It will detoxify ammonia now and nitrite when that cycle starts up. On top of that, it detoxifies chlorine and chloramine in your tap water, since you WILL be doing more frequent water changes until these numbers reach zero right...right?!

Prime also detoxifies other heavy metals and adds slime coat to stressed fish. With this product, you really don't need much else. A plant or 2 could also speed things up since they are covered with bacteria, and break down ammonia/nitrite/nitrates as a food source.

 

[Dmaaaaax]

Oh, look for silver or marble hatchet fish for the top. They are another type of tetra. Gouramies also stay near the top (look for a pair of chocolate).

 

[ErnieB]

Use Prime! It will detoxify ammonia now and nitrite when that cycle starts up. On top of that, it detoxifies chlorine and chloramine in your tap water, since you WILL be doing more frequent water changes until these numbers reach zero right...right?!

Well that was one of my original questions.... how often i should change my water and how much each time.. Flyin-lowe stated i should change it anytime ammonia is above .5. But how much should i swap out? Also how often should i be checking my water?

And if using one of these additives that detoxify ammonia, would the pwc be needed less frequently then?

 

[flyin-lowe]

When mine was cycling I checked it everyday and did a 25% water change. Prime will work for 24 hours and I am not sure what they will do to your water test. I know that Prime will detox the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates but I think you should still do water changes because these are not the only three things that build up in water. Plus I am not sure how many days in a row you should add Prime without changing water.

 

[ErnieB]

Thanks again for all the prompt replies

 

[Dmaaaaax]

With Prime, your test kits will still give an accurate reading, but the ammonia, nitrite and nitarate should be less toxic to the fish. I would add Prime to your tank at the dose they state. I believe, they say to add more during initial cycling to tie up more of the ammonia. Then, I would do a 25% water change every other day and add fresh prime to that 25% amount.

Once your tank fully cycles, I would do 20-25% changes once a week or as nitrate levels go up past 15-20ppm. You can continue to test your tank once a month or less, once you get everything cycled and are comfortable with your cleaning routine. Don't forget to clean your filter regularly also but for now leave it alone while it cycles.