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Thread: cycling..

  1. #1

    cycling..

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    Hey Folks,

    This may be a silly question (actually I'm pretty sure that it is), but I'm kinda wondering what's going on in my tank..

    How long does it take for ammonia to show up in your tank after initial introduction of fish?? My tank is a 46gal bowfront with 3 green chromis which I introduced on the 22nd of August.. They aren't small chromis, but not as large as they get.. I'd say they are about 2" in length right now.. With daily feedings, I would have expected some ammonia results by now.. Also checked for nitrite and it was at >0.3mg/l as well.. Didn't buy a nitrate test kit yet, I figured I'd have more time before I needed it.. Is this normal and I'm just overanxious?? Like I said, I'm not sure how long it would take for any amount of ammonia build up in the tank..

    Thanks for any insight..
    I''m going crazy, but that''s okay.. They know me there..

  2. #2
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    Is it a planted tank? If yes... ammonia might never get high enough to show up. Even more so if your plants were already quite well established by the time you added fishes. Plants supposedly prefer ammonia to nitrites and nitrates as a source of N. Besides, the first bacteria to start colonising will the one that converts ammonia to nitrites. If your tank is already 1 or 2 weeks old, you may have already missed the ammonia spike, if there was one.

    Measure your nitrites and nitrates instead. I started a 6 ft planted tank a month ago. 3 weeks into cycling I was getting high nitrates, 4th week the nitrates were undetectable.

    Expect cycling to take 4 to 8 weeks.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
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    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  3. #3
    Hey Vinz, thanks for the reply.. The tank doesn't have any plants in it.. I hadn't really even considered saltwater plants, actually.. What kinds would you suggest??
    I''m going crazy, but that''s okay.. They know me there..

  4. #4
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    I did it again... assuming its a freshwater tank and not checking the forum title. []

    So sorry... just call me a planted tank 'snob'. [] Can't help you... I'm a marine tank 'idiot'.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  5. #5
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    How long does it take for ammonia to show up in your tank after initial introduction of fish?? My tank is a 46gal bowfront with 3 green chromis which I introduced on the 22nd of August..
    a proper setup from scratch would take abt 28 days to 1 month.. and while chromis can take the nitrite level, i dun recommend any other fishes.. give your tank some more time.. it is still very very very very young... ammonia starts the moment livestock is added.. and pls.. do get some test kits.. one of the good test kits is seachem.. u can consider them... do monitor the NH3, NO2 levels till u see that NH3 is zero and NO2 is starting to fall.. only then, your NO3 will start.. with that.. wait for it to surge and change water.. with it.. u can start to stock up.. actually, u can start to stock up when both NO2 and NH3 is zero..


    hahaha.. vinz.. it is ok..
    Let us work together to preserve the world for our children to inherit by being responsible to our surroundings. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, bubbles and memories.

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    I saw this marine plant n I have not stop thinking about it. It was love at first sight - don't know the name n since I am still planning my first marine tank, i can't buy it yet.
    It looks just like grass in a bunch but very soft n fuzzy at the tips, swaying to n fro like Hawaiian babes. Oh it's green of course!
    The problem in KL here is most LFS ommunicate in cantonese or mandarin n if u ask for something in English, they look at u like u'r some idiot from outer space. Just u tell me, what's sturgeon fish in cantonese or mandarin?

  7. #7
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    Try and print a picture for them.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  8. #8
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    i have no idea what algae u talking abt.. perhaps a pic will help me to identify...
    Let us work together to preserve the world for our children to inherit by being responsible to our surroundings. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, bubbles and memories.

  9. #9
    LOL, no problem Vinz.. If anything you gave me something to think about with that answer about plants.. So I thank you []

    Kelstorm, thanks for the reply.. I have test kits for pH, Ammonia and Nitrite at the moment.. I still need to pick up a Nitrate kit.. It was mentioned to me that in a saltwater tank, it's possible to miss the initial spike of ammonia.. Do you think that may have happened?? I have added NitroMax to the tank..
    I''m going crazy, but that''s okay.. They know me there..

  10. #10
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    I still need to pick up a Nitrate kit.. It was mentioned to me that in a saltwater tank, it's possible to miss the initial spike of ammonia.. Do you think that may have happened?? I have added NitroMax to the tank..
    ----------------
    initial spike of ammonia will start with the introduction of livestocks.. and will usually reached the peak within the next 8-10 days.. and during the process, nitrite will start to take place...
    Nitromax?? i never used anything like that.. to me, time is the best cure.. i let it mature by itself... just have to monitor it properly...
    Let us work together to preserve the world for our children to inherit by being responsible to our surroundings. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, bubbles and memories.

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