# 10 Gallon Fish-In Cycling



## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Thought I would keep my progress updated here... been writing down the water parameters on pieces of stickies and putting them on the table where I have my tank... so this might be better :lol:

*Please note that I am using the Aquafin Mini Master Test Kit. As a result, the ammonia readings are not per ppm. As per the test kit, anything above 1.2 reads 0.01 ppm or more. The results written on this journal are as per the color chart.*

May 14, 2014: No fish had been added at this time.
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm

May 15, 2014: No fish had been added.
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: <5 ppm

May 17, 2014: Added Jackson Pollock to the tank.
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5-10 ppm

May 18, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm

May 20, 2014: I was too busy on the 19th and forgot to test oops 
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: less than 0.6 (but not quite 0)
Nitrite: 0.1 ppm
Nitrate: 50 ppm
_50% water change_
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: <5 ppm

May 21, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

My sparse tank so far!

I have 1 banana plant, 1 marimo moss ball and several stems of some plant that was recommended to me by my tropical fish specialty store.

My boyfriend ordered a Dr Who TARDIS to go in the tank so that should be replacing the coffee mug I have in there :lol: Once I get paid I am probably going to go purchase some more plants... Not sure what I'm going to do about my background yet... Thought of maybe just having a solid black background but I worry that my fish will get stressed out by his reflection.


On top of the tank you have my water testing kit + color chart and a culture of live wingless fruit flies. My guy is getting pellets in the evenings, and a few flies in the mornings. I have to make a new culture soon and I am a little grossed out haha but whatever  I will also be getting a culture of grindle worms... yum!


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

I love your fish's name! 

My husband is a huge Dr Who fan.


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

DaytonBetta said:


> I love your fish's name!
> 
> My husband is a huge Dr Who fan.


Thank you ^_^

My boyfriend and I are big Dr Who fans as well  I figure we will put the TARDIS surrounded by some stem plants to make it look like it crash landed in the tank :lol:


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

May 22, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0!!!!!! Yay 
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 5

Not sure what this means hmm. I guess bacteria has converted the ammonia into nitrite?


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

May 23, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Amonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: < 5

May 24, 2014: Water change. About 50% I believe (I wasn't there -- went away to Toronto for the weekend and left my boyfriend in charge)
pH: 7.5
Amonia: almost 0 (like 0.2)
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: about 30 or 40

And then... my boyfriend forgot to test the water after the water change!!! I only got back last night, so this is today's parameters.

May 27, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.1-0.3
Nitrate: 10-20


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Aaaand the TARDIS is here!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

May 28, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 5

So ammonia is consistently at 0 now, which is a good sign!! Just waiting for the nitrite to stay 0 now 

Can nitrate just drop from 10 to 5 like that??? @[email protected]; maybe I measured wrong?


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Another water change due to nitrites and I moved the decorations a bit 

Roots on the plants are getting quite large!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

May 29, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 5

Another water change time... ugh... I just did one yesterday!!  I guess the nitrite spike is happening now, which means I am pretty darn close to finally cycling the tank!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

May 30, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.3!!! Another water change omfggg I just did one yesterday 
Nitrate: 5


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

SmaugDragon said:


> I feel your pain with the water changes. I'm doing a fish in cycle on a tank right now too. Hang in there!


Thanks for the encouragement! It's just so frustrating doing the water changes lol :lol: I have a big carpet in my bedroom so I always have to be super careful not to spill water anywhere >_<

------​
May 31, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0.1-0.3
Nitrates: 5

I invested in a 5 gallon bucket and some tubing to use as a siphon type thing. Hopefully this makes the water changes more bearable :lol:


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

SmaugDragon said:


> Oh I see you got a bucket and a siphon. Those two items changed my life! So much faster to drain the water initially than scooping it out! Plus having something to fill up with new water and condition it is so nice too. My tanks are only 5 gallons but still, it's so much better!


Yeah I am glad mine is only 10 gallons! My friend has a 30 gallon and she is having a lot of trouble doing water changes, even with a siphon and a bucket haha!

Today's water change went by much more quickly/less messy.

June 1, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: Close to 0
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 5

Did another 50% water change. Thank you, siphon and new bucket!! :-D


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 2, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.1-0.3 -- very close to 0.3 so a water change is being done today.
Nitrate: 5


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 4, 2014:
Didn't get a chance to test the water yesterday because I was so busy running around! Luckily nothing was off the charts 

pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0.1
Nitrates: 10

I soaked plants overnight. No sign of snails besides the ones I picked out last night... and I also found a little Thai Micro Crab in the plants!! He may be added to my tank, but in a breeding box for now because I am unsure of how Jackson will take to him.

I also have some driftwood which I have been soaking because of tannins... I want to add them into the tank already!! Ugh lol


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

SmaugDragon said:


> I saw the picture of the little crab he's so cute! I got new plants yesterday too, except when I put them in my QT tank I found a worm. Ew! I was looking at that worm thinking "I'd rather have snails!" Your little "pest" sounds way better.


Haha ewwww. Yeah the little crabby dude was quite a surprise... but much more adorable than worms!


June 5, 2014:
pH: 7.0 -- I added the mopani wood and I believe the tannins brought down the pH slightly. No worries though Jackson does not seem to mind 
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 5???

I don't know why my nitrates keep fluctuating... do plants have anything to do with it?

Anyway, today's water change day due to the high nitrites.

I think the cycle is almost over... nitrites are spiking every other day or so now instead of everyday... hopefully in another week or two the tank will be fully cycled!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 6, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.1-0.3 (closer to 0.3)
Nitrate: 5

Ughhh another water change  WHY WON'T THE SPIKE ENDDDD


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 8, 2014:
pH: 7.9
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 5

Another water change. I didn't have time to test the water yesterday and I stupidly didn't turn the filter back on after the water change  Hoping this doesn't screw up my cycle.

Another note: I seem to be just stuck on the nitrates reaching 0.3 but no beneficial bacteria growing?!?! Is it normal for it to stall this badly? My ammonia levels are consistently 0 now but it's like my tank is having trouble with the nitrite... I don't understand


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 9, 2014:
pH: 7.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.1-0.3 (closer to 0.3)
Nitrate: 5

So time for ANOTHER water change... I DON'T UNDERSTAND D: I thought I was supposed to be done cycling by now?? I am so worried that I am doing more harm than good by doing 50% water changes almost everydya...


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 10, 2014:
pH: 7.0
Ammonia: 0.6?!?! Weird, because it's been 0 for so long :s
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 5

Forgot to post this yesterday. Today's results shall be up later today.


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 11, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.1-0.3 (Lower side -- will wait 'til tomorrow to do a water change if it rises. Added 4 more drops of Prime to keep everything safe just in case)
Nitrate: 5


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 12, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0-0.6
Nitrite: 0.1-0.3
Nitrate: 5

June 13, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 5-10


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

I forgot to add it last time but on the 13th I did a 50% water change  I also got rid of all the rotting leaves (some of my new plants melted when added to the new aquarium )

June 14, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: <0.1!! Yay 
Nitrate: 5


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 16, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: <0.1
Nitrate: 5

So it looks like my cycle is finally coming to an end! I didn't test yesterday -- decided to test every other day from now on until everything is consistently at 0. I haven't had to do a water change due to high nitrites in over 3-4 days!!!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 17, 2014:
pH: 7.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

So close!!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 19, 2014:
pH: 7.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

Why aren't my nitrates rising?? @[email protected]


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 21, 2014:
pH: 7.0-7.5
Ammonia: 0.6?!?! I guess this is because I didn't do a water change in a week.
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5-10


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Did a 50% water change


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

June 22, 2014:
Ammonia: 0.6
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 5

I did like 2 water changes yesterday because I redid the tank and wasn't anticipating on doing it lol. Hopefully the water params will settle down by tomorrow. All old decor + sand + filter are still in.


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## mobius981 (Apr 27, 2014)

My water parameters got funny at the very end, too. Looks like you are waiting on the nitrite converting bacteria (nitrospira?) to mature and get stable. Mine was the opposite. I was waiting on the nitrosomonas bacteria to get stable at converting ammonia to nitrite. 

I would hazard a guess that it would be another week for you...my tank ALMOST finished and then had a minor crash and THEN re-established itself. You are doing great and adding Prime is complete peace of mind!! You are going to feel GREAT when it is done, I know I did!!


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Well it's been 10 days with water param. checks every other day.

Everything is at 0 now, even the nitrate. I think it's because I redid my tank and added a whole bunch of new plants! With the water change my ammonia levels always get toa round 0.6 but it's still below 0.1 ppm so nothing major.

I think I shall retire this thread and start a thread for my progress now that it's been cycled 

Thank you all for the support!


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## mobius981 (Apr 27, 2014)

Congratulations, Taquitos!!! Doesn't it feel good? Wow.


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