Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
Is my tank already cycled?
I set up a 5 gallon tank for my female Betta fish so I can take her out of the community tank she's currently in. She's with a pair of angelfish right now, and while there isn't any fin nipping or aggression from either species, she spends much of her time hiding. So I'm moving her into her own little 5 gallon home.
I used half new gravel, half old (from the angelfish tank). One quarter old water, 3 quarters new. One new decoration, a live plant from the old tank, and a fist-sized porous rock from the old tank. The filter is new- I bought a 5gal kit. I put in 2 male guppies to cycle the tank.
A day after setting all this up, the levels of ammonia and nitrites were up and the nitrate was "negligible". Now, it's been 2 and a half weeks. I've tested the water twice and it appears to be fully cycled. Is it safe to add my Betta fish, or should I still wait for that 6-8 week mark?
7 Answers
- Anonymous10 years agoFavorite Answer
You need to be looking at what your ammonia and nitrite readings are if they read 0 and you have high nitrates its cycled all you would do is do a large water change and add your betta.
Just make sure your using liquid Test kits not strips as they throw out inaccurate results .
Cycling for 6 weeks will only apply if everything is new and you have no gravel to use or an established filter .
I cycled a 55 gallon in 3 weeks starting from scratch so i would say yours is cycled.
- StueyLv 710 years ago
As long as you had a measurable amount of ammonia and nitrite, and they have now dropped to 0ppm, with a measurable amount of nitrate, the tank has cycled.
The 6 to 8 weeks is when you are starting from scratch. Since you used things from a established tank, it sped up the process.
- baymast13Lv 710 years ago
If your readings are correct, your tank is cycled and safe for fish. 6-8 weeks is just a rough guess, and that's starting with no beneficial bacteria. The old gravel helped a lot, there isn't much bacteria in the water. Always rely on your test readings, not some "magical" amount of time.
Source(s): Hobbyist for many years. - ?Lv 610 years ago
It's ready now.. You did all the right things by CREATING an instant cycled tank.
Forget the readings.. In my own experience, I've learned to ignore those readings. Once you get fish into the tank, the biology actions reduce those levels quickly.
Source(s): . 50+ years breeding, raising and selling freshwater tropical fish - How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- CherylLv 710 years ago
you can put the fish in ... you could have even cycled the tank with the betta ... one fish peeing in 5 gallons of water is not enough to cause the fish distress, but it is enough to cycle a tank ...
- 10 years ago
It is safe to add your Betta fish.
She should be fine with your levels at the correct amount and such a small tank.
