So a few weeks ago I asked about cycling my new 17gal riparium and explained I wouldn't be around to do testing/adding ammonia etc. Here's what ended up happening:
I set the tank up about 2 weeks ago IIRC. I used a small in-tank filter that I modified a little bit: I cut a piece of sponge from my 29gal established tank HOB filter and put that in place of the clean sponge that came with the small filter. I removed the carbon layer and instead I put some of the ceramic-bead things that came from my HOB filter. I don't know if that was a good idea or not.... I added all RO water to the tank and added the equilibrium. It sat like that for a week with a pH of about 6.4 When I got back the next weekend I added more equilibrium to bring it up to a pH of 6.8
Then I had my mom feed the tank with fish food once a day as if there was a fish in the tank. She has done this for a week. There is now a lot of brown "dirt" on the bottom of the tank that I am hoping is not algae--the food I used was new life spectrum small fish food--little tiny pellets. I tested the water this morning: ammonia: 0 nitrites: 0 and nitrates: 10 ppm
Should I presume it is cycled? My 29gal planted tank maintains 5 ppm nitrates so 10 seems a little high from what I'm used to but I don't use RO water in my 29 gal (yet). I don't know if that makes a difference.
I just have one betta fish I plan to put in this tank. Will one fish not be enough to keep it cycled? I might add some algae eaters in the future, not sure but right now I just have one fish for it.
I set the tank up about 2 weeks ago IIRC. I used a small in-tank filter that I modified a little bit: I cut a piece of sponge from my 29gal established tank HOB filter and put that in place of the clean sponge that came with the small filter. I removed the carbon layer and instead I put some of the ceramic-bead things that came from my HOB filter. I don't know if that was a good idea or not.... I added all RO water to the tank and added the equilibrium. It sat like that for a week with a pH of about 6.4 When I got back the next weekend I added more equilibrium to bring it up to a pH of 6.8
Then I had my mom feed the tank with fish food once a day as if there was a fish in the tank. She has done this for a week. There is now a lot of brown "dirt" on the bottom of the tank that I am hoping is not algae--the food I used was new life spectrum small fish food--little tiny pellets. I tested the water this morning: ammonia: 0 nitrites: 0 and nitrates: 10 ppm
Should I presume it is cycled? My 29gal planted tank maintains 5 ppm nitrates so 10 seems a little high from what I'm used to but I don't use RO water in my 29 gal (yet). I don't know if that makes a difference.
I just have one betta fish I plan to put in this tank. Will one fish not be enough to keep it cycled? I might add some algae eaters in the future, not sure but right now I just have one fish for it.