Agreed. And I have watched a bunch of them. Most are just repeating info they have read or seen in other videos. This guy really knows what he is talking about.
I have to agree with you, 100%!.. My head was spinning from all the research I've done these past 2 weeks. Boy I wish I found this video to start with lol.
For crying out loud, I’ve been reading the comments 🤦♀️.... Test kits aren’t even that expensive!!!! Realistically, if you can’t afford a test kit...how are you supposed to afford proper care of a stocked aquarium? Awesome video btw
Man I totally kept saying I couldnt afford one thinking it was a one time test for ammonia nitrites nitrate and ph then u had to buy another one till I actually grabbed the damn api liquid tester kit and seen it's good for 800 or more test then I realized wow it is affordable for 800 test lmao I'm a beginner I literally thought ppl were paying 30 dollars for one test and thought u would have to buy one api kit per tank so thought I'd have to buy 4 kits for each tank now I know u can use one for all freshwater tanks and it last a long time so well worth the money cheaper in the long run by far I only have to buy a api kit every 2 months n usually I only have to buy it bc I run out of ammonia liquid tester half the time the nitrite and nitrate liquid last 6 months
I get this but also they're out here selling test strips without ammonia tests on them. Why? Whyyyyyyyyy? Why do hotdogs come in packs of 10 and the buns come in packs of 8? $$$$$$
Thanks! I had a lapse in judgment when I saw the most beautiful koi betta and I felt that I had to have him before someone else got him. Now I’m going thru the daily struggle. I have an established tank, but it’s been up and going for a few years and I’ve forgotten a lot of what your video goes over and it taught me about how ammonia neutralizers work. I’ve been testing day and night, I’ll be thankful when we’re stabilized.
I like how at 15:15 when your talking about Ammonia poisoning and how fish will gasp for air, the fish are like "here's an example" and they all move up LOL. (you got them well trained!!!!)
I've watched so manly videos on cycling a new tank , this is my 1st tank set up my son bought me a 5 gal Marineland portrait tank I like it but had it set up for about 6 wks It hasn't cycled yet I got a few (feeder fish ) minnows in there since last wed seem to be doing ok eating good swimming all over lots of energy it wasn't my idea to buy my son got them & I didnt know about it til it was too late so I've been watching my ammonia levels & testing i have Api Products quick set ph down Ammo lock stress zyme + stress coat + tetra chlorine remover heater stick on thermometer 2 sm filters with fluval biomax evo spec flex fluval carbon filters insert ammonia reducer filter pad , even filter floss i did a 25 % water change & thats when it all of a sudden got foggy milky but its so cloudy I get even see into the back of the tank fog ,I have api master water test kit & I'm color blind to some of these colors on the chart so I have a hard time figuring out the right colors , I spent so much money trying to do everything right which im probably only making it worse I've always been terrible at science ..I remember my ex husband was a pro at our tanks we had he did everything all the maintenance cleaning etc I dont ever remember waiting 6 wks when he set up a new aquarium & cycling a tank took less than a week if that was it , I'm trying but maybe I'm just not cut out for this fish keeping hobby i should have got a parrot or hand tamed bird like I really wanted but im not going to give up just yet I will keep trying & looking out for my little minnows I have in the now 8 of them ..2 different kinds 4 gold color ones some have blk spots cute I thought there little goldfish when I first looked at them & then I have 4 little white minnows seem like hearty little fish very active all the time & hungry..I will do my best to keep them alive & well during this tank cycling wish me luck thanks for the video it was very helpful sorry this comment is so ridiculous long ..its not easy explaining everything im trying to do here..
I had a lot of issues with water parameters when I first started out. I was using gravel and vacuum siphoning regularly but it was never long lasting. I wanted a more stable, natural set up with less water changes and less labor intensive upkeep. I discovered a new method which keeps parameters stable and shortens the cycle significantly. This system utilizes a deep sand substrate and lots of plants. The Father Fish channel helped me immensely.
I just discovered father fish As well. And set up a tank with this method as well like last night. Added my little fishys and praying I dont lose any more! Fingers crossed This beautiful tank in this video brought me here
I made an impulse buy and have been a nervous fish mama. Listening to you while getting to watch your fish play was really relaxing. Thanks for all the good info, I'll be trying your tips today
i am a fisherman and an fishkeeper myself! its crazy, im 25 years old. if you told 18 year old me that my world would revolve around fish i would laugh at you lol...
Great video! I rescued a (killer) powder blue cichlid (named him Uday) and threw him in a 5 gallon kit tank and the only thing I knew was to get the chlorine out of the tap water so I bought prime. A few days later when Uday was lethargic the guy at sea chem saved uday's life by telling me about testing water and cycling. Totally not a plug- I just appreciate people that care, and people like you who are willing to share their knowledge to help others (and not at the expense of sacrificing fish to enjoy their fish in their perfectly cycled fish tank). Thanks again!!!
You have helped me so much with what I’m going through. I moved my fancy goldfish’s over from 30 Gal to 75 Gal thinking I’d have enough good beneficial bacteria with my HOBF, and many many plants that I could add the fish in. Well I didn’t have enough good bacteria and I’m smack in the middle of a potentially life snatching cycle. I love my goldfish very much and am still quite new to the hobby. I dose a LOT of prime. Now i know what it’s really doing and why my PH drops so much after, all them hydrogen ions. I’ll continue my small frequent water changes and hope to get them through without a death. Honestly, it was so hard to find a video where someone describes exactly what you did so thank you!!! I feel so much more knowledgeable now.
Also Note!! Taking a tank down then back up again can, and almost always, starts a new cycle all over again. This is usually from the used sand bed or gravel substrate. Bacteria deep in the substrate gets released and overwhelms the beneficial bacteria. You just have to weather out the storm just as described in the video. Water Changes... Lots of them. Test, Test and Test. It's a lot of work, but thats what this hobby is about, managing Water.
Thanks helpful video! I have done fish in cycles...not the preferred method. It can work with Danios or some tetras, guppies etc. Shrimp are pretty good canaries for this process as well, but they NEVER make it through. I have done this without losing a single fish several times and with a full load of stock. I would never do this with expensive or hard to find fish. Before I add fish I run the tank for a few days with some charcoal media, get it nice and clear, up to temp. I like to cycle at about 79F-81F, it's faster. I almost never keep my tanks that warm, but I cycle them there. Also, I add extra aeration to the tank and maximum surface agitation. Well planted is best but don't fertilize or anything till after cycle. Also, make sure you have adequate lighting for the plant types you have, light starved plants will create waste and consume oxygen. My process is testing twice a day (Really, you can just do ammonia and PH testing till the Ammonia shows up). Seachem Stability (or like product, but this one is best) once per day from the time fish are introduced. Once Ammonia arrives, add Nitrites and Nitrates to the testing routine and drop feeding to every other day, till cycled. Ammonia will sneak up on you in the cycle, so don't slip on testing. As soon as you start seeing it in the test, begin adding Seachem Prime (nothing works as good) once daily. Use Stability and Prime at the recommended dose for the entire tank volume each time (I also add Stability directly to the filter media, you cannot overdose this stuff). If you get Ammonia exceeding 4-5ppm, water change or add some Zeolite to absorb it. The cycle slows down when this gets too high, you want it between 1-3 ppm to stay on track. But, take out the zeolite when it gets below 3, you don't want to starve the bacteria. When the bio-filter is established, you will see a rapid decline in Ammonia, almost over night. Usually right before this happens, Nitrites will start popping up, waiting for the nitrite test to start showing Nitrites is the painful wait, it's the first sure sign your filter is working! With stability, Nitrates will come on quick too. Once you start seeing 10-20 Nitrates the Ammonia and Nitrite will probably be gone. You are cycled! 3 weeks is my average time to cycle with most of this spent waiting for ammonia and then in an ammonia spike waiting for nitrites. When you are using stability, the Nitrite and Nitrate phase seem accelerated, it's just that initial phase that drags. Once the Ammonia and Nitrites are staying at 0, you can stop the daily Prime and reduce the stability to once a week. Testing Nitrates at least twice a week (I just test everything and also use the Seachem alert cards). Continue water changes to manage nitrates, always dechlorinate with Prime and continue the stability forever. I should work for Seachem.
i started fish in cycles couple of days ago. i notice there was a immediate ammonia spike today 4-5 ppm . i cleaned out 75 % water immediately double dose prime and single dose stability. now i added the zeolite with charcoal in my filtering system. the ammonia is down to .5 ppm after 12 hours since the last water change. should i take the zeolite or keep it in and continue daily dosing prime and stability?
I keep a 10 gallon planted with 2 sponge filters. I had a third spare filter and an extra tank. Grandkid won a goldfish at the fair... Stop me if you've heard this one. Thanks for the video. It was EXACTLY what I needed.
If it's a comet or common, you probably already know that your tank is too small. Atleast 20 gallons minimum for fancies, and 55 for comets and common's, yadda yadda yadda. You can keep your goldfish in that tank for a few months, but you're gonna need to upgrade, or get a fancy instead. Goodluck figuring it out!
@@wyxyr9495 It's a comet, and yes, I know I'm dealing with a 12-inch fish eventually. It's only a little bigger than a betta right now though. I'm keeping an eye on my local craigslist for bigger tanks. I've also decided to follow the advice given at puregoldfish.com. The person running that site seems to know their stuff.
@@bradleyj.fortner2203. My kids won a couple of 29 cents goldfish at our town fair and they grew too big for the tank so my husband set up a moderate size fish pond in the backyard for them. Those 29 cents fish ended up costing us a small fortune!! 😂 They did get huge and lived a long life.
You sir are a savior. Pretty sure you just answered all my cycling problems. I have been stuck on the ammonia phase for the last three weeks. Even added quick start and fritz zime turbo boost plus ghost feedings too. But I'm pretty sure my weekly water changes are hurting me. Please if you have a min watch the video I just posted on my tank and let me know anything else that needs changing
I love You Tube for how much great information one can get on virtually anything and we can learn from other people’s mistakes. However, there is nothing like testing things out for ourselves to really learn. I have introduced fish to unicycled tanks and have also put in different species of fish with my new Red Devil Cichlid to confirm what I have seen. Remember, there are no mistakes only lessons.
@@caleb1972 Seachem sells Stability, and their other brand AquaVitro sells other bacteria. Bacteria can be distributed in solution, it will find surfaces to grow on.
good info thanks... I had to do an emergency cycle (as a complete noob!) as I was given some guppies for a present and purchased a large tank second hand that had some nearly dead fish in it to house them... used fluval cycle.. basically had to change 25% water every day for a month to dilute ammonia and nitrites, cleaned substrate every second day... two months later I'm down to weekly water changes and clean and not lost a fish yet (touch wood!)... tbh I would do it like that again as I learned a lot about the tank, the cycle and my fish during that time... one big noob mistake I made was I cleaned the sponge that came with the dirty used tank in fresh tap water thus cleaning all the good bacteria away ..its now in my big filter ready to use when I get my new tank... don't know if Ive been lucky or done the right thing but things still good.
I have been testing and testing and the problem is my tank is showing ammonia but my fish are showing no distress. This video made me aware that the acidic water in my tank was saving my fish. I was changing water frantically and never getting any nitrites but still had ammonia and nitrates. Your video allowed me to watch what was happening in my tank and act accordingly and stop adding chemicals. I am now seeing nitrites and my tank is well on the way to cycling without the death of my precious fish. Thank you so much!
I never get bored listening back at all your posting, like refreshes me on all of your experiences and learning from them.. Sounds just as good and important As the 1st time I watch this posting.. Cheers Dan there always something to learn from you Dan, never a dull moment!!
Very good info. This helped me to get a better understanding of bacteria in cycling and the chemical comp in water. Glad to hear more about acidic water as I am struggling with this.
Great video! I’d never do a fish-in cycling and sacrifice innocent lives. I’d prefer to do a fishless cycling and gain the experience in monitoring water parameters. That way I’d learn so much more in basic fishkeeping. I’m in no hurry in establishing a successful tank. People say time is money. I say patience is money. I’m in it for the long haul, not instant gratification.
Nice to see you being down to earth and saying what you actually did, not what people want you to say. I've got huge goldfish and plecs over ten years old that have never had one chemical added to the tank, not even water conditioner. Just regular water tests and changes are needed.
Thank you for this! I’m glad I finally found the answer I’ve been looking for. I’m 4 weeks into my cycle with a few fish. I was afraid I was over doing it with water changes. My nitrites have been through the roof. The only way to keep them under control has been daily Water changes. Any where from 25- 75%. The fish store sold me seachem prime. I used it everyday for the first couple weeks, Then every other day after that. Little did I know it was slowing my cycle down. I’ll stop using that product from here on out during my cycle. Hopefully my nitrites will soon stabilize.
Prime won't slow the cycle down. It just blocks the ammonia, but doesn't prevent the bacteria from "eating" it. The water changes are what slow the process down.
Thank you SO MUCH for making this great video! This has been the most sensible thing I've ever seen/read regarding the fish in cycling! Keep the great information coming, please!!
I remember as a child. My first couple aquariums were sold to us in the 10g kits, and some fish would also be sold to us at the same time. So it was outta the box set-up and fish bags were in as soon as the water was up a little. I cringe thinking of it now. I'm sure it still goes this way for most young kids out there even now, and i'm 40. Big chain retailers, for the most part, are the usual culprits imo. Thnx for the great vids. Helpful stuff
when I bought my first tank the shop sold me some used sand and told me this way I can put fish it after only 3 days. I waited only 2 and put different fish in. some angels, barbs, plecos and stuff. They all survived and I still have them.
Prime may be a temporary solution but it would have saved your fish and saved you from having to do water changes until the cycle finished if you added it daily. That way the ammonia / ammonium levels wouldn’t have had to drop. The cycle would have finished faster and those fish wouldn’t have suffered.
I would use stability to add bacteria after the initial dose of prime. That's more what stability is for instead of prime. Again, assuming you have already put prime in the system.
So what your saying is if I have set up a new tank and added prime/bio starter for the first couple of days I can acclimate a fish and add it to the tank if I'm dosing prime daily (instead of water changes) until the cycle has completed? sorry if I sound like I don't have a clue haha just in a jam as my filter broke as I was transfering my fish to a bigger tank so I've set up a new filter. Still learning about fish in cycling sorry for the short novel :P
@@Privat3Pretz3l well I'm doing that rn and no. I double dose prime every 24 hours with ammonia and nitrite being under .50 and I have lost 2 guppies and a neon tetra. I think the ph swings during the cycle really screw you over even if you have a high kh/buffering capacity. I have a kh of 7 and after about 4 days it was brought down to a 5 and ph dropped from 8 to 7.2.
I have 25 baby fry blue Moscow's . I started checking my tank and the nitrtes were really high it looks about 10.0. I thank I may have made a mistake when I put pantyhose on the filter at the bottom so it wouldn't suck up any of the baby fry. I put a corner filter that has stuffing on the top charcoal in the middle the rocks at the bottom . Praying this will work 🙏
There's also fast cycling products on the market. I personally made an impulse buy on an Eclipse Catfish and a Chinese Algae Eater, bought and setup the tank same day, and I've been using something called API Quick Start, which as I understand it, is directly conditioning the water and adding the necessary bacterias to complete a cycle. Monitoring my paramaters daily, and aside from a relatively big bacteria bloom, which I expected as it's a brand new tank, and battling to get my PH down (test kit only goes to 7.6, and reading is maxed out) all's well. 4 days in, and my fish are happy and healthy.
Best discussion on the nitrogen cycle ive heard anywhere! I picked up almost a hundred discus from a local guy looking to get out of the hobby and got in over my head lol. I did a ton of research and thought i was prepared but didnt realize there was chloromine in the water. City says the waters clean so they dont treat with chlorine... I assumed it was safe. Anyway, fish came, tanks never cycled. After two months of twice a day water changes i finally realized what was going on and started treating with prime. About a week in now and im getting lots of nitrite spikes for a few days now but cant get any tank to register nitrate... Had a window giving direct sunlight for an hour or two a day and indirect sunlight all day and realized this morning that the UV might be hurting the process. Just plugging on with the occassional as needed WCs and dosing Seachem Stabilize to help the process. 8.2ph makes everything harder... Thanks for the vid.
My tank had been up for a month and a half, my ammonia was at 0.25 so i decided to do a water change since i was told it would help keep down ammonia. Now my ammonia went up to 1.00ppm. I just threw some algae pellets to help increase my chances of cycling it. After watching your video it makes sense, about a week ago i purchase the heater, with that saying my tank has been cold water. My tank to this day is now geared up. Hopefully it will take less then a week and half. Crossing fingers. Edit: btw its a saltwater tank.
Very good explanation. It is happening to me and I will loose 2 guppies from my 7 year old son .(gils red burned, they are trying to breathe at top of water level).....my ammonia was 8ppm with the ammonia plus that capture ammonia. I have started the water changes to dilute it too late.......as you mentioned impulsive purchased and I guess lack of research. And I guess not the best advice of from the shop...anyway your video is very educationnal and useful....👍👍👍👍👍👍 Thanks
Cool vid. I do want to say that Betta fish pefer warmer temperatures from 78 to 80. They are tropical fish. Yes they might survive in those lower temps but they will thrive in wamer water.
Thank you! This is *exactly* the type of advice and information that I was seeking to help our new tank! I noticed our smaller frog hanging out towards the top, just like you said the fish would do in the case where they aren't getting the necessary oxygen. I thought our tank had already cycled and I was confused. We upgraded to a slightly larger tank and newer substrate... Yep. I rinsed our bacteria. Oops!
Great movie in did. I have two decades experience. I've found some pet shop owners mislead the basics targeting revenue. More "aquaristic " problems it means more profit. Aditives, overpopulation, wrong filters, incompatible habitats, etc... As a starting point, how do we know the fishes we bought already had problems? When you buy them, check the ammonium level in the plastic bag carrying the fishes. Sometimes you will find out a nasty surprise. Gills already affected, is...too late.
I did the fish food idea and waited about a week didn't find out about the test kits till I got some guppy's and tetras this video was the best of help
I acknowledge the statement at the beginning, but not Prime, but Stability is what I have used when adding new fish and when any bio changes in the tank (for my reef tank anyways). Prime is just a water conditioner and I guess a little bit of a bacterial starter, but stability is a hellacious boost in bacteria for an equivalent dose size of prime. On the bottle "prevents new tank syndrome", and no complaints using it in two years.
That's the best explanation I have heard so far! Thank you! My aquarium did not cycle with Quick Start and I don't have any other tanks yet. It is torture for me and the fish to wait it out to kick over. (My saving grace is that I set up blackwater with LOTS of tannins)
That's why you should use Seachem Prime. It protects your fish from ammonia and nitrites while keeping the ammonia in your tank for the bacteria to grow. Simple.
I recently set up a new aquarium with already cycled media but not enough. Ammonia started to show up on my test, so I did a 75 % water change, then borrowed some more already filtered media from another aquarium which was enough to get me through the small crisis without harm (and a 6.4 pH also help). That is a benefit of having more than one aquarium! Moving over cycled media (if possible) is much more effective than rinse out a cycled sponge into the water column since most of the bacteria will die rather than get established in the new aquarium. That said, this is a great video and my suggestion isn't always possible, so it's also an important video.
Hi Everyday Fish Keeping, great video, I just wanted to add a bit of what I learned going through a similar situation as you. Everybody philosophy is different but here is something you might not know. I heard you say that anytime you have an Ammonia spike, you dont do Prime, you do a water change. The only issue with that is everytime you change your water you set your tanks cycle back. I was doing weekly water changes and wondering why my tank wouldnt fully cycle. Well everytime you change water you lose some Beneficial Bacteria. Yes the Beneficial Bacteria doesnt " Live" in the water column but it " IS" in the water column so therefore you can lose up to 25-30% of your Beneficial Bacteria during every water change. Thats why its good practice to not change your water during an Ammonia spike so that you keep as much Beneficial Bacteria in your tank as possible. Even adding additional Beneficial Bacteria During an Ammonia spike is good. I know our first instinct is to do a water change but its actually setting us further back when we do that. Really only time you need a water change is when the Nitrates are high since there is no Bacteria to consume Nitrates. So yes a good amount of your Beneficial Bacteria is being circulated in youe water column at all times looking for a place to latch on to a surface, so dont lose those need Bacteria by doing a water change. Just some things Ive learned, Not saying how you want to do it is wrong, just another perspective !
You made the most sense to me than he did. I thought by the name of the video he was talking about fish in cycling, then he says he detests it, while killing fish while cycling fish in. Gaghhhh….
No seriously. I did not know what was wrong with my tank. I had NO idea what ammonia was althoug hearing it, nitrites, nitrates. All of it. I did not know why my fish were lethargic, slow, and eventually dying :( Im going to walmart to buy ammonia test kits. How much of a cycle do I do? its a 10gallon. 30% water????
GCT Groover as much as you need to til you get the ammonia way down. Buy ammo block or Safe or some other ammonia blocker while you're there. I have a video about hievthat works too. (Somewhere)
Great video! I would like to add a couple of points. I like to use “raw uncooked shrimp” to jumpstart the cycle. I found since it is already dead it starts the process very quickly. The one thing to know about Seachem Prime is that it is a “rapidly diminishing oxygen agent” and you should wait 30 minutes before adding other additives. I use the word “oxidize” to explain to new aquarist. Bacteria oxidizes the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate.
Very detailed video. Anyway, all that needs to be done is throw in some fish food, or a piece of meat or shrimp, into the tank (without fish) then let it rot. At this point you get bacteria bloom (foggy water). When the fog clears up it's cycled (in 3 to 6 weeks). Also, I don't need to do water changes because when the water evaporates (taking some nitrates with it) I just replace the evaporated water (constant-drip method is based on the same idea). No test kits needed -- just smell the water -- if it stinks a lot then the tank is not fully cycled. ... If you feel you must do water changes (which is actually dangerous) then be sure to let the new water sit for a day before adding it -- this allows poisonous gases in the water (and chlorine, etc.) to dissipate into the air.
If you're gonna use prime you have to dose daily and it helps if you also have seachem stability. You have to do this for at least a week straight dosing to recommended levels. Do not change water during this time unless your test kit reads a ridiculous level. What happens is the prime neutralizes the ammonia/nitrites/nitrates while the good bacteria feed off of it and grow into a larger colony. Speeds up their feeding process with no danger to your fish. At the end of the 7 days do a big water change 50% or more (I change about 90%) and dose again. Test the water the next day and see if you're now reading 0/0/and some nitrate. Once you see your no longer getting any bad test results your tank has cycled and you can discontinue use of seachem products. Again though, it's important to dose everyday, test at least twice a day and don't do any water changes the 1st 7 days. If you change water your taking the bad bacteria out that the good bacteria need to grow the colony and slowing down the process.
Something important to mention: acidic water might deal with ammonia to a degree, but if your water is below 6.5 pH, your bacteria are dying off/dormant and aren't working properly. Therefore, your ammonia will continue to raise. If your pH is constantly acidic, it's time to look at the kH and figure out a way to stabilize the pH.
You can use prime to neutralize ammonia while you wait for the bacteria to build up to gobble up the ammonia or ammonium. One way or another, prime allows you to keep fish in a tank that isn’t fully cycled. It just requires you to be regimental in doing water change and adding prime. You can always change water and use prime to remove ammonia and converting what’s left into ammonium. That’s a double safe method. Thanks for the 36 hour cycle tip...now I can gauge approximately how long it will take for certain level of bacteria to build up. Great video. You’re a good teacher.
Awesome, awesome, AWESOME information! I really appreciated the chemistry lesson about the bonding hydrogen. Thank you for being the first person to explain how that works. Subscribing to your channel...
Sound advice , mine took 8 weeks to cycle . The slow way too me is best , but that's my opinion . Great tank by the way, really natural looking with lovely healthy fish. Cycling a tank can be a nightmare sometimes , but you have too be patient . Done it a few times now , and you do learn as you go . many thanks , great vid
I had so many questions and kept looking up so many things to get some answers which led to a lot of contradicting information. I’m so glad I found this video thank you so much! You did a great job explaining and covering everything. I finally have some peace of mind 😁
I think you mean Seachem Stability. It's my understanding Prime is just to remove chlorine and other things when you add new water. Stability says it's for starting the nitrogen cycle quickly. You're supposed to use it for seven days and be able to add fish anytime within those seven days.
I know this is an old comment but im just going to leave this here for people who are new and wondering the same- from my understanding Seachem Prime not only removes chlorine and chloramine but also detoxifies ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate and it’s described on the back of the bottle that its great for a cycling fish tank as it converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tanks biofilter. Prime will bind those compounds up to 48 hours. It doesn’t remove it, so the chances are if you do a liquid test it will be off the charts because it will still be there, only asleep. but turns it non toxic and in case of emergency they say to add up to 5 times the original dose (please check right amounts on product bottle)
hi dan whilst listening i heard you say things i already heard,i said where have i heard this before,i press backspace and "pow ", I watched your vid in 2015 about tank cycling, great info keep it up , Stay Safe. Mac
I do a fish in cycle occasionally, I put in a couple of tetras and very slowly increase bio load after that. The starting ammonia is so small that it wont harm the tetras in a 10 gallon and up tank. I give them a week with daily water changing until I add some more fish. Never had a fish die from doing this. In terms of an impulse buy, I will take a cycled sponge filter from one of my tanks and put it in the new tank with the new fish.
Excellent video, could of used this education back in the days starting out on first aquariums. Yes, best to cycle first without fish in the tank! Then what to do if ammonia should spike up. Thankd
I agree with most of your points, other than your opinion on fish-in cycling. With fish-in cycling, you watch the tank very closely and preform water changes/dose with prime to keep the tank safe for the fish. The idea is that you will get have beneficial bacteria from the start, rather than adding new fish and having beneficial bacteria struggle to keep up/have bacteria die off. The reason why people recommend adding a guppy - whether or not it's morally okay - is that *if* something were to go wrong (which it shouldn't) you wouldn't lose 25 fish and $80. I see your point on "why risk it," but the fishkeeper is not expected to "sacrifice the guppy" for a cycle
There is fish-in cycling where you’re sacrificing a fish, but also, if you use a dechlorinator and bacteria in a bottle, you can have fish in there almost right away, I don’t recommend it because obviously a new and budding tank will fluctuate a lot, which could lead to casualties if not dealt with properly, but I have been the impulse buyer in the past, and have been able to minimize casualties using chems, trying to get better at keep the cycle naturally though! Learning how to balance without needing to do water changes as frequently, Father Fish da 🐐
Great advice!! However, you should bear in mind that there are a ton of variables to this. After hearing your story, there may be compounds in your water source which are toxifying NH3 levels. These compounds can and will cause a reaction that strips ammonium ions of their ionic state. For example, silicates (SiO4(-4)), iron oxide (Fe2O3(-2)), and literally anything else with a (-) in their chemical charge can strip H+ ions from ammonium (NH4+). My best advice is to look at the recent chemical tests from your local water bureau, and doing a metals test at your tap before determining hard NH3 numbers to go by. Other factors to be mindful of (but not limited to) are trace elements / aquarium salts, the rocks and wood used in your scape, and your substrate. Just use common sense, figure that there really is NO safe level of ammonia. And if you must use fish to cycle, then use either a catfish or pleco species as they can practically survive a nuclear holocaust, and do frequent water changes. Love those gourami, BTW!!! Cheers!
Saw your video, it makes more sense than some others I have seen. I am trying to get my first tank (since I was a kid) cycled. I was still kinda iffy as it was playing and googled 'graph of nitrogen cycle' and it pulled up this graphic that makes a lot of sense to me now. Figured, I'd share. Crap, can't attach a pic in here. There is one that shows the nitrate with plants in it. Totally makes sense now. I just wish I knew what levels ppm above are 'bad' as it cycles.
I "inherited" my ex's fish thank with Gold fish in. I love them but don't know the first thing about keeping fish. One of my fish got sick and when I googled the symptoms, it indicated that it might have Nitrite poisoning. I noticed other fish showing similar symptoms. So the next day I went to my pet store and they sold me a test kit and told me to change all my water, wash the substrate and clean out all the filters. I did it, then when I put the fish back after making sure the water was perfect. They just lay at the bottom of the tank. I then watched videos on RUclips and realise my fundamental colossal mistake. So now I'm trying to keep my fish alive and cycle in the tank. Though your video is very helpful don't say fish in cycling is unnecessary. I don't have a choice here because I don't have another thank or other mediums to use for them. So either way they will die if I can't fix it and I'm going to be devastated losing my fish. We're not all knowledgeable like you, that's why we are here watching this.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thanks. So far I haven't lost any fish but its only been 4 days. I did a 50% water change, I do one every day to lower the Amonia and Nitrites. I'm trying to source products localy (it's very difficult to find anything here) that does what Seachem Prime does. I've ordered Seachem Prime (every RUclipsr and his cousin recommends it 😁) , but it will take 7 days to get here. In the meantime I'm just slogging through water changes and praying to the Aquarium gods and Aquaman to keep my fish alive. 😊
I was brought up with tropical fish in the 70's .My grandad had them for many years ,my stepfather moved in and had a fish tank. I have had many fishtanks. I have never cycled a tank and never had bacteria booms, fish die all of a sudden. I used to have only undergravel filters, which I still think are the best. I have had marine tanks, community, cichlid, shrimp and crayfish tanks. I even had self sustainable jars with shrimp in. All of my tanks I have had and even now have are good and healthy. When I test my waters, the parameters are always good. I never rely on chemicals to get them cycled / amonia removers, or even beneficial bacterias.
Hi this video was very helpful and I really appreciate the info as I made an impulse first time betta fish purchase, and thought I was informed when in fact I wasn’t . I knew nothing of the nitrogen cycle or the importance of it and accidentally put my fish into his tank without cycling it prior. Now i’m stuck hes still eating and upright but I’ve been searching like crazy for info on how to save him. I’m hoping it isn’t too late and since i’m a first time fish owner I don’t have access to used filter media or anything like that. I did get some beneficial bacteria and have been adding that and from watching your video It sounds to me like the best thing I can do is change the water daily and keep adding the beneficial bacteria. I saw so many vids saying to go and buy prime and put a ton of it in the water and I was on the verge of buying it but really had no idea what it was so you’re right on how important it is to understand the products you are putting in your tank. This helped explain so much thank you
I did fish in cycle, didn't know of the cycle until fish in, did test twice a day and water changed once or twice a day for about four weeks, was alot of work, but I did cluck like a mother hen once I knew what I was involved in. all four fish survived, and two fry. have learned tons since then, am now obsessed by the whole thing.
Emily renae Thompson it adds beneficial bacteria. Helpful for speeding up the cycling process in your tank. You dose 1 cap per 10g the first day, then the next 7 days you dose 1 cap per 20g. 1 cap is 5ml.
Store bought ammonia and just washing a foam filter from an established tank does speed up fishless cycling by a LOT. Just keep doing it till the nitrates are off the charts then do one big water change
This is the absolute best video about the cycle that I have seen in my search. Thank you so much.
Agreed. And I have watched a bunch of them. Most are just repeating info they have read or seen in other videos. This guy really knows what he is talking about.
I have to agree with you, 100%!.. My head was spinning from all the research I've done these past 2 weeks. Boy I wish I found this video to start with lol.
For crying out loud, I’ve been reading the comments 🤦♀️.... Test kits aren’t even that expensive!!!! Realistically, if you can’t afford a test kit...how are you supposed to afford proper care of a stocked aquarium? Awesome video btw
Amazon. $18
been keeping fish for years, never bought a test kit... I keep my water heavy planted, healthy and consistent, never have a problem.
Man I totally kept saying I couldnt afford one thinking it was a one time test for ammonia nitrites nitrate and ph then u had to buy another one till I actually grabbed the damn api liquid tester kit and seen it's good for 800 or more test then I realized wow it is affordable for 800 test lmao I'm a beginner I literally thought ppl were paying 30 dollars for one test and thought u would have to buy one api kit per tank so thought I'd have to buy 4 kits for each tank now I know u can use one for all freshwater tanks and it last a long time so well worth the money cheaper in the long run by far I only have to buy a api kit every 2 months n usually I only have to buy it bc I run out of ammonia liquid tester half the time the nitrite and nitrate liquid last 6 months
Preach!!!!!
I get this but also they're out here selling test strips without ammonia tests on them. Why? Whyyyyyyyyy? Why do hotdogs come in packs of 10 and the buns come in packs of 8? $$$$$$
Thanks! I had a lapse in judgment when I saw the most beautiful koi betta and I felt that I had to have him before someone else got him. Now I’m going thru the daily struggle. I have an established tank, but it’s been up and going for a few years and I’ve forgotten a lot of what your video goes over and it taught me about how ammonia neutralizers work. I’ve been testing day and night, I’ll be thankful when we’re stabilized.
Good luck. Fingers crossed.
I like how at 15:15 when your talking about Ammonia poisoning and how fish will gasp for air, the fish are like "here's an example" and they all move up LOL. (you got them well trained!!!!)
I just always put plants in immediately and enjoy the garden while it cycles and let their natural growth and deterioration feed the cycling
Very informative. I've watched a lot of videos on this subject but you have made the nitrogen cycle much more understandable to me. Thanks alot
Glad it helped!
I've watched so manly videos on cycling a new tank , this is my 1st tank set up my son bought me a 5 gal Marineland portrait tank I like it but had it set up for about 6 wks It hasn't cycled yet I got a few (feeder fish ) minnows in there since last wed seem to be doing ok eating good swimming all over lots of energy it wasn't my idea to buy my son got them & I didnt know about it til it was too late so I've been watching my ammonia levels & testing i have Api Products quick set ph down Ammo lock stress zyme + stress coat + tetra chlorine remover heater stick on thermometer 2 sm filters with fluval biomax evo spec flex fluval carbon filters insert ammonia reducer filter pad , even filter floss i did a 25 % water change & thats when it all of a sudden got foggy milky but its so cloudy I get even see into the back of the tank fog ,I have api master water test kit & I'm color blind to some of these colors on the chart so I have a hard time figuring out the right colors , I spent so much money trying to do everything right which im probably only making it worse I've always been terrible at science ..I remember my ex husband was a pro at our tanks we had he did everything all the maintenance cleaning etc I dont ever remember waiting 6 wks when he set up a new aquarium & cycling a tank took less than a week if that was it , I'm trying but maybe I'm just not cut out for this fish keeping hobby i should have got a parrot or hand tamed bird like I really wanted but im not going to give up just yet I will keep trying & looking out for my little minnows I have in the now 8 of them ..2 different kinds 4 gold color ones some have blk spots cute I thought there little goldfish when I first looked at them & then I have 4 little white minnows seem like hearty little fish very active all the time & hungry..I will do my best to keep them alive & well during this tank cycling wish me luck thanks for the video it was very helpful sorry this comment is so ridiculous long ..its not easy explaining everything im trying to do here..
I had a lot of issues with water parameters when I first started out.
I was using gravel and vacuum siphoning regularly but it was never long lasting. I wanted a more stable, natural set up with less water changes and less labor intensive upkeep. I discovered a new method which keeps parameters stable and shortens the cycle significantly. This system utilizes a deep sand substrate and lots of plants. The Father Fish channel helped me immensely.
I just discovered father fish As well. And set up a tank with this method as well like last night. Added my little fishys and praying I dont lose any more! Fingers crossed
This beautiful tank in this video brought me here
I made an impulse buy and have been a nervous fish mama. Listening to you while getting to watch your fish play was really relaxing. Thanks for all the good info, I'll be trying your tips today
i am a fisherman and an aquarist... i believe you are spot on my friend ... love your green thumb
i am a fisherman and an fishkeeper myself! its crazy, im 25 years old. if you told 18 year old me that my world would revolve around fish i would laugh at you lol...
Great video! I rescued a (killer) powder blue cichlid (named him Uday) and threw him in a 5 gallon kit tank and the only thing I knew was to get the chlorine out of the tap water so I bought prime. A few days later when Uday was lethargic the guy at sea chem saved uday's life by telling me about testing water and cycling. Totally not a plug- I just appreciate people that care, and people like you who are willing to share their knowledge to help others (and not at the expense of sacrificing fish to enjoy their fish in their perfectly cycled fish tank). Thanks again!!!
This is probably the best video on RUclips on this subject. Very well explained, thus easy to understand. Thanks, Dan.
You have helped me so much with what I’m going through.
I moved my fancy goldfish’s over from 30 Gal to 75 Gal thinking I’d have enough good beneficial bacteria with my HOBF, and many many plants that I could add the fish in. Well I didn’t have enough good bacteria and I’m smack in the middle of a potentially life snatching cycle. I love my goldfish very much and am still quite new to the hobby. I dose a LOT of prime. Now i know what it’s really doing and why my PH drops so much after, all them hydrogen ions. I’ll continue my small frequent water changes and hope to get them through without a death.
Honestly, it was so hard to find a video where someone describes exactly what you did so thank you!!! I feel so much more knowledgeable now.
Father Fish Channel; natural deep substrate method tanks
Also Note!!
Taking a tank down then back up again can, and almost always, starts a new cycle all over again. This is usually from the used sand bed or gravel substrate. Bacteria deep in the substrate gets released and overwhelms the beneficial bacteria. You just have to weather out the storm just as described in the video. Water Changes... Lots of them. Test, Test and Test. It's a lot of work, but thats what this hobby is about, managing Water.
They say water changes only restarts the cycle and to just do nothing
Thanks helpful video! I have done fish in cycles...not the preferred method. It can work with Danios or some tetras, guppies etc. Shrimp are pretty good canaries for this process as well, but they NEVER make it through. I have done this without losing a single fish several times and with a full load of stock. I would never do this with expensive or hard to find fish. Before I add fish I run the tank for a few days with some charcoal media, get it nice and clear, up to temp. I like to cycle at about 79F-81F, it's faster. I almost never keep my tanks that warm, but I cycle them there. Also, I add extra aeration to the tank and maximum surface agitation. Well planted is best but don't fertilize or anything till after cycle. Also, make sure you have adequate lighting for the plant types you have, light starved plants will create waste and consume oxygen.
My process is testing twice a day (Really, you can just do ammonia and PH testing till the Ammonia shows up). Seachem Stability (or like product, but this one is best) once per day from the time fish are introduced. Once Ammonia arrives, add Nitrites and Nitrates to the testing routine and drop feeding to every other day, till cycled. Ammonia will sneak up on you in the cycle, so don't slip on testing. As soon as you start seeing it in the test, begin adding Seachem Prime (nothing works as good) once daily. Use Stability and Prime at the recommended dose for the entire tank volume each time (I also add Stability directly to the filter media, you cannot overdose this stuff).
If you get Ammonia exceeding 4-5ppm, water change or add some Zeolite to absorb it. The cycle slows down when this gets too high, you want it between 1-3 ppm to stay on track. But, take out the zeolite when it gets below 3, you don't want to starve the bacteria. When the bio-filter is established, you will see a rapid decline in Ammonia, almost over night. Usually right before this happens, Nitrites will start popping up, waiting for the nitrite test to start showing Nitrites is the painful wait, it's the first sure sign your filter is working! With stability, Nitrates will come on quick too. Once you start seeing 10-20 Nitrates the Ammonia and Nitrite will probably be gone.
You are cycled! 3 weeks is my average time to cycle with most of this spent waiting for ammonia and then in an ammonia spike waiting for nitrites. When you are using stability, the Nitrite and Nitrate phase seem accelerated, it's just that initial phase that drags. Once the Ammonia and Nitrites are staying at 0, you can stop the daily Prime and reduce the stability to once a week. Testing Nitrates at least twice a week (I just test everything and also use the Seachem alert cards). Continue water changes to manage nitrates, always dechlorinate with Prime and continue the stability forever. I should work for Seachem.
i started fish in cycles couple of days ago. i notice there was a immediate ammonia spike today 4-5 ppm . i cleaned out 75 % water immediately double dose prime and single dose stability. now i added the zeolite with charcoal in my filtering system. the ammonia is down to .5 ppm after 12 hours since the last water change. should i take the zeolite or keep it in and continue daily dosing prime and stability?
I keep a 10 gallon planted with 2 sponge filters. I had a third spare filter and an extra tank. Grandkid won a goldfish at the fair... Stop me if you've heard this one. Thanks for the video. It was EXACTLY what I needed.
If it's a comet or common, you probably already know that your tank is too small. Atleast 20 gallons minimum for fancies, and 55 for comets and common's, yadda yadda yadda. You can keep your goldfish in that tank for a few months, but you're gonna need to upgrade, or get a fancy instead. Goodluck figuring it out!
@@wyxyr9495 It's a comet, and yes, I know I'm dealing with a 12-inch fish eventually. It's only a little bigger than a betta right now though. I'm keeping an eye on my local craigslist for bigger tanks. I've also decided to follow the advice given at puregoldfish.com. The person running that site seems to know their stuff.
@@bradleyj.fortner2203. My kids won a couple of 29 cents goldfish at our town fair and they grew too big for the tank so my husband set up a moderate size fish pond in the backyard for them. Those 29 cents fish ended up costing us a small fortune!! 😂 They did get huge and lived a long life.
You sir are a savior. Pretty sure you just answered all my cycling problems. I have been stuck on the ammonia phase for the last three weeks. Even added quick start and fritz zime turbo boost plus ghost feedings too. But I'm pretty sure my weekly water changes are hurting me. Please if you have a min watch the video I just posted on my tank and let me know anything else that needs changing
MIKE J so what do you do differently?
Best way the cycle has ever been explained to me! Thanks
I love You Tube for how much great information one can get on virtually anything and we can learn from other people’s mistakes. However, there is nothing like testing things out for ourselves to really learn. I have introduced fish to unicycled tanks and have also put in different species of fish with my new Red Devil Cichlid to confirm what I have seen. Remember, there are no mistakes only lessons.
Finally understand the nitrogen cycle because of you, great detailed, and clear explaining.
Thank you so much!
after watching a few videos on cycling, you're the first person to explain the cycle, the bacteria and why/what it actually is. Thanks
The ocean floor pet store in Phoenix has a "reef stew" dispenser. It's basically live bacteria in an igloo water jug, awesome!
Wut? I thought beneficial bacteria grew on surfaces, not swim freely in water.
@@caleb1972 it probably has a large sponge in it
@@caleb1972 Seachem sells Stability, and their other brand AquaVitro sells other bacteria. Bacteria can be distributed in solution, it will find surfaces to grow on.
I live in Phoenix and got my first tank there!!!
Thank you! This was very helpful. Appreciate your take on Prime & similar products.
Great advice! I especially like your admonition to sit on your tank 'like a mother hen.'
good info thanks... I had to do an emergency cycle (as a complete noob!) as I was given some guppies for a present and purchased a large tank second hand that had some nearly dead fish in it to house them... used fluval cycle.. basically had to change 25% water every day for a month to dilute ammonia and nitrites, cleaned substrate every second day... two months later I'm down to weekly water changes and clean and not lost a fish yet (touch wood!)... tbh I would do it like that again as I learned a lot about the tank, the cycle and my fish during that time... one big noob mistake I made was I cleaned the sponge that came with the dirty used tank in fresh tap water thus cleaning all the good bacteria away ..its now in my big filter ready to use when I get my new tank... don't know if Ive been lucky or done the right thing but things still good.
It sounds like your attention and vigilance paid off! Good job!
You have such a soothing and relaxed voice! Thank you. 💜🙏🏾🌈
I have been testing and testing and the problem is my tank is showing ammonia but my fish are showing no distress. This video made me aware that the acidic water in my tank was saving my fish. I was changing water frantically and never getting any nitrites but still had ammonia and nitrates. Your video allowed me to watch what was happening in my tank and act accordingly and stop adding chemicals. I am now seeing nitrites and my tank is well on the way to cycling without the death of my precious fish. Thank you so much!
This has been highly, HIGHLY informative
I never get bored listening back at all your posting, like refreshes me on all of your experiences and learning from them..
Sounds just as good and important As the 1st time I watch this posting..
Cheers Dan there always something to learn from you Dan, never a dull moment!!
Very good info. This helped me to get a better understanding of bacteria in cycling and the chemical comp in water. Glad to hear more about acidic water as I am struggling with this.
Man, a lot of great information compact into one video.
This deserves way more views
Great video! I’d never do a fish-in cycling and sacrifice innocent lives. I’d prefer to do a fishless cycling and gain the experience in monitoring water parameters. That way I’d learn so much more in basic fishkeeping. I’m in no hurry in establishing a successful tank. People say time is money. I say patience is money. I’m in it for the long haul, not instant gratification.
my tank crashed,,,,,,i could fine no info how to recycle with fish until seeing this,,,,,but well needed info,,,,thank you
Nice to see you being down to earth and saying what you actually did, not what people want you to say.
I've got huge goldfish and plecs over ten years old that have never had one chemical added to the tank, not even water conditioner. Just regular water tests and changes are needed.
Thank you for this! I’m glad I finally found the answer I’ve been looking for. I’m 4 weeks into my cycle with a few fish. I was afraid I was over doing it with water changes. My nitrites have been through the roof. The only way to keep them under control has been daily Water changes. Any where from 25- 75%. The fish store sold me seachem prime. I used it everyday for the first couple weeks, Then every other day after that. Little did I know it was slowing my cycle down. I’ll stop using that product from here on out during my cycle. Hopefully my nitrites will soon stabilize.
Prime won't slow the cycle down. It just blocks the ammonia, but doesn't prevent the bacteria from "eating" it. The water changes are what slow the process down.
Thank you SO MUCH for making this great video! This has been the most sensible thing I've ever seen/read regarding the fish in cycling! Keep the great information coming, please!!
I remember as a child. My first couple aquariums were sold to us in the 10g kits, and some fish would also be sold to us at the same time. So it was outta the box set-up and fish bags were in as soon as the water was up a little. I cringe thinking of it now.
I'm sure it still goes this way for most young kids out there even now, and i'm 40. Big chain retailers, for the most part, are the usual culprits imo. Thnx for the great vids. Helpful stuff
when I bought my first tank the shop sold me some used sand and told me this way I can put fish it after only 3 days. I waited only 2 and put different fish in. some angels, barbs, plecos and stuff. They all survived and I still have them.
Thanks for explaining Prime, i didn't know those things!
Brilliant video you have helped me as a complete beginner a lot
Prime may be a temporary solution but it would have saved your fish and saved you from having to do water changes until the cycle finished if you added it daily. That way the ammonia / ammonium levels wouldn’t have had to drop. The cycle would have finished faster and those fish wouldn’t have suffered.
I was curious if you could add it in place of water changes until a tank cycled. Guess that answers my question
I would use stability to add bacteria after the initial dose of prime. That's more what stability is for instead of prime. Again, assuming you have already put prime in the system.
So what your saying is if I have set up a new tank and added prime/bio starter for the first couple of days I can acclimate a fish and add it to the tank if I'm dosing prime daily (instead of water changes) until the cycle has completed? sorry if I sound like I don't have a clue haha just in a jam as my filter broke as I was transfering my fish to a bigger tank so I've set up a new filter. Still learning about fish in cycling sorry for the short novel :P
@@Privat3Pretz3l well I'm doing that rn and no. I double dose prime every 24 hours with ammonia and nitrite being under .50 and I have lost 2 guppies and a neon tetra. I think the ph swings during the cycle really screw you over even if you have a high kh/buffering capacity. I have a kh of 7 and after about 4 days it was brought down to a 5 and ph dropped from 8 to 7.2.
@@Roman-fo7to higher the ph the more toxic ammonia is even if you are using prime.
I've done fish in cycling many times with cichlids and other types. Never lost one is not a automatic death sentence if you know what you're doing.
I have 25 baby fry blue Moscow's . I started checking my tank and the nitrtes were really high it looks about 10.0. I thank I may have made a mistake when I put pantyhose on the filter at the bottom so it wouldn't suck up any of the baby fry. I put a corner filter that has stuffing on the top charcoal in the middle the rocks at the bottom . Praying this will work 🙏
There's also fast cycling products on the market. I personally made an impulse buy on an Eclipse Catfish and a Chinese Algae Eater, bought and setup the tank same day, and I've been using something called API Quick Start, which as I understand it, is directly conditioning the water and adding the necessary bacterias to complete a cycle.
Monitoring my paramaters daily, and aside from a relatively big bacteria bloom, which I expected as it's a brand new tank, and battling to get my PH down (test kit only goes to 7.6, and reading is maxed out) all's well. 4 days in, and my fish are happy and healthy.
Best discussion on the nitrogen cycle ive heard anywhere! I picked up almost a hundred discus from a local guy looking to get out of the hobby and got in over my head lol. I did a ton of research and thought i was prepared but didnt realize there was chloromine in the water. City says the waters clean so they dont treat with chlorine... I assumed it was safe. Anyway, fish came, tanks never cycled. After two months of twice a day water changes i finally realized what was going on and started treating with prime. About a week in now and im getting lots of nitrite spikes for a few days now but cant get any tank to register nitrate... Had a window giving direct sunlight for an hour or two a day and indirect sunlight all day and realized this morning that the UV might be hurting the process. Just plugging on with the occassional as needed WCs and dosing Seachem Stabilize to help the process. 8.2ph makes everything harder... Thanks for the vid.
My tank had been up for a month and a half, my ammonia was at 0.25 so i decided to do a water change since i was told it would help keep down ammonia. Now my ammonia went up to 1.00ppm. I just threw some algae pellets to help increase my chances of cycling it. After watching your video it makes sense, about a week ago i purchase the heater, with that saying my tank has been cold water. My tank to this day is now geared up. Hopefully it will take less then a week and half. Crossing fingers.
Edit: btw its a saltwater tank.
Yes! This video is great. Super informative. I really wasn't understanding the other videos I have watched. Love this one!! Thank you so much!!
Very good explanation. It is happening to me and I will loose 2 guppies from my 7 year old son .(gils red burned, they are trying to breathe at top of water level).....my ammonia was 8ppm with the ammonia plus that capture ammonia. I have started the water changes to dilute it too late.......as you mentioned impulsive purchased and I guess lack of research. And I guess not the best advice of from the shop...anyway your video is very educationnal and useful....👍👍👍👍👍👍 Thanks
Cycling now. Best info found to date. And I Do Research! 👍👍 Thanks
thank you for this video, my roommate got a tank and just dropped some fish in before the cycle was and this video probably saved his fishes life
Glad it helped. Thanks for letting me know. It's always nice to know I helped someone a little bit.
Cool vid. I do want to say that Betta fish pefer warmer temperatures from 78 to 80. They are tropical fish. Yes they might survive in those lower temps but they will thrive in wamer water.
Thank you! This is *exactly* the type of advice and information that I was seeking to help our new tank! I noticed our smaller frog hanging out towards the top, just like you said the fish would do in the case where they aren't getting the necessary oxygen. I thought our tank had already cycled and I was confused. We upgraded to a slightly larger tank and newer substrate... Yep. I rinsed our bacteria. Oops!
Very informative video. You have a healthy tank and was great watching the loaches flirting with the graumious .
Great movie in did. I have two decades experience. I've found some pet shop owners mislead the basics targeting revenue. More "aquaristic " problems it means more profit.
Aditives, overpopulation, wrong filters, incompatible habitats, etc...
As a starting point, how do we know the fishes we bought already had problems? When you buy them, check the ammonium level in the plastic bag carrying the fishes. Sometimes you will find out a nasty surprise. Gills already affected, is...too late.
I did the fish food idea and waited about a week didn't find out about the test kits till I got some guppy's and tetras this video was the best of help
I acknowledge the statement at the beginning, but not Prime, but Stability is what I have used when adding new fish and when any bio changes in the tank (for my reef tank anyways). Prime is just a water conditioner and I guess a little bit of a bacterial starter, but stability is a hellacious boost in bacteria for an equivalent dose size of prime. On the bottle "prevents new tank syndrome", and no complaints using it in two years.
Oh yeah it works some wonders man I love it
That's the best explanation I have heard so far! Thank you! My aquarium did not cycle with Quick Start and I don't have any other tanks yet. It is torture for me and the fish to wait it out to kick over. (My saving grace is that I set up blackwater with LOTS of tannins)
If the pH is below 6.8 then the ammonia will be in the form of harmless ammonium, so you can relax even more. Lol
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thank you! Yes, I am running about 6.7. PHEW!
If ur ph is lower, bacteria reproduction slower
That's why you should use Seachem Prime. It protects your fish from ammonia and nitrites while keeping the ammonia in your tank for the bacteria to grow. Simple.
I recently set up a new aquarium with already cycled media but not enough.
Ammonia started to show up on my test, so I did a 75 % water change, then borrowed some more already filtered media from another aquarium which was enough to get me through the small crisis without harm (and a 6.4 pH also help).
That is a benefit of having more than one aquarium!
Moving over cycled media (if possible) is much more effective than rinse out a cycled sponge into the water column since most of the bacteria will die rather than get established in the new aquarium.
That said, this is a great video and my suggestion isn't always possible, so it's also an important video.
You have a great tank.
Hi Everyday Fish Keeping, great video, I just wanted to add a bit of what I learned going through a similar situation as you. Everybody philosophy is different but here is something you might not know. I heard you say that anytime you have an Ammonia spike, you dont do Prime, you do a water change. The only issue with that is everytime you change your water you set your tanks cycle back. I was doing weekly water changes and wondering why my tank wouldnt fully cycle. Well everytime you change water you lose some Beneficial Bacteria. Yes the Beneficial Bacteria doesnt " Live" in the water column but it " IS" in the water column so therefore you can lose up to 25-30% of your Beneficial Bacteria during every water change. Thats why its good practice to not change your water during an Ammonia spike so that you keep as much Beneficial Bacteria in your tank as possible. Even adding additional Beneficial Bacteria During an Ammonia spike is good. I know our first instinct is to do a water change but its actually setting us further back when we do that. Really only time you need a water change is when the Nitrates are high since there is no Bacteria to consume Nitrates. So yes a good amount of your Beneficial Bacteria is being circulated in youe water column at all times looking for a place to latch on to a surface, so dont lose those need Bacteria by doing a water change. Just some things Ive learned, Not saying how you want to do it is wrong, just another perspective !
You made the most sense to me than he did. I thought by the name of the video he was talking about fish in cycling, then he says he detests it, while killing fish while cycling fish in. Gaghhhh….
@@21raggedyann Thank You, hope my experience has helped you !
Oh my God this is BEAUTIFUL. What a beautiful video. Im so happy you made this
Thanks!
No seriously. I did not know what was wrong with my tank. I had NO idea what ammonia was althoug hearing it, nitrites, nitrates. All of it. I did not know why my fish were lethargic, slow, and eventually dying :( Im going to walmart to buy ammonia test kits. How much of a cycle do I do? its a 10gallon. 30% water????
GCT Groover as much as you need to til you get the ammonia way down.
Buy ammo block or Safe or some other ammonia blocker while you're there.
I have a video about hievthat works too. (Somewhere)
Great video! I would like to add a couple of points. I like to use “raw uncooked shrimp” to jumpstart the cycle. I found since it is already dead it starts the process very quickly. The one thing to know about Seachem Prime is that it is a “rapidly diminishing oxygen agent” and you should wait 30 minutes before adding other additives. I use the word “oxidize” to explain to new aquarist. Bacteria oxidizes the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate.
im trying that now, how many days after raw shrimp is added do I see nitrite, then nitrates
@@jqc5 about 3 1/2 weeks
Very detailed video. Anyway, all that needs to be done is throw in some fish food, or a piece of meat or shrimp, into the tank (without fish) then let it rot. At this point you get bacteria bloom (foggy water). When the fog clears up it's cycled (in 3 to 6 weeks). Also, I don't need to do water changes because when the water evaporates (taking some nitrates with it) I just replace the evaporated water (constant-drip method is based on the same idea). No test kits needed -- just smell the water -- if it stinks a lot then the tank is not fully cycled. ... If you feel you must do water changes (which is actually dangerous) then be sure to let the new water sit for a day before adding it -- this allows poisonous gases in the water (and chlorine, etc.) to dissipate into the air.
Excellent video and highly informative. It provided me answers to all my questions. And I love the visual - awesome! So nice.
Beautifully explained man ! Brilliant ! Informative ! Absolutely great !
If you're gonna use prime you have to dose daily and it helps if you also have seachem stability. You have to do this for at least a week straight dosing to recommended levels. Do not change water during this time unless your test kit reads a ridiculous level. What happens is the prime neutralizes the ammonia/nitrites/nitrates while the good bacteria feed off of it and grow into a larger colony. Speeds up their feeding process with no danger to your fish. At the end of the 7 days do a big water change 50% or more (I change about 90%) and dose again. Test the water the next day and see if you're now reading 0/0/and some nitrate. Once you see your no longer getting any bad test results your tank has cycled and you can discontinue use of seachem products. Again though, it's important to dose everyday, test at least twice a day and don't do any water changes the 1st 7 days. If you change water your taking the bad bacteria out that the good bacteria need to grow the colony and slowing down the process.
Most informative aquarist video ever. So much good information
First time viewer! That's a awesome gourami man, he's big! Great video. Subbed.
Thanks! Check out my Snakeskin Gourami in my 125. He's really big.
do you have an email address, I'm having hell with my tank and need some advice
Tony Gatton Hang Outs or Facebook Messenger will be easier than email.
is your fb messenger just your name?
Tony Gatton yup
Something important to mention: acidic water might deal with ammonia to a degree, but if your water is below 6.5 pH, your bacteria are dying off/dormant and aren't working properly. Therefore, your ammonia will continue to raise. If your pH is constantly acidic, it's time to look at the kH and figure out a way to stabilize the pH.
Excellent video!! Thank you 😊
Great knowledge, thanks! love the tank and fish.
Big fan of the clown loach I keep up to 10 Kuhli Loaches In my tank. Nice setup
You can use prime to neutralize ammonia while you wait for the bacteria to build up to gobble up the ammonia or ammonium. One way or another, prime allows you to keep fish in a tank that isn’t fully cycled. It just requires you to be regimental in doing water change and adding prime. You can always change water and use prime to remove ammonia and converting what’s left into ammonium. That’s a double safe method. Thanks for the 36 hour cycle tip...now I can gauge approximately how long it will take for certain level of bacteria to build up. Great video. You’re a good teacher.
Awesome, awesome, AWESOME information! I really appreciated the chemistry lesson about the bonding hydrogen. Thank you for being the first person to explain how that works. Subscribing to your channel...
Excellent information and video. First time aquarium owner.
Glad it helped!
So much information that I learn the hard way. Most of my fish die but know it's looking good and under control.
That's the best description hands down ! Cheers dude liked and subscribed 😉
Sound advice , mine took 8 weeks to cycle . The slow way too me is best , but that's my opinion .
Great tank by the way, really natural looking with lovely healthy fish.
Cycling a tank can be a nightmare sometimes , but you have too be patient .
Done it a few times now , and you do learn as you go .
many thanks , great vid
This was very informative Thank you for this video!!! I have a better understanding now!!!👌🏽👍🏽
I had so many questions and kept looking up so many things to get some answers which led to a lot of contradicting information. I’m so glad I found this video thank you so much! You did a great job explaining and covering everything. I finally have some peace of mind 😁
I think you mean Seachem Stability. It's my understanding Prime is just to remove chlorine and other things when you add new water. Stability says it's for starting the nitrogen cycle quickly. You're supposed to use it for seven days and be able to add fish anytime within those seven days.
I know this is an old comment but im just going to leave this here for people who are new and wondering the same- from my understanding Seachem Prime not only removes chlorine and chloramine but also detoxifies ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate and it’s described on the back of the bottle that its great for a cycling fish tank as it converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tanks biofilter. Prime will bind those compounds up to 48 hours. It doesn’t remove it, so the chances are if you do a liquid test it will be off the charts because it will still be there, only asleep.
but turns it non toxic and in case of emergency they say to add up to 5 times the original dose (please check right amounts on product bottle)
hi dan whilst listening i heard you say things i already heard,i said where have i heard this before,i press backspace and "pow ", I watched your vid in 2015 about tank cycling, great info keep it up , Stay Safe. Mac
Gosh you have a beautiful tank. Thank you for this info 👍🌟👏
That answered my question. Thanks.
I do a fish in cycle occasionally, I put in a couple of tetras and very slowly increase bio load after that. The starting ammonia is so small that it wont harm the tetras in a 10 gallon and up tank. I give them a week with daily water changing until I add some more fish. Never had a fish die from doing this. In terms of an impulse buy, I will take a cycled sponge filter from one of my tanks and put it in the new tank with the new fish.
Nice tank! Really enjoyed it while you explained cycling.
Excellent video, could of used this education back in the days starting out on first aquariums. Yes, best to cycle first without fish in the tank! Then what to do if ammonia should spike up. Thankd
I agree with most of your points, other than your opinion on fish-in cycling. With fish-in cycling, you watch the tank very closely and preform water changes/dose with prime to keep the tank safe for the fish. The idea is that you will get have beneficial bacteria from the start, rather than adding new fish and having beneficial bacteria struggle to keep up/have bacteria die off. The reason why people recommend adding a guppy - whether or not it's morally okay - is that *if* something were to go wrong (which it shouldn't) you wouldn't lose 25 fish and $80. I see your point on "why risk it," but the fishkeeper is not expected to "sacrifice the guppy" for a cycle
There is fish-in cycling where you’re sacrificing a fish, but also, if you use a dechlorinator and bacteria in a bottle, you can have fish in there almost right away, I don’t recommend it because obviously a new and budding tank will fluctuate a lot, which could lead to casualties if not dealt with properly, but I have been the impulse buyer in the past, and have been able to minimize casualties using chems, trying to get better at keep the cycle naturally though! Learning how to balance without needing to do water changes as frequently, Father Fish da 🐐
Thanks for the awesome video, instructions and insights !
Very informative video, thanks!
Great advice!! However, you should bear in mind that there are a ton of variables to this. After hearing your story, there may be compounds in your water source which are toxifying NH3 levels. These compounds can and will cause a reaction that strips ammonium ions of their ionic state. For example, silicates (SiO4(-4)), iron oxide (Fe2O3(-2)), and literally anything else with a (-) in their chemical charge can strip H+ ions from ammonium (NH4+). My best advice is to look at the recent chemical tests from your local water bureau, and doing a metals test at your tap before determining hard NH3 numbers to go by.
Other factors to be mindful of (but not limited to) are trace elements / aquarium salts, the rocks and wood used in your scape, and your substrate. Just use common sense, figure that there really is NO safe level of ammonia. And if you must use fish to cycle, then use either a catfish or pleco species as they can practically survive a nuclear holocaust, and do frequent water changes.
Love those gourami, BTW!!! Cheers!
Well explained, thankyou.
excellent tutorial..very informative.
Saw your video, it makes more sense than some others I have seen. I am trying to get my first tank (since I was a kid) cycled. I was still kinda iffy as it was playing and googled 'graph of nitrogen cycle' and it pulled up this graphic that makes a lot of sense to me now. Figured, I'd share. Crap, can't attach a pic in here. There is one that shows the nitrate with plants in it. Totally makes sense now. I just wish I knew what levels ppm above are 'bad' as it cycles.
Your video is very easy to understand and to the point! A refreshing explanation without dragging it out too much, thanks :]
I "inherited" my ex's fish thank with Gold fish in. I love them but don't know the first thing about keeping fish. One of my fish got sick and when I googled the symptoms, it indicated that it might have Nitrite poisoning. I noticed other fish showing similar symptoms. So the next day I went to my pet store and they sold me a test kit and told me to change all my water, wash the substrate and clean out all the filters. I did it, then when I put the fish back after making sure the water was perfect. They just lay at the bottom of the tank. I then watched videos on RUclips and realise my fundamental colossal mistake. So now I'm trying to keep my fish alive and cycle in the tank. Though your video is very helpful don't say fish in cycling is unnecessary. I don't have a choice here because I don't have another thank or other mediums to use for them. So either way they will die if I can't fix it and I'm going to be devastated losing my fish. We're not all knowledgeable like you, that's why we are here watching this.
Good luck. I hope it works out for you.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thanks. So far I haven't lost any fish but its only been 4 days. I did a 50% water change, I do one every day to lower the Amonia and Nitrites. I'm trying to source products localy (it's very difficult to find anything here) that does what Seachem Prime does. I've ordered Seachem Prime (every RUclipsr and his cousin recommends it 😁) , but it will take 7 days to get here. In the meantime I'm just slogging through water changes and praying to the Aquarium gods and Aquaman to keep my fish alive. 😊
I was brought up with tropical fish in the 70's .My grandad had them for many years ,my stepfather moved in and had a fish tank. I have had many fishtanks. I have never cycled a tank and never had bacteria booms, fish die all of a sudden. I used to have only undergravel filters, which I still think are the best. I have had marine tanks, community, cichlid, shrimp and crayfish tanks. I even had self sustainable jars with shrimp in. All of my tanks I have had and even now have are good and healthy.
When I test my waters, the parameters are always good. I never rely on chemicals to get them cycled / amonia removers, or even beneficial bacterias.
Hi this video was very helpful and I really appreciate the info as I made an impulse first time betta fish purchase, and thought I was informed when in fact I wasn’t . I knew nothing of the nitrogen cycle or the importance of it and accidentally put my fish into his tank without cycling it prior. Now i’m stuck hes still eating and upright but I’ve been searching like crazy for info on how to save him. I’m hoping it isn’t too late and since i’m a first time fish owner I don’t have access to used filter media or anything like that. I did get some beneficial bacteria and have been adding that and from watching your video It sounds to me like the best thing I can do is change the water daily and keep adding the beneficial bacteria. I saw so many vids saying to go and buy prime and put a ton of it in the water and I was on the verge of buying it but really had no idea what it was so you’re right on how important it is to understand the products you are putting in your tank. This helped explain so much thank you
great video, should be compulsory viewing for newbies!
I did fish in cycle, didn't know of the cycle until fish in, did test twice a day and water changed once or twice a day for about four weeks, was alot of work, but I did cluck like a mother hen once I knew what I was involved in. all four fish survived, and two fry. have learned tons since then, am now obsessed by the whole thing.
The nitrogen cycle is the invisible magic part of a fish tank. Lol
Dan Hiteshew lol, it is magic. it is now definitely part of every decision I make about anything and everything that happens in the tank.
Seachem Stability is a good help for cycling.
What does it do? Im puchasing some in the coming weeks bills first lol
Emily renae Thompson it adds beneficial bacteria. Helpful for speeding up the cycling process in your tank. You dose 1 cap per 10g the first day, then the next 7 days you dose 1 cap per 20g. 1 cap is 5ml.
Store bought ammonia and just washing a foam filter from an established tank does speed up fishless cycling by a LOT. Just keep doing it till the nitrates are off the charts then do one big water change
Great video !