# The cycling of my tank using fish



## Orracle (Feb 7, 2008)

Well I hate to say but I had to use fish to cycle my 75gallon(My first tank is awhile) because apparently my town does not carry pur ammonia anywhere, serioulsy i went to 10 stores lol.

The fish I have been using are 8 zebra danios along with warley's cycle

Well it is day 18 and here are my water paramaters

ph: 7.4
ammonia: 0.25 ppm
nitrite: 2.0 ppm
nitrate: 5.0 ppm

The weird thing is my tap water tested about 8.0 for ph and the tank is 7.4 fake dfitwood and fake plants in aquarium, dunno what the buffer could be.

Anyone have any insight as to how much farther i have to go?


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## NegativeSpin (Aug 1, 2007)

Your tank is ready when ammonia and nitrites are undetectable. The good new is you wouldn't have nitrites if you didn't have nitrosonomas(sp?) bacteria and you wouldn't have nitrates yet if you didn't have nitrifying bacteria so it appears you have both kinds of the aerobic bacteria now but maybe not at "full bloom" yet. It shouldn't be long now until your tank is cycled.

Your pH will drop from its value out of the tap because carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and also from the fish is dissolving in the aquarium and some of it is turning into carbonic acid.


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## Orracle (Feb 7, 2008)

NegativeSpin said:


> Your tank is ready when ammonia and nitrites are undetectable. The good new is you wouldn't have nitrites if you didn't have nitrosonomas(sp?) bacteria and you wouldn't have nitrates yet if you didn't have nitrifying bacteria so it appears you have both kinds of the aerobic bacteria now but maybe not at "full bloom" yet. It shouldn't be long now until your tank is cycled.
> 
> Your pH will drop from its value out of the tap because carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and also from the fish is dissolving in the aquarium and some of it is turning into carbonic acid.


Yeah I hope it's cycled soon so I can get my three red bellies, as for the ph that would make sense.

So would adding some real driftwood be a good addition to the aquarium to lower the ph some more to get it to where piranhas like it?

thanks for the info man


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

consistency is key it doesnt really matter what the ph is as long as it doesnt yo yo up and down at every water change.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2008)

It sounds like your cycling process is moving along just fine.

A pH of 7.4 is fine for piranha. The pH will fall a bit further as the water ages, anyway.
It's normal for tap water to decrease in pH after it's added to the aquarium.


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## Demon Darko (Jan 28, 2007)

You still can't go wrong with a bit of driftwood. It looks great, lowers the ph, and the tanins give the water an "amazon" look. I'd add it.


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## lo4life (Aug 12, 2008)

Lots of good info in this thread!! You are moving along nicely.. Now get some pics up of that tank!! lol


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## Orracle (Feb 7, 2008)

Slytooth13 said:


> Lots of good info in this thread!! You are moving along nicely.. Now get some pics up of that tank!! lol


Thanks man, yeah i will deffinantly put some pics up once i get my three juvi rbps for my tank. My nitrites and my ammonia is falling rather quickly so it shouldn't be long now.


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