Un-cycled tank??

[Mariachi]

I am not sure if my tank is cycled anymore. I think the cycle may have
died but the levels seem ok.

I have a 14G tank with

6 tiger barbs
2 mollies
1 crayfish

ph: 7.5
ammonia:0-0.1 (hard to tell might have a tiny tiny bit)
Nitirte: 0
Nirate: 8

Usually my Nitrate is up around 10-15 levels. Water test done
yesterday. I have been doing twice weekly 20% changes. I noticed the
food is going furry as well like when I got my tank originally before
it was cycled. However there doesn't seem to be much ammonia in the
water to support this? could this because twice weekly changes is
keeping this under control? if so what could have caused my bacteria to
die?

I've had the tank for 10 months

hope someone can help!

[dc]

"Mariachi" > wrote in news:1150372206.582690.245640
@f6g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> ph: 7.5
> ammonia:0-0.1 (hard to tell might have a tiny tiny bit)
> Nitirte: 0
> Nirate: 8

....

> Usually my Nitrate is up around 10-15 levels. Water test done
> yesterday. I have been doing twice weekly 20% changes. I noticed the
> food is going furry as well like when I got my tank originally before
> it was cycled. However there doesn't seem to be much ammonia in the
> water to support this? could this because twice weekly changes is
> keeping this under control? if so what could have caused my bacteria to
> die?


If you nitrifying bacteria has been damaged you should see your ammonia or
nitrite levels continue to rise over the course of twenty-four hours. A
tiny bit would turn into quite a noticeable bit within six hours or so. I
don't think you have to worry about your bacteria culture unless your tank
has been stagnant for some time or you've overdosed with a true anti-biotic
(e.g. penicillin) recently. Most ammonia and nitrite spikes experienced in
cycled tanks are due to an extraordinary build-up of wastes (e.g.
overfeeding, overstocking).

Fuzzy uneaten food is not a sign of ammonia--it is a sign of wasted food.
Food gone uneaten will begin to develop a fuzzy white appearance after a
time as heterotrophic bacteria go to work on it, breaking it down for
nourishment. This is normal, but these heterotrophic bacteria will produce
ammonia in this process and this is why you should be weary of overfeeding.
A healthy nitrifying bacteria culture will quickly remove these nitrogenous
wastes before they reach concentrations that will register on an ammonia
test, but if there is too much organic waste present your nitrifying
bacteria may not be able to keep up with waste production and the ammonia
(or nitrite) may reach dangerous levels before they can be cycled into
nitrate.

If you are seeing uneaten food, cut back on the amount you are feeding.
Try feeding much smaller amounts more frequently, instead of larger amounts
sparingly. Consider investing in a more accurate two-part ammonia test kit
(normally used in salt water). If you are not registering ammonia at
detectable levels you shouldn't need to worry much, but keep up with your
current water changing regiment to remove all this wasted food you've put
in the tank as that habit may cause a problem down the road.

Change your feeding habits before this happens. :)

[Lone Gunner]

As much as this info is reasonable and theoretically correct, you
would be better of waiting until the aquaria groups resident kook
Carol Gulley aka Koi-Lo replies as she maya have better info. Odds are
she has read this post and reply, and is diligently searching all over
the web for a professional copy paste reply to yur dilema.

On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 07:50:32 -0500, dc > wrote:

>"Mariachi" > wrote in news:1150372206.582690.245640
:
>
>> ph: 7.5
>> ammonia:0-0.1 (hard to tell might have a tiny tiny bit)
>> Nitirte: 0
>> Nirate: 8
>
>...
>
>> Usually my Nitrate is up around 10-15 levels. Water test done
>> yesterday. I have been doing twice weekly 20% changes. I noticed the
>> food is going furry as well like when I got my tank originally before
>> it was cycled. However there doesn't seem to be much ammonia in the
>> water to support this? could this because twice weekly changes is
>> keeping this under control? if so what could have caused my bacteria to
>> die?
>
>
>If you nitrifying bacteria has been damaged you should see your ammonia or
>nitrite levels continue to rise over the course of twenty-four hours. A
>tiny bit would turn into quite a noticeable bit within six hours or so. I
>don't think you have to worry about your bacteria culture unless your tank
>has been stagnant for some time or you've overdosed with a true anti-biotic
>(e.g. penicillin) recently. Most ammonia and nitrite spikes experienced in
>cycled tanks are due to an extraordinary build-up of wastes (e.g.
>overfeeding, overstocking).
>
>Fuzzy uneaten food is not a sign of ammonia--it is a sign of wasted food.
>Food gone uneaten will begin to develop a fuzzy white appearance after a
>time as heterotrophic bacteria go to work on it, breaking it down for
>nourishment. This is normal, but these heterotrophic bacteria will produce
>ammonia in this process and this is why you should be weary of overfeeding.
>A healthy nitrifying bacteria culture will quickly remove these nitrogenous
>wastes before they reach concentrations that will register on an ammonia
>test, but if there is too much organic waste present your nitrifying
>bacteria may not be able to keep up with waste production and the ammonia
>(or nitrite) may reach dangerous levels before they can be cycled into
>nitrate.
>
>If you are seeing uneaten food, cut back on the amount you are feeding.
>Try feeding much smaller amounts more frequently, instead of larger amounts
>sparingly. Consider investing in a more accurate two-part ammonia test kit
>(normally used in salt water). If you are not registering ammonia at
>detectable levels you shouldn't need to worry much, but keep up with your
>current water changing regiment to remove all this wasted food you've put
>in the tank as that habit may cause a problem down the road.
>
>Change your feeding habits before this happens. :)

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--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[Koi-Lo]

"Mariachi" > wrote in message
ups.com...
I noticed the
> food is going furry as well ..........
===========================
dc about covered everything. If food is laying around your tank growing
fuzzy you are feeding them too much. :-) All food should be eaten with no
leftovers for the best water quality. Start gradually cutting back the
amount you feed at each feeding until there are no leftovers.
--
Koi-Lo....
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[Koi-Lo]

>wrote:

> Impertinent woman about town with filthy labbe and pounding twin peaks
> goes hungry for inert man pipe for angry slam-some-ham sessions. Mail
> me at >

[Dick]

On 15 Jun 2006 04:50:06 -0700, "Mariachi" > wrote:

>I am not sure if my tank is cycled anymore. I think the cycle may have
>died but the levels seem ok.
>
>I have a 14G tank with
>
>6 tiger barbs
>2 mollies
>1 crayfish
>
>ph: 7.5
>ammonia:0-0.1 (hard to tell might have a tiny tiny bit)
>Nitirte: 0
>Nirate: 8
>
>Usually my Nitrate is up around 10-15 levels. Water test done
>yesterday. I have been doing twice weekly 20% changes. I noticed the
>food is going furry as well like when I got my tank originally before
>it was cycled. However there doesn't seem to be much ammonia in the
>water to support this? could this because twice weekly changes is
>keeping this under control? if so what could have caused my bacteria to
>die?
>
>I've had the tank for 10 months
>
>hope someone can help!

Help what? Change chemistry measurements?

What, if anything is wrong with your fish or plants?

dick