"kiwitetra" wrote in
message .. .

Hello everyone...

6 days ago I setup my 25G tank with plants and 5 neon tetras. It was a
2nd hand setup I had bought and had been empty for 3 weeks. The pump
that came with it was a Eheim Pro II 2026. I only changed the white
foam filter in this as the pump was only 6 months old according to the
guy I brought it off.
Today I did my first test for ammonia etc. My results for ammonia,
nitrite and nitrate all came back at 0ppm.
Has my tank cycled already or has it not even started yet?
Have never done this before and only going on info I have read on the
net I was expecting maybe a small ammonia lvl and maybe some trace
nitrites.

Any advice appreciated


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kiwitetra

Between your low fish-load (5 Neons in 25g) and your existing waste
processing capabilities (live plants) your 'cycling' might stay under the
test kit's threshold, and if it even occurs (the cycling), it could take
a much longer time than normal. The bad news is that you've established
a set-up which might make it difficult to quantify the cycling. The good
news is that it might not matter, and the fish will never be exposed to
any measurable ammonia/nitrite levels.

Overall this isn't a problem is you're willing to leave the tank alone
for about 6 weeks (or not to significantly change the fish-load).
However, if you wanted to ramp-up your fish-load more aggressively, then
this strategy lacks the chemical cues to direct your activities with
confidence.

Let us know what your plans are (fish introductions and timing of) and
tell us a bit about your plants (how many, how well they are doing and
your lighting), and I'm sure we can give you more precise advice going
forward.
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www.NetMax.tk