Hello!
This will be my first beta tank and first fish tank ever. In one of the care guides in this subreddit it says that you know your tank is cycled/ready for fish when it can convert 1ppm of ammonia to nitrates within 24 hours.
My question is how do I add a known amount of ammonia in order to test the 24 rule? Is there a fish-specific ammonia product you’d recommend for testing the cycling efficiency?
And are there other tests I should do to know when my tank is ready for a fish?
Other details:
– I do not have the fish yet
– Tank is 6 gallons
– I set it up today using tap water + API conditioner + API beneficial bacteria + API plant fertilizer
– planted with live plants
– low flow sponge filter
– Under-substrate heater for tropicals
– LED light on a smart timer
– I’m going to add a silk beta hammock, hideout cave with smooth edges, maybe some smooth decorative stones
P.S. I am open to any other feedback on my setup!! Really want to get this right.
https://i.redd.it/g5hjcm5ov97g1.jpeg
Posted by working_on_it_jeez
2 Comments
Nice start! It’s great that you’re doing all this research and being patient!
Looks like at least 3 of those plants are anubias – which shouldn’t be planted into the soil like that as they’ll slowly rot at the base. i’d recommend getting some wood and glueing or tying them to it. the wood will also leach beneficial tannins into the water – something that bettas really love 🙂
In terms of nitrogen cycle testing – i’ve never heard of a product that u can use to test the 24hr theory like you mentioned… cycling usually involves testing ur water every couple days (after about a week) to get an understanding of where the parameters are at. you can add a small amount of fish food after a week that will spike ammonia and assist the beneficial bacteria. i’d also recommend adding some dried leaves collected from somewhere free of pesticides as these will leach tannins as well as grow biofilm and help the process along.
as of now there isn’t much in the tank to harbour beneficial bacteria or to feed it, so getting some more hardscape (like rocks and wood) will help speed up that process, as well as leaf litter and other botanicals. after a week or so you could add some snails, whose waste will also further contribute to establishing beneficial bacteria
Yes, you can just use Dr. Tim’s ammonium chloride or FritzZyme Fishless Fuel – those are two popular products that are super easy to use.