Hello! I've been cycling my 30L tank for a little over a month now and I believe I'm at the point where I can safely add a Betta and perhaps some shrimp. I figured it might be a good idea to check here first, though; I hate the idea of missing something important.
It cycled with only plants and some bladder snails for a week and a half before my ammonia came in, and I've been dosing and testing daily since then! Ammonia and Nitrite levels have been at 0 every day for the past 4-5 days, and Nitrates have been hovering between 30-40 (before I did a water change.)
I performed a water change yesterday and tidied up the tank, and my levels are now sitting at Ammonia – 0ppm, Nitrites – 0ppm, and Nitrates – 20ppm.
Is this considered fully cycled? Or do I need to wait for the nitrates to drop further? I would love to go take a look at my LFS and bring home a Betta and/or shrimp, but I don't want to be hasty haha… The last thing I want is to accidentally hurt them.
So, what do you think? Is my tank ready for a fishy friend? Ty!
(Oh, and will the mixture of sand and fluval be an issue? I really struggled to scape it in such a way that the fluval was consistently covered…. My pH is sitting right at the 7.5 mark, but I do not currently have a gh/KH meter. The snails and plants are thriving though lol)
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1ogiri6
Posted by sir-brat-to-you
3 Comments
Also: yes, I have a sponge filter and use a water heater that is set to 26°c! 😁
I am a newbie and a few days behind you, ammonia clears in 48 hours, so still a bit of wait. But to my novice eye you are good 👍👍
It sounds and looks amazing!! I think you’re definitely ready! In my personal opinion — I’d add a small plant or rock back there in the middle, since it seems a little empty. But other than that it looks absolutely amazing!!