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I've had fish in my 20g tank for two weeks now and it hasn't started w/the cycle. I bought a real test kit instead of the worthless strips the LFS employee recommended and it's very high ammonia with no nitrites or nitrates. Shouldn't nitrites have increased by now?

ph 7.4
amonnia 3ppm
nitrites 0ppm
nitrates 0ppm
temperature 76F
whisper 20 filter
fair sized airstone
live plants 5
fish 5 danios, 1 pleco

Should I put the pleco in a bowl until this straightens out? I did a 20% water change because he wasn't doing so well. His color came back and he seems much happier now. The danios are unaffected.

Lesson learned definately do not listen to big chain pet store employees about fish.

Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 20g Freshwater Started June 10th 2008
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Sadly that's a lesson lots of people end up having to learn.

The pleco won't do well with the cycle. Danios are fine with it, though they will get stressed, they are used to having to cycle their environment every year (bacteria dies in the cooler temps that danios and a few other fish live in). The pleco really worries me.

First off, what kind of pleco is it? Many will get much too large for a 20 gallon tank. Even the smaller ones will place a larger stress on the bioload and further limit what other occupants you can have in the tank. Second how large of a bowl is it? And is it covered? Anything smaller than 2 gallons will need daily to twice daily water changes (which can stress the fish). And if it's uncovered, you'll want to cover it! You'd be surprised what can manage to get out of a tank.

As for the tank not cycling... The ammonia is proof that it is cycling so you're doing fine The nitrItes take a while to show up. Last time I remember cycling it took 3 weeks or so. The water change would have decreased stress on the pleco but removed a good chunk of the ammonia (which was what was stressing him) but now the ammonia is gone and the nitrItes will have to wait a little longer to form.

Depending on what type of pleco he is and how soon you're thinking of upgrading to a 75g or higher tank, we may need to consider options for returning the fish (I've had to do it before at pt$mrt with some fish I rescued from someone). Hopefully he'll be able to stay with you for a good long time though Keep in mind that very few fish follow the 'inch per gallon' rule. Plecos, goldfish, anyfish that gets thick all throw that rule out the window. It's mainly geared towards small slim bodied fish such as WCMM, danios, smaller tetras and small barbs.

The live plants will help reduce the ammonia in the tank as well, it's actually good that you got them, but you may not see the cycle happen in the traditional sense. Airstone is also good to have during the cycling process, but after the cycle is complete you may decide to go without it.

^_^

Hypostomus plecostomus.

He's very small; less than 2 inches.

Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 20g Freshwater Started June 10th 2008
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If this is the guy you have (click on more photos for better comparison shots) then it's way too big for the tank. It gets to be over a foot long, and very thick bodied.

When considering a fish to add to your tank you need to consider adult size of your fish and not the baby that you buy at the store. Fish need room to grow. Without the space to grow into then end up dying much too early and living a painful life in the process. Essentially their internal organs continue to grow while their outside remains small.

So, if that is indeed your fish, you need to make plans for a 55 to 75g tank in the next month or two.

^_^

So, if that is indeed your fish, you need to make plans for a 55 to 75g tank in the next month or two.

Wow! How big will he be in two months? He's 2" long and about 3/4" wide right now.

Anyone want him when he gets too big? I doubt the petstore will take him back. I'd love to get a 2nd tank but this one was way more costly than I expected. I will put a bulletin up in the petstore though.

Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 20g Freshwater Started June 10th 2008
-> Tank Info In Profile <-

Don't stress, he'll take a while to get to that size. Definitely start thinking about it now, but if it takes a few months to be able to rehome him, you should be fine.

See if maybe the petshop will swap him for a bristlenose.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Hi,
Getting back to your question about the cycling of the
tank - depending upon its size, the quantity of fish and
type of fish, as well as if you do any water changes,
cycling a tank generally takes from 4-6 weeks and can
take as long as two months.

Naturally cycling a tank is not for someone who is
impatient. Give it time. Once the nitrite starts to
give a reading, it won't take long. Watch your fish
behavior. If they are swimming normally, and eating
with each feeding, then try not to change your water.
If you do regular water changes while cycling a tank, you
are merely prolonging the process by "diluting the soup."

During the cycling process Ammonia can spike up to 6.
Once it peaks and the Nitrite starts to read, the nitrite
can reach 10. Once the nitrite peaks, then the Nitrate
will start to read. Nitrate readings can now be managed
by regular water changes including vacuuming the gravel,
smaller feedings, and adding live plants.
The presence of Ammonia or Nitrite can damage the fish's
gills, and interferes with the exchange of oxygen to blood
within the fish. It can scar the gills of the fish much as
a babies bottom is burned and a red rash
develops by the ammonia in its urine.
That is why fish used to cycle a tank must be
really tough, hardy, fish. They go through a
lot of stress and distress to cycle a tank.
Once a person learns what they are putting a fish
through, the caring ones will choose the fish-less
cycling process.

In a planted tank you should strive for a Nitrate reading
between 5 and 10. In a fish only tank it should
read between 0 and 5.
If you have nitrate readings of 40+ then you need to
start, immediately, with a regular cleaning routine.
Nitrate readings of 100+ generally combine with a falling
pH and indicate what is called the "Old Tank Syndrome."


Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Although the common plec used to be mostly Hypostomus species such as Hypostomus plecostomus, nowadays usually commons consist of Pterygoplichthys species, mostly Pterygoplichthys pardalis or Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus. Such is the confusion with common names. On the other hand, I do see Hypostomus species sold very occasionally, and it often surprises me to see them.

In any case, care is basically the same, as is the approximate eventual size.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.