Help/Advice: Cycling of Tank - Having issues?

[PurpleMonkey]

Hi all,

Over the holidays, the wife wanted a FW tank [I'm more of a salty guy] so we decided to setup the 6g Fluval Edge we had sitting around.

Equipment:
6g Fluval Edge
AC20 filter - currently only has the lil biofilter cylinders in it
10w Marineland heater
small smooth black gravel
[End goal for this tank is community with a half-moon betta, couple small others, a couple of otos]

We filled with water and I added some NLS pellet and some thawed mysis shrimp for an ammonia source. We having been adding Seachem Stability according to the directions.

Filled on Dec 31st, 2011.
Jan 1 - noticed the water was getting a little cloudy
Jan 2 - 1st test - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate
Jan 4 - 2nd test - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate

The water has remained the same amount of cloudy the whole time (looks hazy).

I'm concerned about the hazy/cloudy water and the fact that I have no ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.

I'm I setting this up right?
Is the Stability keeping the cycle from starting? Or is this what a cycle with Stability looks like?
Anything else I should be doing?

Thanks in advance!

[tony1928]

I don't think you need Stability if you want to do a fishless cycle. Stability should allow you to stock your tank immediately.

[Tarobot]

I think 10w is only for up to 3g. You need at least a 25w. I have one if youre interested. I personally find fishless cycle way too long and ends up not being useful. It means you need to consistently feed te bacteria. If they dont get fed even a day before u add fish they will be all gone. I prefer adding a little bit of fish at a time and using stability. For the edge u can get 2 fish at a time and do 1gallon of water change the day after. Anothrr change every two days for a week after all while dosing stability. Follow this method for 2 more fish and slowly stock up that way. The clouding is probably from the gravel not being rinsed too well. U can set the acminis flow to a bit lower and it might help

[Tarobot]

O And if you are doing betta with gravel. U can just add betta and syability. Water change once a week starting day one. The bioload is small for bettas. But keep in mind there will only be as much cycling bacteria as there is fish poop n food waste. So follow instructions above whenever u add fish.

[Scherb]

Hello, it is normal for the water to get cloudy at the and of a cycle. even though that seems quick for a cycle it is probably from the stability. it sounds to me like you could add a couple fish now. just keep an eye on you nitrite and ammonia everyday for 3 or 4 days and you should be fine. Cheers

[Morainy]

I agree with others here. Start with a betta, add Stability if you wish, but it's not really necessary for such a small, uncrowded tank. I'd recommend that you put a sponge in your filter (the ACs usually come with them), and possibly some charcoal (they have bags for each size of filter); that might help with the cloudiness. I would also recommend that if your water is still cloudy, that you do a 50% water change before adding the betta, and especially that you siphon up the food and shrimp you put in there for the cycle.

Bettas are usually very tolerant of water changes and one betta in a 6 gallon tank is not too much of a bioload even for an uncycled tank as long as you keep an eye on your ammonia reading and then do water changes if it goes up, or just do them regularly for the first while. If you feed the betta those little round Hikari betta pellets, then you don't get a lot of waste as the fish will usually eat each one (just give a few at a time).

After a couple of weeks or when your tank appears to be fully cycled, you can add more fish, even without using Stabilty.

I agree with Tarobot that you should have at least a 25 watt heater. I have those 10 watt Marineland heaters and they are challenged just keeping a 2.5 gallon tank warm in the winter, in my place. I use a 50 watt heater in my 5 and 6 gallon tanks, but I know that Fluval makes a 25 watt one for the Edge. Maybe your house is a lot warmer than mine, though.

Bettas like to breath air at the surface. I've never had an Edge, but I think people do keep bettas in them successfully, though.

I think your tank is ready to be enjoyed immediately, and a water change will help with the cloud (put a container in when you add the water so as not to churn up the gravel again). Good luck with it!

[PurpleMonkey]

Thanks for all the quick replys and advice!

For filtration, I was planning on just grabbing a filter sock with GAC and using some floss [I'm using it for my SW tank and I have in bulk].

As for him breathing, I was going to dial down the flow on the AC20, and maybe use a couple sticks of bamboo in front to keep the flow from pushing the betta around. If that doesn't work, I'll just keep the water level lower so he can get some air.

And as an aside... what do you guys think of neon tetras in the edge with the betta?

[Tarobot]

the edge is a 6.6g. species-wise it should be ok unless your betta was born ultra aggressive for no reason but keep in mind that neon tetras prefer to have 6+ to feel comfortable in a tank. which means you're keeping 8+ fish if you include otos in the future, this is doable as long as you have enough biomedia space but it also means your water deteriorates faster and even if you dont over feed at all, a 20~30% water change twice a week is still recommended.

[Morainy]

I didn't realize that you were using floss, PurpleMonkey. Floss sounds good and should grab any gravel dust that might be churned up.

I don't have an opinion on the tetras because I generally put fewer fish in my tanks than most people do (and they're just as successful with their fish). But with a new tank, I'd start with just the betta or maybe a betta and another small critter. Bettas are very entertaining just on their own and would look gorgeous with the bamboo.

Many bettas do well with low flow ACs. I had mine in an Eclipse, which wasn't adjustable that I know of, so I just left the filter off and planted it heavily. Your AC will probably work very well for your betta. It sounds as though you've put a lot of thought into it. I recommend that you change the water so that it's clear again, and go find your betta while there's some good stock around!

Have fun!