has my tank cycled

[dustyjim]

Hi All

I have a 6x2x2 tank that i have had for years with cold water natives and have decided to change

and set it up for African cichlids so i fully striped the tank and cleaned it. I put fine river gravel

mixed with shell grit on the bottom a few rock caves some drift wood and 6 anubias plants.

I have a fx5 filter with aqua clay balls, Chemi-pure Grande and some broken oyster shells in it.

I also have an 1200 lh iternal filter to help move the water around it has filter wool in it to help keep the

water clear and i also put in a 1200mm long air curtain.

I filled the tank on the 12 july added API stress coat to condition the water, some gravel from a friends

allready set up tank to help my tank cycle and a breeding pair of convicts, i then tested the water.

12 july PH 7.6, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0.

17july PH 8 , nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0.25

21 july PH 8 , nitrite 0.25, nitrate 5, ammonia 0.25

25 july PH 8 , nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0

28 july PH 8 , nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0

31 july PH 8 , nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0

with these results does it mean my tank cycled.

Thanks Jim

[bbish84]

The tank should be cycled now

[Skippy]

Based on your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings your tank has definitely cycled but I would be expecting to still see some nitrates if the nitrogen cycle was still fully functioning but your figures show no nitrate at all. Have the bacteria had any waste to process into nitrate since 25 July? I'd recommend only adding a small amount of fish until the bacteria build up enough to handle the bioload.