So far so good, should I worry?

[babblefish1960]

Well, squeeker certainly explained that thoroughly, it is absolutely clear and if followed should result in success. I like the reminder at the end repeating the results of needing to cycle again if your maintenance is drastic and kills all your bacteria.

And fishycanuck's offer of gunk is very generous, I'm sure it would be her finest.

[gmann]

homestar, I have an emp. 400 and can help you out..pm on its way..   

[missmandy]

how will i cycle my 90 gallon if it has a eheim pro 2 canister filter? is it any different?

[squeeker]

nope, it's the exact same thing.

[fishycanuck]

Read the articles, folks, general info, tank setup, maintenance, and tips and tricks. Benefit from our mistakes!
Babble's right, I have the best gunk ever.

[homestar726]

Thank you everyone for your help and support. Im off to Cuba for March Break! I put my fish in very good hands while im gone.

Also, thanks for all the pm's. All of you offered sooo many great things. I hope to see you all when I get back 

[KLKelly]

Does that mean your fish are going to be going through the cycle?  I hope not.  You have some very generous people that were offering a way to instantly cycle your tank and avoid your fish from suffering unnecessarily.  Crossing my fingers that you were able to get some media before your trip.

Have fun in cuba.

[homestar726]

Hey everybody!!

Right before I left for Cuba, I installed a stage filter that is actually ease the stress on the fish, and cuts down ammonia and nitrIte. I did a 30% water change, and left them in the care of a trusted person.

Result:

They are all doing great! Helpier than I have ever seen them, and they really got excited at my return. THey have never swam that long against the glass to greet me... Great lil guys.

So i think my tank is almost finished OR finished cycling. Ammonia is 0, nitrite is very minimal, and nitrAte is very minimal. I think i am in the clear... 

But!!!! I was thinking of all you guys while I was in Cuba, and took some photos that only you guys would really appreciate.
Mind the quality, it was a disposible underwater camera....







Thanks Again

[CuckooJay]

My best and only advise....be patient.

I have NEVER had a problem cycling a tank...why? I get my first batch of fish (five at most regardless of the tank size) and enjoy them for a while. Forget getting something new for a month and decorate, plant, read....anything but ADD! That's it, that's all... besides, when my tank's are "done" and everything's in place... I have a hard time not ripping it down and starting from scratch. Half the fun is in the settup.

I've spoken with hundreds of customers about cycling a tank and here's the sad truth... it seems that the more money you have, the more likely you are to have issues cycling. The 13 year old kid who keeps up with his cleaning and doesn't have money to buy his own fish has all the luck. Little do their parents know that in making them save up their allowence, their tank is doing wonderfully. Meanwhile, mom and dad just dropped 8 angels in to a 20 gal and nucked their tank...

Well, I guess that's kind of harsh... but patience IS a virtue right?

[homestar726]

I agree with you on that one. I removed this little house I originally bought (that was air powered with a cool wind mill), and my beautiful crystal clear tank revealed its dark secret. All the crap got stuck under it. As soon as I moved it, a crazy mist turned my nice clean tank into a disaster. Im so glad I chose to remove it, it would have given me soo many problems down the road... I would have never figured out why my ammonia level were out of wack.

The tank is recovering thought, with a little help...

I bought a Fluval 404 earlier today, ironic enough, and got a sponge from my cousin who has had an established tank since last summer. The sponge is in the tank, to help finish off the cycling process, and both filters are running. I just wanna make sure my new Fluval is up to speed before removing the old (well actually new) filter.

It may seem like alot of filtering, but the fish seem cool with it. THey were a little stressed for the first hour but back to normal now. I think the sponge will really help ease the cycling for them... And it was a big one 

One of my fish did die today though.... He was not coming out of the house, and when i picked it up and moved it around, I think he had a heart attack... too much for the little guy. One minute he was cool, the next lying on the bottom... I tried to get him moving again for like 10 mins, but it was appearent. My first dead fish. Sad  , but at his funeral I did thank him for his hard work in helping to cycle my tank, and I know that he was very happy up until the tragic moment. Mollies, im guessing when really really scared, can have that happen?

I did do another water test, and yep ammonia is back up (not suprised with that cloud out crap hang around), nitrIte is getting a little lower, and nitrAte has gone up slight. Im imagining as the bacteria from the sponge colonizes my filters, the cycle will be complete, and I can start doing some fun stuff.

Thanks Guys, im hooked what can I say?

[homestar726]

Checked level again today, and they are slowly going down. I guess that house stored alot of crap... Also did a water change of 30%

Crossing my fingers, and picking up more media, form anyone who can spare.