Loaches Online Forum

I have taken a friends clown loaches and 3 java loaches, (breakup issues I guess) and as they were being brought over, her x broke the cycled tank. Now I have a 55 gallon tank I've a few dither fish in, that has been cycling for a wk now using seaChem stability. .. I've no options but to put then there since the tank was broken and apparently thrown out. ( I'm taking the fish but want to part of the drama so ...) Ive had loaches before but never in a start up tank. How can I help them bc I know they are NOT good for tanks that are not 100% cycled. They are 3 2.5 inch clowns, and 3 3 inch java loaches.

Add a product that states it contains Nitrospira species of bacteria. Do not waste money on anything else.
Products that contain the right species include Dr. Tim's One and Only, and Tetra Safe Start.
When you use the correct products, and the products have been correctly handled (neither overheated nor chilled to freezing) the bacteria get right to work, and you may see only a little blip of ammonia or nitrite for the first day or maybe two.
I have used them in an emergency high ammonia situation and within 24 hours the tank was fine.

Two further things might help.

1 is feeding thriftyly
2 many water changes

Fish excrete ammonium, which is rapidly turned into nitrite, and slowly into nitrate. This latter is quite safe, but nitrite is not.

During cycling you will expect nitrite levels to go up, and the only thing one can do is dilute the, that is change water.

I think you will need to do this daily, for at least 2 weeks. You can measure nitrite - if the levels are safe, you will not need to chnage water that day.

Good luck with the efford

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