Regarding cycling of tank

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I have one redcap. He is very small right now. I have a 10 gallon and planning to move to a 20 gallon in a few months. I bought my tank March/19/2009 and I have been testing the water for PH 7.5, Ammonia .25, Nitrites I am getting ready to get the test kit. The water temp is 68. Does cold water tanks take longer to cycle then warm water tanks?  I have a filter that pumps 90 gph. Should I leave the pump on high speed or can I put it on med speed.  How long will it take for the ammonia to leave completely? Should I do a water change every day while the tank is cycling? My fish is very active and seems very healthy. Thanks Mike

ANSWER: Hi Mike,
Cold water tanks do take longer to cycle than the warm water which boosts the bacteria's growth. The filter's speed depends on if the goldfish is not appreciating lots of fast current since goldfish like redcaps aren't the strongest swimmers. If he seems to be swimming without much struggle then it is probably fine.

The ammonia may take a couple of weeks to finally subside. Its difficult to say because aquariums tend to all cycle a bit differently. But most aquariums are cycled within 6 or more weeks... sometimes less, sometimes longer.

Water changes are vital if the ammonia is spiking drastically and/or the fish is breathing heavily, listless or has clamped fins which would signal ammonia stress. Its best to do a water change at the first sign of ammonia stress to avoid any long-term damage to the fish.

As soon as you can test for nitrites, that will help you in figuring out how far along your aquarium is in cycling. If you get a decent nitrite reading, you'll know then that the bacteria are doing their job to convert ammonia over to nitrite and then eventually more bacteria will develop to rid the water of nitrite and finally convert it into nitrate. ;-)

I hope this helps and best of luck!
Karen~

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My fish never stops moving from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. My fish eats really well. I only give him 2 or 3 flakes or pellets per meal is that ok. I give him a whole pea once a week. Will it hurt my tank cycling to change my water about 10 % every two days? Thanks Mike

Answer
Good to hear that Mike! I'm glad your redcap is doing great!

Its a very good idea to feed sparingly as you have been until you are certain that your ammonia levels are not going to spike.

And it definitely won't hurt if you did a 10% water change every two days. It would be beneficial actually, and your goldfish would appreciate it.

Best of luck as always!
Karen~