How long water should cycle before fish?

[Calvin]

Hey guys I just finished my 1500 gallon pond, I currently have a small pond holding my koi for temporary, the pond has been running with filter and pump for a few days, I got LIVE bacteria added not the bacteria in the bottle but actual bacteria. I let me old filter run for alittle in my pond to make it faster, I have some lilies placed inside. I bought feeder goldfish to quicken up the cycle.

My water is perfect ammonia 0 and everytbing else checks out right. But I'm just worried introducing my koi to new water might kill them.. Been up for maybe 5 days. I put de chlorinate already and added some stress coat for the feeder fish . They are all still alive swimming. But my koi I don't want to risk them and have them dead the next morning! What's the earliest you have ever put your Koi without killing them?

 

[fishin4cars]

First off, while there are no fish take the readings and post them. If something is not right with KH or the PH is way out of line now is the time to adjust and fine tune. It's also a good time to get a base line of what your source water is and keep a journal. The safe time to add fish is once the bacteria bed has become cycled and stable. This can be done in two ways, with fish, or without. Without requires adding ammonia and a filter bacteria from a second pond that is established. The other is the most common, that using some cheap fish. Putting them in and waiting out the filter and cycle which in most ponds takes 6-8 weeks. This doesn't mean you can then dump all your fish in at once. It means there is a bacteria bed in place and you will need to add fish slowly so the bacteria can keep up with the new load. As for adding your start up fish this is best if the filter has run for three or four days which you have already done. You will need to monitor ammonia for now. Once you start seeing ammonia then start also monitoring for nitrites. Both will show on a test kit and then will start falling. Once they both reach 0 again the bacteria have established themselves. This is a critical time for the pond. A pond that is allowed to go through this process without over crowding and over feeding has a better chance of no green water if the levels can be kept as low as possible during the process.

 

[dieselplower]

I agree with most of that but would it be more accurate to say once nitrates are measureable then the pond cycle is complete? I suppose in some ponds nitrates never reach a measureable level though?
Also keep in mind you can put the koi in now if you want. You just have to watch ammonia and nitrite and if they get too high, Do a water change.

 

[fishin4cars]

I would agree with your statement. Yes in most ponds you would start reading nitrates as that is what is being produced from the ammonia. But in some case and especially if there are frequent water changes during the cycling period they may not be detectable. (API liquid kits aren't very detectable at low levels and that seems to be the most common test kit used)
Personally I hate using Feeder fish to cycle with, 1 out of five tries I end up having to treat the feeders as they haven't been QT'd before adding.

 

[Calvin]

First off, while there are no fish take the readings and post them. If something is not right with KH or the PH is way out of line now is the time to adjust and fine tune. It's also a good time to get a base line of what your source water is and keep a journal. The safe time to add fish is once the bacteria bed has become cycled and stable. This can be done in two ways, with fish, or without. Without requires adding ammonia and a filter bacteria from a second pond that is established. The other is the most common, that using some cheap fish. Putting them in and waiting out the filter and cycle which in most ponds takes 6-8 weeks. This doesn't mean you can then dump all your fish in at once. It means there is a bacteria bed in place and you will need to add fish slowly so the bacteria can keep up with the new load. As for adding your start up fish this is best if the filter has run for three or four days which you have already done. You will need to monitor ammonia for now. Once you start seeing ammonia then start also monitoring for nitrites. Both will show on a test kit and then will start falling. Once they both reach 0 again the bacteria have established themselves. This is a critical time for the pond. A pond that is allowed to go through this process without over crowding and over feeding has a better chance of no green water if the levels can be kept as low as possible during the process.

Wow thanks for the advice! Yeah, my readings were on point! Nothing at fault. I bought some of feeder fish and they seem happy. I put in 2 koi and they seem happy, no find tucked or gasping for air.. It's just that they say putting koi early will just kill them. I don't know if it's true. I'm guess they are talking about chlorine?

 

[Calvin]

I agree with most of that but would it be more accurate to say once nitrates are measureable then the pond cycle is complete? I suppose in some ponds nitrates never reach a measureable level though?
Also keep in mind you can put the koi in now if you want. You just have to watch ammonia and nitrite and if they get too high, Do a water change.

So it's safe to put koi in early? Without them being harmed?

 

[JohnHuff]

Early is a relative word. As long as your pond has cycled and your feeder fish are OK, you can put them in.

 

[Calvin]

Early is a relative word. As long as your pond has cycled and your feeder fish are OK, you can put them in.

How long is the normal cycle time? People keep telling me during cycle that my fish will die.. Hope not..

 

[Dave 54]

How long is a piece of string it takes time mine took over a week when we first started out try adding some Microbe_lift PL filter pad innoculent gel to your filter it may help speed things up a little for you if you do add some follow the instructions to the letter .
During our cycle all we had in the pond was two sacrificial fish in the form of two golden orfe one is still with us today both made it through the cycle

Dave

 

[JohnHuff]

How long is the normal cycle time? People keep telling me during cycle that my fish will die.. Hope not..

It's generally quoted as a month. What you should do is keep testing. The readings should read no ammonia at the beginning, then ammonia, then no ammonia but nitrites, then no nitrites and no ammonia. The cycle should be complete then.

 

[fishin4cars]

How long is the normal cycle time? People keep telling me during cycle that my fish will die.. Hope not..

Normal cycle time is 6-8 weeks the way you are cycling. It's very important to test the water DAILY if not twice a day during this time line. Koi can and will die from ammonia or nitrites climbing to high. They must be regulated during the cycle in order to keep the water safe for fish, but at the same time the ammonia and nitrite MUST go through the cycle or the bacteria will not grow and eventually will get to high to manage. Chlorine and Chloramine are both dangerous to fish, but once an appropriate conditioner is added there isn't much chance of it killing the fish after 24-36 hours. By that time the Chlorine will have already dissipated. Chloramine will need to be treated as it is Chlorine that is bonded with ammonia and the Chlorine can not dissipate away like Chlorine by itself can.

 

[Calvin]

How long is a piece of string it takes time mine took over a week when we first started out try adding some Microbe_lift PL filter pad innoculent gel to your filter it may help speed things up a little for you if you do add some follow the instructions to the letter .
During our cycle all we had in the pond was two sacrificial fish in the form of two golden orfe one is still with us today both made it through the cycle

Dave

Normal cycle time is 6-8 weeks the way you are cycling. It's very important to test the water DAILY if not twice a day during this time line. Koi can and will die from ammonia or nitrites climbing to high. They must be regulated during the cycle in order to keep the water safe for fish, but at the same time the ammonia and nitrite MUST go through the cycle or the bacteria will not grow and eventually will get to high to manage. Chlorine and Chloramine are both dangerous to fish, but once an appropriate conditioner is added there isn't much chance of it killing the fish after 24-36 hours. By that time the Chlorine will have already dissipated. Chloramine will need to be treated as it is Chlorine that is bonded with ammonia and the Chlorine can not dissipate away like Chlorine by itself can.

Hm, would this help? My local store sells live bacteria.. Not the one in bottles, or not just the "water" they actually get the good bacteria from the filter and hand it to me. Is this any beneficial? They give me a bag full sometime free if I purchase anything. If I get a couple bags is it possible to quicken up the process ?

 

[Calvin]

It's generally quoted as a month. What you should do is keep testing. The readings should read no ammonia at the beginning, then ammonia, then no ammonia but nitrites, then no nitrites and no ammonia. The cycle should be complete then.

I'm going to buy all testing kits today! I have only ammonia and I always bring my water in to get it checked.

 

[Dave 54]

Hm, would this help? My local store sells live bacteria.. Not the one in bottles, or not just the "water" they actually get the good bacteria from the filter and hand it to me. Is this any beneficial? They give me a bag full sometime free if I purchase anything. If I get a couple bags is it possible to quicken up the process ?

No buy the Microbe_lift PL they really know their stuff you need more than just the shops filter water to kick start things

Dave

 

[fishin4cars]

I am curious how you dealer determines what they are giving you is bacteria and not just fish poop. Bacteria colonize on filter media, rocks, liner etc. By simply giving you some dirty water from an established pond is not actually giving you much of a bacteria starter culture if any. If going that route you would need to get a filter material that is already established that you could move to your pond right away and could continue to circulate water through the filter material.