Have like a tone of questions about cycling my 10g for a F8

[MeggyPuff25]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to all this at the moment, so I have alot of questions. I have been cycling my 10 gallon tank for almost 2 weeks now and my latest test is: Ammonia 4.0, Nitrate 5.0 and Nitrites 0.50 - 1.0. My tank Ph is at a steady 7.6. In the tank I have a hang over filter, wand bubbler, some fake plants and 4 small feeder fish, oh and I have 2 ramshorn snails aswell in hopes of breeding my own feeder snails for my figure 8 puffer I want to get. I'm just wondering if I'm doing everything right or if there is something I have to change and if the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels are doing good for how long I've been cycling the tank. Roughly how long would it take for my tank to be fully cycled? I know it has to be when ammonia and nitrites are 0 and when the nitrates are 20ppm, but just was curious on how long it will take. Thanks in advance for all the advice and tips and hope to here back soon.

[Christemo]

The levels are really off for two weeks. You know a figure 8 puffer requires a 15 gallon brackish tank, correct?
Test your tap water.

[MeggyPuff25]

Which kind of puffers would be good for my tank and how many could i put in it? Also if I go with another kind of puffer will it still eat the ramshorn snails?

[Iliveinazoo]

Hello Meggypuff25!
You're cycle will probably take longer because of the 'feeder' fish - how small are they? Are they feeder fish for a different tank as a figure 8 would more than likely ignore them?
Figure 8's require brackish water to do well in a home aquarium and as Christemo says are really too large for your tank.

Nitrates will continue to rise while the bacteria that turn ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate build up. The ammonia and nitrite levels will drop to 0 but the nitrate can only be eliminated through water changes, so once you're bacteria has built up do a large water change and test your nitrate to make sure that it has fallen below 20ppm.

There are many posts that you can search for on here about puffers for a 10USG tank, maybe dwarfs?

Search the pufferpedia for details of the puffers that you are interested in.

[MeggyPuff25]

So here are todays water test results: Ammonia 4.0 - 4.5, Nitrite 1.0 Nitrate 10 and Ph 7.6. I also did a 20% water change. I was just wondering if the bubbler wand is to much for my tank? Should I get a smaller bubbler? Another question, how long will it take my 2 ramshorn snails to lay eggs? I'm sure I'll think of more questions to ask later, lol. Thanks for the advice so far

[Iliveinazoo]

So here are todays water test results: Ammonia 4.0 - 4.5, Nitrite 1.0 Nitrate 10 and Ph 7.6. I also did a 20% water change. I was just wondering if the bubbler wand is to much for my tank? Should I get a smaller bubbler? Another question, how long will it take my 2 ramshorn snails to lay eggs? I'm sure I'll think of more questions to ask later, lol. Thanks for the advice so far

Don't do a water change until the tank is cycled (ie no ammonia or nitrite). You are on the verge of stage 2 where the ammonia starts to decrease and the nitrite increases.
You can get a valve to restrict the amount/speed of the air into the water, simply creating a kink in the air tube will have the same effect.

No idea about the snails i'm afraid

[Pufferpunk]

Cycling with fish takes 6-8 weeks. Cycling with ammonia (as per the article in our Library), takes 7-10 days.