Ppphhhheeewww!! I've not been on here for a couple of days and it seems like weeks. So much has happened!

Stormy, I agree with Waterdrop. Start topping up to 5ppm now, but only once per day, and you should try to test 12 hrs later.

For example, make a habit of raising ammonia to 5ppm at 8pm each night, and then test for ammonia and nitrite at 8am each morning. Once you are getting results of 0 for both tests, you are cycled, although i would advise to continue for at least another few days, just to be sure.

It sounds like you are very close. 3 cheers for Stormy.....Hip Hip.........................

Just make sure to keep an eye on your pH too. You don't want a set-back at this stage.



BTT

Thanks BTT and Waterdrop. I will add 5ppm Ammonia now then and daily from now on.I will start testing at 8am each morning and 8pm just before I add the new Ammonia! Fingers crossed!

Ammonia was raised back to 5ppm at 10.40pm 25/05/08

Day 26 (Thursday 8th May)

Tested Ammonia at 8.00am
Ammonia: 2.00ppm
NitrIte: 1.00pm
NitrAte: 40
PH: 6.8

Tested Ammonia at 10.20pm
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
NitrIte: 5.00ppm
NitrAte: 40 >
PH: 6.8

Ammonia is now taking over 24 hours to process after raising it back up to 5ppm from 2-4ppm and NitrIte seems to be rising again. I have not added any ammonia today and will re test at 8am tomorrow then add ammonia if it is down to 0ppm. Does this seem correct?

This post has been edited by stormy78: May 8 2008, 09:39 PM

Hi Stormy,

Don't worry, that seems fine. Your filter isn't used to processing the 5ppm so it will take longer.

Now you have established colonies of A-Bacs and N-Bacs, they can double in around 24hrs, so it shouldn't take more than a few days for them to be able to process 5ppm in under 12 hrs.

Nearly there!!

Cheers

BTT

edit: beat you to it, Waterdrop!

This post has been edited by backtotropical: May 8 2008, 10:05 PM

wadya think BTT? steady as she goes...

Cheers guys! I would be going mad if it wasnt for the help people on here are giving me!

"edit: beat you to it, Waterdrop!"

ha you little gopher

Day 27 (Friday 9th May)

Tested Ammonia at 8.00am
Ammonia: 0.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.00pm
NitrAte: 10
PH: 6.8

Ammonia raised to 5.00ppm

Tested Ammonia at 8.00pm
Ammonia: 2.00ppm
NitrIte: 1.00ppm
NitrAte: 40
PH: 6.8

This post has been edited by stormy78: May 9 2008, 07:48 PM

Day 28 (Saturday 10th May)

Tested Ammonia at 8.00am
Ammonia: 1.00ppm
NitrIte: 2.00pm
NitrAte: 20
PH: 6.8

I tested throughout the day and Ammonia is processing in 30 hours at present

Tested Ammonia at 8.00pm
Ammonia: 0.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.50ppm
NitrAte: 40
PH: 6.8

Ammonia raised to 5.00ppm

the slow down could be due to your pH, cant remember if we've discussed this before, what's the pH from your tap? if it's higher than what's in the tank now then do a big water change

Hi Miss Wiggle The PH out of the tap when the cycle started was around 6.8 but of late its gone back up to around the 7.6 South Staffs water say it should be. How much of a water change would you recommend? 50% 80%?

yeah 80%

the lower the pH, the slower the cycle. the high ammonia levels drive down the pH and you do have to watch out for it.

I will do it this afternoon. Should I take ammonia back up to 5ppm after the water change?

Absolutely. Big water change and then top back up to 5ppm.

Day 29 (Sunday 11th May)

Tested Ammonia at 8.00am
Ammonia: 2.00ppm
NitrIte: 1.00pm
NitrAte: 40
PH: 6.8

On advice I did an 80% water change. The result after the water change were:

Ammonia: 0.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.25ppm
PH: 7.6

Ammonia raised to 5.00ppm at 7.50pm

Tested Ammonia at 8.00pm
Ammonia: 5.00ppm
NitrIte: Did not test
NitrAte: Did not test
PH: 7.6

Day 30 (Monday 12th May)

Tested Ammonia at 8.00am
Ammonia: 1.00ppm
NitrIte: 1.00pm
NitrAte: 0.00 ppm
PH: 7.2

Tested Ammonia at 8.45pm
Ammonia: 0.00ppm
NitrIte: 5.00ppm
NitrAte: 40 ppm
PH: 6.8

The water looks a hell of a lot clearer after the water change and the algea seems ot be dying down, fingers crossed!

Ammonia raised to 5.00ppm at 8.45pm

Stormy, your not adding ammonia 2x's a day are you? I ask because I see that the post right before this says you added ammonia at 7:50 pm. Next morning test showed 1ppm of nitrite ...but then 12 hours later the test showed 5ppm...before you added the ammonia at 8:45 pm. If you added ammonia in the morning, that would explain the jump in nitrite but then more shouldnt have been added at the nightly testing. Just curious

No Im only adding once a day once the Ammonia shows as 0.00. If the ammonia shows as 0.00 quickly I wait until the next 24 hour period before adding more to the mix. The API test can be hard to read sometimes but the NitrIte is definatly at 5.00ppm at present. I tested this morning and ammonia was around 2.00ppm and NitrIte was at 5.00ppm.

looks like the water change kick started it a bit then.