My Fishless Cycle

[Twinklecaz]

Ok so I'm finally starting my cycle today.

Stats are:

Tap Water

pH normal - 7.6

PH High - (7.4)

Ammonia - 0.00

Nitrite - 0.00

Nitrate - 0.00

Tank Water

PH - The same

Nitrite - 0.25

Ammonia - 0.25

Nitrate - 5



I've now added 3ml of Ammonia and it's 4/5 ppm (to be honest I find it hard to tell exactly).


First question is obviously why is my tank water showing readings for Ammonia,Nitrite and Nitrate? I very stupidly put about 2 flakes of fish food in it about 2 weeks ago but I have a new filter since then (been running since Thursday) and I also did a 25% water change.

Sooooo, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Other question is should I have my light on during my cycle?

LOG

DAY 2 - A 4,Ni 0.25
DAY 3 - A 4, PH 7.6
DAY 4 - A 4, Ni 0.25
DAY 5 - A 4, Ni 0.25
DAY 6 - A 3
DAY 7 - A 2/3 Ni 0.25
DAY 8 - A 2/3
DAY 9 - A 2
DAY 10 - A 2, Ni 0.50, Na 8, PH 7.6
DAY 11 - A 2
DAY 12 - A 2
DAY 13 - A 2
DAY 14 - A 2
DAY 15 - A 2 PH 7.6
DAY 16 - A2, Ni 0.50, Na 8, PH 7.6, High PH 7.4
DAY 17 - A2
DAY 18 - A 2, Ni 1.00
DAY 19 - A 2
DAY 20 - A 2
DAY 21 - A 2, Ni 5.00!
DAY 22 - A 2, NI 5.00, NA 10, PH 7.6, High PH 7.4
DAY 23 - A 1
DAY 24 - A 0, NI 5

Redose of 2.5ml of Ammonia

DAY 24 (1 hour after redose) - A, 3-4 ish
DAY 25 - A 1, NI 5
DAY 26 - A 0

Redose of 2.9ml Ammonia

DAY 26 (about 2 hours after redose) A 4, Ni 5.00

Day 27 A 0

Redose of 2.9ml Ammonia

DAY 28, A 0, NI 5, NA 5?, PH 7.0

Redose 2.9 ml

DAY 29

50% water change

A 0, NI 5, PH 7.0

Redose 2.9ml Ammonia

DAY 30 A 0, NI 5, PH 6.8

Redose

DAY 31 A 0, NI 5, PH6.4

Redose

DAY 32 A 0 (?), NI 5, PH 6.4

Redose of 2.9 Ml Ammonia

1 x tablespoon Bicarb

DAY 33 A 0, NI +++, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 34 A 0, NI+++, PH7.5

Redose 2ml Ammonia

DAY 35

A 0, Ni++++, PH 7.5

Redose 2.9ml Ammonia

DAY 36

A 0, NI+++, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 37

A 0.50, NI +++, Ph 7.5

DAY 38

A 0, NI 1.00, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 39

A 0.50, NI 1.00, PH 7.5

Redose 2ml Ammonia

DAY 40

A 0, NI 0.25, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 41

A 0, NI 0.50, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 42

A 0, NI 0.50, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 43

A 0, NI 0, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 44

A 0, NI 0

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 45

A 0, NI 0, PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 46

A 0, NI 0

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 47

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.5

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 48

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.2

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 49

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.2

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 50

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.2

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 51

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.0

Redose 3ml Ammonia

Also dosed some Bicarb coz my PH is dropping again

DAY 52

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.6

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 53

A 0, NI 0

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 54

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.6

Redose 3ml Ammonia

NA - 80

DAY 55

A 0, NI 0

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 57

A 0, NI 0 PH 7.6

Redose 3ml Ammonia

DAY 58 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI 0

Redose 3ml Ammonia (5 hours later)

DAY 59 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0.25, NI 0.25

DAY 61 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0.25, NI 0.25

DAY 62 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI 0.25, PH 7.3

DAY 63 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI <0.25, PH 7.6, HIGH PH 7.8ISH, NA 80

DAY 64 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI <0.25

DAY 65 (21 HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI 0, PH 6.9

DAY 66 (12HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI 0

DAY 67 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0.25, NI 0.25

DAY 68 (12 HOUR TEST)

A 0, NI 0

DAY 69

A 0, NI0, PH 7.5

DAY 70 (12 HOUR AND 40 MINS TEST COZ I FORGOT!)

A 0, NI 0

DAY 71 (12 HOUR)

A 0, NI <0.25, PH 7.5, NA 80-90

DAY 72 (12 HOUR)

A 0, NI 0

DAY 73 (12 HOUR)
A 0, NO <0.25

DAY 74 (12 HOUR0

A 0, NI 0

DAY 75 (12 HOUR 45 MINS)

A 0, NI 0

DAY 76

A 0, NI 0

DY 77 (FISH DAY!!!!!!!!)

A 0, Ni 0, ph 7.5, NA 10

 

[OldMan47]

You do not need the light on while cycling unless you have plants in the tank. Lights and nitrogen, such as ammonia, means you will grow plenty of algae. Since most of us do not want the algae, we leave the lights off. The traces of ammonia and nitrites in your tank are promising. The nitrite means that some ammonia processing bacteria have started to develop in your old filter. Maybe you can get a start from that filter by cleaning it in the new tank full of water. That could get some few of the right bacteria into the new filter media to grow going forward.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks. Ha, I had my light on *switches off*. I only had my old filter in the tank for about 10 days before the new one. Do you think it's still worth doing?

 

[OldMan47]

Your chemistry results seem to indicate it would be worthwhile trying. It may shorten the cycle a bit.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Ok so I've put the sponges in there........how long should I leave them for?

 

[OldMan47]

Just leave them in there until you are done. If they are helping, they will continue to do so and if not it will hurt nothing.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks. Just did some tests today (but only Ammonia and Nitrite and both still the same as yesterday - Ammonia 4 and Nitrite 0.25. Is that normal?

 

[OldMan47]

Actually the nitrite might be more than we would expect right at the beginning. Usually you won't see any nitrites for over a week. That is one reason I found your readings encouraging. Don't forget that 1 ppm of ammonia becomes about 2.7 ppm of nitrites so getting your tiny amount of nitrite would not give a measurable drop in the ammonia level.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Is there anything I should do or just keep going as normal?

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with OM, looking good! Its good to keep your "bacterial growing soup" warm! I like a temperature of 84F/29C. Since your pH is starting out below 8.0 and you are already seeing some traces of nitrite, it would be a good idea to keep performing regular pH tests with the "normal pH" kit so that if pH starts to fall off we can consider taking some action.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks WD. Temp is about 29. Though my heater is rubbish and seems to fluctuate between about 4 degrees from where it's set. Shall be getting a new one before I get the fish.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Ok day 3:


Ammonia - 4.00pm

PH - 7.6.

Didn't think there was much point testing the others yet (even though I know I did did Nitrite yesterday but that was in the hope my cycle was further on than I thought) until the Ammonia goes down. Is that right?

 

[waterdrop]

Yeah, you could do nitrite and pH every third day during the first week or two in my opinion. WD

 

[Twinklecaz]

Day 4



Ammonia: 4.00 (might be slightly less but it's so hard to tell the difference between 2 and 4 on API.

Nitrite: 0.25

I was hoping it would be doing more by now.

 

[coldcazzie]

Aww. Don't be disheartened. While you've got a little bit of nitrite, it's normal for nothing to happen for the first couple of weeks. The bacteria are very slow growing. You could very easily not test for a week and completely forget about it, and then test again and see if anything had happened. Although trust us when we say we know just how difficult it is not to be testing every few minutes just to make sure! Fish shops are very good at playing on the wants of their customers, and so they sell you your tank, and then the fish a few days later because that's what the whole point of having an aquarium is - to have fish in it! Fishless cycling means you have an empty tank for weeks and are itching to get it finished and get some fish in, and its SOOO difficult not to just give up and stick in fish before its ready!

It will get there! Just try to be patient!