Restarting fishless cycle

[candrews999]

With a tank pH below 7, items made of calcium carbonate should do the trick. This means coral - whole or crushed - limestone/tufa rock and even shells. With a 55 litre tank you probably don't have an external filter, and those are the best place to put a bag of crushed coral, so perhaps a chunk of limestone or tufa, or even a piece of coral. I would only use bicarb as a last resort.


Do you intend having live plants in the tank?

I've got a mix at the minute some live and some plastic.
The tank ph is over 7

Thanks

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[Essjay]

If you have enough live plants you don't actually need to cycle a tank. By enough I mean more than just the odd one or two. Plants use ammonia as fertiliser, and they don't turn it into nitrite unlike filter bacteria. If the tank has several well growing plants, you can add fish a few at a time, checking for several days after each addition for ammonia and nitrite. If either do show up, a water change is needed to get them down. Floating plants are particularly useful because as they can use carbon dioxide form the air they can process ammonia faster.
The addition of plant nutrients such as Seachem Flourish (Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium) will also help by feeding the plants and providing minerals for the few bacteria that will grow from any left over ammonia.


I seem to be getting your pH readings all mixed up

 

[candrews999]

If you have enough live plants you don't actually need to cycle a tank. By enough I mean more than just the odd one or two. Plants use ammonia as fertiliser, and they don't turn it into nitrite unlike filter bacteria. If the tank has several well growing plants, you can add fish a few at a time, checking for several days after each addition for ammonia and nitrite. If either do show up, a water change is needed to get them down. Floating plants are particularly useful because as they can use carbon dioxide form the air they can process ammonia faster.
The addition of plant nutrients such as Seachem Flourish (Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium) will also help by feeding the plants and providing minerals for the few bacteria that will grow from any left over ammonia.


I seem to be getting your pH readings all mixed up

Lol me too!! Ph from tap is 6.8 ph in tank around 7.4 24 hour stood water is also around 6.8 [emoji16]

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[Colin_T]

pH from tap is 6.8 ph in tank around 7.4 24 hour stood water is also around 6.8

If the pH is increasing when the water has been in the aquarium, there is something in the aquarium (probably the gravel) that is buffing the pH up. If the gravel is calcium based then it will raise the pH and release small amounts of carbonates into the water.

Alternatively, the water is being degased in the pipes and has no oxygen in it when it is in the bucket. Then after going into the aquarium it is being aerated sufficiently to increase the oxygen level and raise the pH that way.
Try aerating a bucket of tap water for 24 hours and see if the pH changes.

Can you post a picture of the tank or tell us exactly what is in it?

 

[candrews999]

If the pH is increasing when the water has been in the aquarium, there is something in the aquarium (probably the gravel) that is buffing the pH up. If the gravel is calcium based then it will raise the pH and release small amounts of carbonates into the water.

Alternatively, the water is being degased in the pipes and has no oxygen in it when it is in the bucket. Then after going into the aquarium it is being aerated sufficiently to increase the oxygen level and raise the pH that way.
Try aerating a bucket of tap water for 24 hours and see if the pH changes.

Can you post a picture of the tank or tell us exactly what is in it?

Yeah I'm fairly sure that it's the gravel, I read on another forum that some pet at home gravel isn't inert.
But if the ph is going up that shouldn't effect the cycle should it??

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[Colin_T]

But if the ph is going up that shouldn't effect the cycle should it??

the pH going up a few points won't affect the filter bacteria developing.

 

[Essjay]

If the gravel increases pH the chances are it will also increase GH and KH. Increasing pH and KH will help the bacteria grow better.

Quotes from the fishless cycling method on here

..... the ammonia converting bacteria do not function as well the lower the pH gets. If your pH drops under 7.0, they start to slow their activity markedly and under 6.5, they slow dramatically and by about 6.0 they will appear to stop completely.

The closer to pH 8.0 the faster the cycle will go

....you need to make sure that, in addition to ammonia, the bacteria will also have - Inorganic carbon (as carbonates) by keeping your KH up. Do not let it drop below 3 dg (55 ppm).

Since the gravel increases the pH in the tank it is likely to consist of calcium carbonate in some form. This will increase your pH, GH and KH. Since your tap water is very soft it is very likely that your KH will also be low, probably below the 3 deg mentioned, so increasing KH is good.

 

[candrews999]

Thanks all. I've done a 80% wc just waiting to check ammonia levels ph etc before dosing with ammonia. Hope things get moving this time!

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[eddr86]

From my little experience (only 1 year in...) substrate I used in my first tank was from pets at home, and really struggled with getting water balance and also plants. When I got second tank I used JBL Manado substrate which I can’t recommend highly enough.

Worth considering before filling tank or it’s a huge mission changing it!

May be told different by others but thought I’d add my two pennies worth [emoji4]


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[seangee]

Yeah I'm fairly sure that it's the gravel, I read on another forum that some pet at home gravel isn't inert.
But if the ph is going up that shouldn't effect the cycle should it??

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If you are looking for inert sand in the UK Argos play sand is what most use and is (ahem) dirt cheap. If you don't like the buff colour do a search for black limpopo sand.

 

[Essjay]

Have Unipac changed their Limpopo sand in the last few years? I bought some several years ago and to be on the safe side tested it with vinegar before I used it. It fizzed, which means it was made of calcium carbonate. The bag is still in the shed, unused. The Limpopo sand I bought was dark grey rather than black.

 

[seangee]

Have Unipac changed their Limpopo sand in the last few years? I bought some several years ago and to be on the safe side tested it with vinegar before I used it. It fizzed, which means it was made of calcium carbonate. The bag is still in the shed, unused. The Limpopo sand I bought was dark grey rather than black.

I never got the unipac branded sand . It came from one of the online aquarium / pond suppliers. pH was constant after a week but I'll check again when I get home. The sand was also impressively clean and needed very little rinsing.

 

[Essjay]

That doesn't sound like the Unipac limpopo sand I bought - the one on the market several years ago was notorious for needed a lot of washing. Before it occurred to me to test it with vinegar I did start washing a bit and gave up.

 

[candrews999]

Quick update ammonia down to 1.0 and nitrite 0.25 [emoji16]
Also tested gh and kh both 5 drops or 50-100ppm

Things seem to be moving!!

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[seangee]

That doesn't sound like the Unipac limpopo sand I bought - the one on the market several years ago was notorious for needed a lot of washing. Before it occurred to me to test it with vinegar I did start washing a bit and gave up.

Just tested with vinegar and no fizzing. Tank pH is the same as my tap water and other tank which has Argos play sand.

Its SwellUK's own brand if anyone is interested.