1 Week Into Fishless Cycling

[ebrcknrdg]

I have a Juwel Rio 125L with a fair few plants in, a nutrafin co2 system, a hydor colour aerator and the temp is approx 80/27 degrees. I use a fine-medium gravel substrate and the lighting is approx 1WPG.

The co2 is on constantly at about 1 bubble every 4seconds, the lights are on for 4-5 hours a day and when they go off the aerator comes on producing a fine mist of oxygen bubbles.

My ammonia readings have been at 5ppm for a whole week, no budging. I know that a week is nothing but id have thought with the temperature and amount of plants and aeration that something would have been happening by now!



Edited to say that the PH in the tank is 7.2 (the same as out of the tap) so i know that this isnt affecting the cycle

 

[reggieschuey]

what do you expect to happen? 4-5 hours isn't much if your looking for plant growth. at least 8-10 hours.
If you want to cycling perhaps add Hagen Cycle, or any other similar products like this product /cycle16oz.html. This will speed the nitrogen cycle

I dunno but i read somewhere about aerator are not good for co2

 

[ebrcknrdg]

what do you expect to happen? 4-5 hours isn't much if your looking for plant growth. at least 8-10 hours.
If you want to cycling perhaps add Hagen Cycle, or any other similar products like this product /cycle16oz.html. This will speed the nitrogen cycle

I dunno but i read somewhere about aerator are not good for co2

i dont think you know what ur talking about. You have to have as little lighting as possible to prevent an algae problem when cycling. I am cycling using pure ammonia so i dont need Hagen cycle! I only use my aerator when the lights are off which is when plants respire using oxygen!

 

[RadaR]

The plants have to be fast growing and you need alot of them. That way you wont get an algae bloom. 4-5hours isn't really that much for them to be helping you in the cycling process. Try 7hours for now and see how things go.

Here's a list of algae busting plants.

Hygrophila species
Ludwigia species
Rotala species
Egeria species
Brazilian Water Ivy
Small Ambulia
Mexican Oak Leaf
Water Sprite
Hornwort
Floating plants (careful they don�t block too much light)

 

[ebrcknrdg]

The plants have to be fast growing and you need alot of them. That way you wont get an algae bloom. 4-5hours isn't really that much for them to be helping you in the cycling process. Try 7hours for now and see how things go.

Here's a list of algae busting plants.

Hygrophila species
Ludwigia species
Rotala species
Egeria species
Brazilian Water Ivy
Small Ambulia
Mexican Oak Leaf
Water Sprite
Hornwort
Floating plants (careful they don�t block too much light)

i already have some of those but was advised by other people just to use about 5 hours of lighting i dunno what to do now. My plants take up about 1/2 of the tank so i reckon ive got enough?

 

[RadaR]

On here we always reccomend about 75% covered. Personally Id get more plants, bump the lighting to 7hours and carry on what you are doing

 

[ebrcknrdg]

to be honest i dont want that many plants

Tested for ammonia again today and still not budged from 4ppm. Is it possible that the nutrafin plant grow ive added twice in the last week have had anything to do with it?

 

[Musho3210]

if you dont want that many plants then expect a longer cycle. took one and a half months for me to cycle a 20 gallon tank with only a handful of java moss. But took me 18 hours to cycle a 75 gallon tank with a good amount of plants, including giant hygro, green hygro, and hornwort (and lots of other non stem plants). So just be patient....

 

[ebrcknrdg]

if you dont want that many plants then expect a longer cycle. took one and a half months for me to cycle a 20 gallon tank with only a handful of java moss. But took me 18 hours to cycle a 75 gallon tank with a good amount of plants, including giant hygro, green hygro, and hornwort (and lots of other non stem plants). So just be patient....

to be fair though thats from one extreem to the other. Ill be more patient from now on i promise

 

[RadaR]

Haha, well I hope all goes well. Look forward to when it's done and the aquascaping can begin.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Haha, well I hope all goes well. Look forward to when it's done and the aquascaping can begin.

ive been taking pictures as its progressing so will share them when its finally cycled next year lol. then you all can criticse my awful aquascaping lol