1St Time 0Ppm - Next Step ?

[waterdrop]

good, so you added an -additional- tsp of bicarb, right?

 

[anon02]

good, so you added an -additional- tsp of bicarb, right?

Yes, I figured that if the pH hadn`t reached 8.0 in 12 hours, it would stand a bit more bicarb (my idea of a tsp is a level tsp, maybe I should have gone with heaped LoL )

I will resume the 12 hour testing

If the pH isn`t at 8.0 at tonights` test, should I add more bicarb, or is the effect of the bicarb more progressive ?

 

[waterdrop]

yes, bicarb is slow sometimes I think, so I'd perhaps be cautious so it won't overshoot - you are already no doubt achieving what you want as the bacteria will be waking up to the fact that things have improved..

 

[anon02]

24 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = <0.3ppm (lowest on card)
Nitrite = 25ppm
pH = 8.0
Added 5ppm Ammonia

 

[anon02]

12 hour test
Ammonia = 0.25ppm
Nitrite = 0.8ppm
Nitrate = 25ppm
pH 8.0

The ammonia is better and nitrate is up so I think the conveyor is moving again

 

[anon02]

24 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = <0.3ppm
Nitrate = 25ppm
pH 8.0
Added 5ppm ammonia

12 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = 0.3ppm
Nitrate = 50ppm
pH 8.0

Getting better

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, you mostly only get small signs of progress towards the end of the third phase and you are getting them. That's good. Your qualifying week shouldn't be too far off. WD

 

[anon02]

Sunday 10/10 24 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = <0.3ppm
Nitrate = 50ppm
pH 8.0
Added 5ppm ammonia


Monday 11/10 12 hour test
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite 0.8ppm
Nitrate = 50ppm
pH 8.0

Small blip on the NO2 compared with the previous 12 hour test

 

[anon02]

Monday 11/10 24 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Niyrite = 0.<3ppm
Nitrate = 50ppm
pH 8.0
Added 5ppm ammonia

Tuesday 12/10 12 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = 0.8ppm
Nitrate = 50ppm
pH 8.0

NO2 continues to be stubborn

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, this is called "The Sticking Problem" and we see it pretty regularly. If you are patient enough the nitrite *will* drop to zero ppm eventually. If it stays very stubborn then you should consider your initial stocking plan and a few other things and make a decision. If you are stocking only 50% or so as the initial stocking (very common as many times people will hold back on certain species because they like a more mature tank or because they are a centerpiece fish etc.) then you could really just decide to do the big water change and then plan on doing maybe a few water changes if you got ammonia or nitrite showing up in the first couple weeks (often none shows up in these situations.)

You just have to weigh your own situation. If you are still enjoying the planning time and are continuing to refine your initial stocking plan, it can be easier to just let the bacteria have more time. If you are all planned and really impatient then a few water changes may not seem so bad.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[anon02]

I`m prepared to wait it out, I`m not experienced enough to handle anything that may go wrong, especially if I had fish

I`m a little concerned at the size of the media in the filter, it`s a stingray 15 and I estimate that there is about 5 or 6 sq inches x 3/4 inch of sponge and 2 tiny basket containers of carbon/zeolite. I f I`d been a bit more clued up when I started, I would have put more media in there, I dont want to risk a setback at this late stage by messing in the filter

vince

 

[anon02]

24 hour test
Added 5ppm ammonia
I was unable to do the test

today 12 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = 0.3ppm
Nitrate = 50 - 100ppm

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, the little stingrays are among the small filters that I get the impression (I've never owned or used one so am going only on written experiences here on TFF) have barely enough media volume and have design/leak-through problems possibly.. HOWEVER, there are some members who have stuck it out with them and and have them working, so I don't think it calls for switching at this point, especially considering the time you've put in. I used to worry about about the zeolite that comes with these filters messing up the fishless cycle but I've since gained the new impression that there may not be enough of it there to mess things up (if you've left that media in.) I will actually be quite interested to watch your case and see whether the stingray is able to clear up the nitrite in a period of days or if it seems to just go on and on (unfortunately, its impossible to tell whether a sticking problem at this point is due to the N-Bac colony not being quite up to final size or whether the filter basket design is just allowing to much leak-through, in my opinion.)

WD

 

[anon02]

I have spare media and the stingray has a good water throughput so if the NO2 doesn`t sort itself out in the next few days, I`ll see if I can fit some more in there without altering the performance too much

My 215 litre has just processed 5ppm ammonia down to 0 in 13 days, I`m planning on housing the stock for the big tank in the 50 litre as a kind of q tank, so no rush

 

[anon02]

Weds 13/10 24 hour test
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = < 0.3ppm
Nitrate = 50/100ppm
Added 6 ppm ammonia

Thur 14/10 12 hour test
Ammonia = 0.25ppm
Nitrate = 0.8ppm
Nitrate = 50/100ppm
pH 8.0

Re my concern about the amount of biomedia in the filter, I dosed 6ppm ammonia rather than the usual 5 to get some idea of the size of the bac colony but the 12 hour test figures are correspondingly high. Would you say that this is an inevitable consequence of adding a larger amount of ammonia (just like adding fish to existing stock) or would you advise I go ahead and add more biomedia to the filter ? Time is not an issue, I just dont want to put fish in and end up doing a fish in cycle because the filter cant cope