1St Time 0Ppm - Next Step ?

[anon02]

thurs 21/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 1.6ppm
nitrate - 100ppm
ph 7.8
added 5ppm ammonia


fri 22/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 1.5ppm
nitrite = 1.6ppm
nitrate = 100ppm
ph 7.8

It seems as if I`m going through a mini cycle ?
Would I be as well doing a down to gravel water change to get rid of some of the nitrate ?

 

[anon02]

fri 22/10 9pm 24 hour test
ammonia = 1.5ppm
ph 7.8

Didn`t bother doing other tests or adding any more ammonia seeing as there was so much left from previous dose

sat 23/10 9am 12 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0.8ppm
nitrate = 100ppm
ph 7.8

All quiet on the western front

 

[croggy]

dam this happened to me with my last tank . none of the stats seemed to change for over two weeks

in the end i threw in two zebra danios and it seemed to make a difference took almost 3 wks to cycle

good luck

 

[anon02]

sat 23/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
hitrite = 0ppm
nitrate = 100ppm
ph 7.8
added 5ppm ammonia

sun 24/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 1ppm
nitrite = 1ppm
nitrate = 100
ph 7.8

going backwards

 

[Skins]

Hello, I have been following your topic for sometime, welldone for hanging in there. Just looked at your last post and your filter processed 4ppm in 12hrs, when i get to that stage and its constant i will add fish (80% stock). Hopefully Wd will see this and advise if this can be done or not.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, this sounds like you're understanding it correctly. The test that we like is where both ammonia and nitrite(NO2) are dropping from 4-5ppm to zero ppm within 12 hours and where you "qualify" the filter by watching it repeat that every day for a week.

An 80% stocking is a pretty healthy stocking, so holding yourself to this standard will be helpful in lowering the risk that the cycle would come back on you and spike nitrite or ammonia after you added fish (which is what all this refinement of the add and wait fishless cycling process was all about - we were seeing significant numbers of people having setbacks after they added fish at the first sign of zero nitrite at closer to 24 hours.) There are even some experienced fishkeepers on TFF who have said they like to get it down to 10 hours but a number of us have felt the 12-hour for roughly a week right before you stock is a good solid standard (another thing about a standard is that you know people are going to try and cheat on it anyway, so its good for it to be a little stiff, lol.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[anon02]

sun 24/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 1ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 5ppm ammonia

mon 25/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 1ppm
nitrite = 5ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8

I`m assuming that changing the filter has caused a mini cycle with its` own nitrite spike, even though I transferred the media out of the old filter ?
I`ll dose 3ppm ammonia tonight and keep an eye on pH

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, physical disturbance of the biofilms can cause the bacteria to drop out of the exponential phase and back in to the prep phase but they usually recover and begin processing again in a day or so. WD

 

[anon02]

mon 25/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 5ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

tue 26/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 0.5ppm
nitrite = 5ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8

I`ll keep the ammonia dose at 3ppm through the nitrite spike, then tweak it back up to 5ppm for qualifying .... if I ever get there

 

[frida]

I'm sure the qualifying week will come one day, and it'll be well worth it
Good luck!!

mon 25/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 5ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

tue 26/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 0.5ppm
nitrite = 5ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8

I`ll keep the ammonia dose at 3ppm through the nitrite spike, then tweak it back up to 5ppm for qualifying .... if I ever get there

 

[anon02]

tues 26/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 5ppm ammonia

weds 27/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 2ppm
nitrite = 2ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8

Oops ... I got distracted as I was doing the tests and ended up adding 5ppm ammonia. The n - bacs seem to have done well in comparison with recent 12 hout tests, but the a - bacs seem to have had a setback

Do I assume that I have a weak a - bac colony and keep dosing at 5ppm to build it up, or do I revert to the 3ppm dose to keep nitrite in check ?

 

[anon02]

Thanks for the good wishes Frida, it seems I have the uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory lol

 

[anon02]

weds 27/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0.5ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

thur 28/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 2ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8

I decided to revert to 3ppm dosage, nitrate is high but it isn`t affecting pH so I`ll leave it be

 

[anon02]

thur 28/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

fri 29/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0ppm
nitrate o/c
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

The filter is reducing 3ppm down ok so I decided to add a further 3ppm at the 12 hour

 

[frida]

thur 28/10 24 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0ppm
nitrate = off chart
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

fri 29/10 12 hour test
ammonia = 0ppm
nitrite = 0ppm
nitrate o/c
ph 7.8
added 3ppm ammonia

The filter is reducing 3ppm down ok so I decided to add a further 3ppm at the 12 hour

Must be good to see those double 0s!!