Abi's Fishless Cycle

[abih2005]

Ammonia now 4ppm having added 2ml of ammonia - tank hadn't been touched since water was changed a few days ago.

So... I basically keep adding and topping up every few days until nitrites start to build up?

 

[PDSimon]

Ammonia now 4ppm having added 2ml of ammonia - tank hadn't been touched since water was changed a few days ago.

So... I basically keep adding and topping up every few days until nitrites start to build up?

How is your ammonia 4ppm when you only added 2ml if you read your results as 0.25/5?

Your results should be exactly what you've dosed the tank with. As soon as i dosed my tank with 5ppm (which happens to be 5.26ml exactly according to the calculator for my 100L tank), after waiting 20 mins before testing, the ammonia was 5ppm.

What you want to do for the first stage is keep adding 4 or 5 ppm everytime your ammonia goes down to 0. I'd recheck your calculations and make sure that your dosing your tank correctly. This can take a while as you won't be doing any water changes.

my fluval 125 turned out to be 100Litres not 125 so I dose it for 100.

edit: I thought this was a useful explanation

Take a look at this graph again:

To me the end of phase 1 is when you read zero ammonia before and after a 24 hour period which you dosed in (5ppm), end of phase 2 is when you read zero nitrites after 24 hours from dosing (3ppm) and phase 3 is all about making sure they stay that way for a week with 5ppm dosing again...

 

[abih2005]

I waw informed that raising it to between 4-5ppm was sufficient.

Readings for this morning:
Ammonia - 2.0
Nitrites - 0.25
Nitrates - between 40-80 (those red swatches are rubbish!!)

Any ideas folk?

 

[PDSimon]

sorry you wrote 2ml and i read it as 2ppm. Most people will write the ppm because everyones ml are different

 

[Curiosity101]

Sounding like good progress abih
I didn't think your cycle would take too long to complete (cause you started with fish), I reckon it's already been through/you wont see a nitrite spike.

Keep going, you're getting there. Leave the ammonia till it's a bit closer to 0 then top up.

 

[abih2005]

Sunday morning - 25/4/10

Nitrites 0ppm
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrates 20ppm

What does this mean, would appreciate a 'laygirl's guide'!!!

 

[Curiosity101]

It means you need to dose your ammonia back up again.
I'd add 4ppm.

 

[abih2005]

Hiya - Sunday 1pm I added a wee too much ammonia, got a reading of 8ppm and nitrates 0ppm.

BUT

Sunday 7:35 Ammonia - 2.0ppm, nitrite 1ppm, nitrates 40-80ppm. (the colours are so close!)

Monday morning 6:30

Ammonia read as 0 and nitrite 1. HOWEVER I've a feeling the nitrites are off the chart since i had a blob of purple on Sunday evening. Nitrates - 40-80ppm.

Gonna head off and check measurements now

 

[abih2005]

This morning I got the ammonia up to 4ppm, just tested ammonia and nitrites as...

ammonia - 0.50
nitrites - off the chart high since the base of the tube went inky purple within 2 seconds of adding the drops.

I think I'm in the middle of a nitrite spike? Suggestions welcomed!!

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, sounds like you're getting a nitrite spike. That doesn't really change your actions. I would just keep testing carefully and logging the daily results clearly and re-dosing ammonia if it got down to zero or very close to zero in the previous 24 hours. It helps to only ever add ammonia at the same time of day regardless of when it went to zero.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[abih2005]

6:30 this morning:

ammonia - 0ppm
nitrites - sky blue with no inky purple at the bottom!!

Just added enough ammonia to get it up.

ammonia - 4ppm
nitrites - 0 (duhhhh)

Off to school now!

 

[abih2005]

Nitrites now 0.25ppm.

Good times!

 

[abih2005]

Current ammonia 0ppm
nitrites 1ppm

 

[abih2005]

6:15 readings

ammonia 0.25
nitrites 0.25

What do you guys make of this - suggestions please!!

 

[abih2005]

Whacked it up to 4ppm at 6:30am, readings currently at

ammonia 2ppm
nitrites - off the chart, could someone please confirm that a dark inky purple means off the chart?!?!?