Back To Basics (cycling)

[doresy]

Well there's a thing, back to cycling again. Time to try out some of the advice I and other members give out to newbies and the like.

Cycling a new addition. A Rio 125(ltr).

So I took out half my media (foam and noodles) from my well matured but seriously UNDER-stocked main tank and put it in the stock-Juwel filter along with some new media. In the previous month I never cleaned the filter at all so when doing this media transfer I squeezed the media into half a litre of tank water then very slowly poured it into the new filter.

The water clouded but was clear again by the next day. My 'donor tank' did not suffer from a mini-cycle which was good.

Anyway, in went the ammonia to 6ppm. I was a little disappointed that after 3 days no change but then I thought, the donor tank was well understocked so not that much bacteria in half the media.

After going away for the weekend on my return (day 6 of cycle) ammonia down to 1ppm and nitrite up to 0.25.

In went more ammonia (to 4ppm this time) last night and I am actually excited about testing tonight after work

Oh how easy it is to forget the joys of cycling

Just thought I'd share for no parlicular reason

 

[waterdrop]

For no particular reason?? But dorsey, WE CAN SEE THE GLASS OF BEER BETTER NOW! This is reason enough for us to be excited!

Yes, I know the feeling. Here I am having fun repeating advice while my bottle of ammonia and my little ammonia dropper sit there totally unneeded. Happened to test my water this morning and ammonia and nitrite are as zero as ever, water clear and fish prancing around happy as clams. All of this is just a diversion to keep me from facing the truth of how lousy I am with the plants, for for me seem to be about a hundred times harder.

Maybe your fishless cycle will mess up and we'll all have the fun of troubleshooting

~~waterdrop~~

 

[backtotropical]

Maybe your fishless cycle will mess up and we'll all have the fun of troubleshooting

The joys of 'New to the Hobby'!!

We are a sad lot, eh?

 

[doresy]

Mmmmmm that's better

As expected, ammonia back down to 1.0ppm and nitrite up a little to 1.0ppm.

Ammonia pumped back up to around 4ppm or is it 6?....hey who knows

Hard work this cycling lark......now then Doresy remember your nitrites are on the way up not down!

I reckon that matured media was a very good vintage!

 

[OldMan47]

Sounds like you are off to a good start. I also have the ammonia bottle sitting around but I actually use mine to daily dose a tank that I intend to move some fish into in the next few days. I decided to just maintain the filter with ammonia rather than move it to another tank. Pure lazy is the only way to explain it.