Bicarb

[Twinklecaz]

Remind me, how much do I put in to bring my PH back up in my cycling 21L? My brain is a seive and I can't even remember from a few months ago!

 

[waterdrop]

Its 2 teaspoons per 50L as the middle recommendation (1t would raise KH without raising pH at all, 3t would raise pH a lot I think, so this is how I get people oriented to think about the amounts they want to try.) You'll need to apply that to your volume.. but since it looks very roughly like half, seems like 1 teaspoon for you would be a good first try as the actual amount, assuming you aren't too close to 8.x or so already. WD

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hi WD, thanks! It doesn't need it yet but it dropped from 7.5 to 7.2 so I thought "oh here we go" so thought I'd better be prepared.

I am touching wood but this cycle seems to be going very well. I seeded the fitler (which has a design I love btw, it's kinda over head under the hood so you can get to it without going into the water) with noodles from my 60L filter and put the the noodles from the new filter into the 60L filter - then a week later swapped them back.


Actually while I have you attention (lol). In a seeded fishless cycle....is it normal for there to be no real Nitrite spike? Just, when I tested yesterday the Ammonia was 0 which I was pleased with coz I'd only dosed 2 days before and I've only been doing this 2 weeks but the Nitrite was 0 too!! It had been showing some Nitrite for about a week and got to as high as 2.00 maybe (though I'd say 1.00) but then yesteday it was all gone. Does that mean that's it? All I have to do now is wait for the 12 hours? Or is it all a bit TOO quick and easy and something's wrong?

Nitrates were 40/btw which I think means the Nitrites much have processed in the correct way doesn't it?

 

[waterdrop]

Correct. If you seed with mature media you hope to be getting some Nitrospira along with your Nitrosomonas, so they will begin processing the nitrite(NO2) in to nitrate(NO3) right away. If there are enough of them present (ie. they are near a balance point with the Nitrosomonas) then you will not see a nitrite spike but instead should detect a rise in nitrate beginning much earlier than you would see in a non-seeded fishless cycle.

Often then, the task of a seeded cycle is really similar to the 3rd phase of a non-seeded version. You are just working the overall colony sizes upward and looking for a good qualifying week.

I think I've seen your tanks looking great elsewhere on the forum. Your scapes look better than mine, although I've just bought some plants for the first time in ages this weekend, so I'm at least giving it the try when I get a moment!

WD

 

[Twinklecaz]

Lol thanks. I'm never sure if my tank looks natural or a complete mishmash.

Today's results area bit disappointing,not a lot has changed since yesterday. Still, it's going MUCH faster than my first one