Cycling And Maintenance

[stucolls]

Ok so yesterday my results (after finally getting my master test kit) were

ph 7.6
Ammo 0.25
Nitrite 5.0
Nitrate 20

I did a 40% water change last night and a 50 % just now and my new results are now

ph 7.4
Ammo 0.25
Nitrite 0.50
Nitrate 10

So what can I expect to happen from here?
Do I continue on daily 50% changes until Ammo and Nitrite are 0 before water changes?
AND

possibly most important question and possibly where I been going wrong, when I do a water chnage what do I with the filter? its an elite stingray so stuck onto back wall but when I do a water change the water level obviously drops below the filter? dosnt this kill off any bacteria built up in the media?

many thanks all for your patience and assistance

Stu

 

[evilchild]

from what i have read, all is going well, leave your fillter, you need the good stuff to build up in it (can't think of the technical word, sorry) so it can start working correctly as long as the filter dosen't dry up it should be fine? think thats the way it work. hope so!

 

[squarefish]

There are people on this site with much more knowledge than me, but the numbers seem to be going the right way.... How long has the aquarium been running?

 

[stucolls]

almost 5 weeks in total, about 3 and a half to 4 weeks with fish in it (I didnt know what cycling was)

 

[CruX]

Ok so yesterday my results (after finally getting my master test kit) were

ph 7.6
Ammo 0.25
Nitrite 5.0
Nitrate 20

I did a 40% water change last night and a 50 % just now and my new results are now

ph 7.4
Ammo 0.25
Nitrite 0.50
Nitrate 10

So what can I expect to happen from here?
Do I continue on daily 50% changes until Ammo and Nitrite are 0 before water changes?
AND

possibly most important question and possibly where I been going wrong, when I do a water chnage what do I with the filter? its an elite stingray so stuck onto back wall but when I do a water change the water level obviously drops below the filter? dosnt this kill off any bacteria built up in the media?

many thanks all for your patience and assistance

Stu

Do you have fish in? If so try and keep your Ammonia and Nitrite below 0.25mg/l with water changes. Its probably going to take time though.

 

[LukeFishwalker]

Yeah - you are heading in the right direction. When Ammonia and Nitrites are at zero - add some more ammonia (assuming this is a fishless cycle) if it is broken down in less than 12 hours you've got it.

As far as the filter goes, just float it in the tank while you are cleaning - just dont let it dry out.

 

[stucolls]

NO the fish are in, as I said before, only found this site after setting up and was given pretty shoddy advice at pets at home about cycling so unfortunately its a fish in cycle, they have been in for about 4 out of the 5 weeks!!

Will keep up with water changes then, how can I tell when I have it seeing as I have fish in so cant go adding ammonia?

 

[merry78]

when your ammonia and nitrites are 0!
your filter will be fine, it will stay wet long enough for you to do your water changes.

 

[LukeFishwalker]

when your ammonia and nitrites are 0!
your filter will be fine, it will stay wet long enough for you to do your water changes.

Yeah - frequent testing is going to be key and do water changes as necessary. Keep a journal and when the tests results level off you can stop checking as frequently. Once ammonia and nitrites are zero do water changes as need to keep your nitrATEs down. There is some debate on a tolerable nitrATE level but I'd say 20ppm sounds like a good number.

 

[GRJ]

I amgoing through the same thing at the minute, with fish in. You have to do water changes daily,always keeping ammonia and nitrite below 0.25, so it depends on what your levels are like. You may have to do 50%, then 75% . An example of this would be, if your ammonia was 1, you would need to do a 75-80% water change to get the level down below 0.25, if the ammonia was 0.50, you would need to do a 50-60% water change to get it below 0.25. The frequent water changes are less stessfull than what the ammonia will be doing to them. I hope i explained that easily enough for you. I have had my tank running two months and the cycle stalled, i managed to get some juicy filter sponge off someone with a mature tank which, fingers crossed will boost it into action again. My advice, dont bother putting you buckets and dechlorinater away!!!LOL.GRJ

 

[stucolls]

Great advice lol only prob is my dechlorinator ran out today so just ordered some more on line (unfortunately its the only way I can get it) but im gonna test my tap water and hopefully use it (after standing it for 24 hours) without dechlor

 

[merry78]

Great advice lol only prob is my dechlorinator ran out today so just ordered some more on line (unfortunately its the only way I can get it) but im gonna test my tap water and hopefully use it (after standing it for 24 hours) without dechlor

You know that this will only work if you have chlorine but no chloramines, don't you.
pretty sure you know that, just thought i'd say it just in case.

oh, also, watch out for metals in your tapwater that your dechlor binds, but standing the water won't. You won't be able to test for them without a really flash test kit, but your fishies will let you know soon enough if it's a problem.....

 

[dixiedawn]

you do know that there's no post moving basically until weds of next week due to the royal mail strike, if it's being sent out royal mail you may have some difficulities.............if it's being sent out via courier you won't be having too much issue, however its royal mail who sort stuff for the couriers crazy i know where in devon are you? maybe i can find ya a lfs close enuff to bus or something

 

[stucolls]

There are plenty of lfs around here I just have no money except some ebay funds lol

 

[dixiedawn]

if its thru pay pal, you should be able to transfer funds from there to your bank, might take a few hours or at best a day but shouldn't be an issue