Cycling Process

[Rorie]

After being bullied into it by BIG BAD BARRY (living up to the name i see ) I am going to post my tank stats as my cycle is causing me some issues

Dimensions 52" long, 18" tall, 17" deep. = 360L
Full set of ADA substrate
decor: Nice big bit of bogwood in there too, with a couple big bits of granite
Lights: 2 x 54W T5 (These) I know that they could be better as these share a reflector. They sit 6 inches above my tank, and hence, a total of 2 foot above the substrate
I have a Tetratec EX1200 filter, spray bar at one end, and inflow at the other end of the tank
I have a very expensive CO2 kit - 3Kg bottle, all glass ware.

Fish: I plan to add 50 Cardinal tetras, a few Bolivian Rams, Corrys and shrimp. I still want a Snowball plec....but i need to do some research into how it will be with the other bottom feeders.

Plants: Still trying to decide, but i want Eleocharis Parvula (dwarf hairgrass), Eleocaris Vivipara for a wall at the back, some sort of moss to grow all over my granite and bogwood, and then something to put some colour in there.

I have been cycling for a while now. Ammonia is being processed within 12 hours. I am now adding 2-3PPM Ammonia each day. My Nitrite is 'off the scale' and i now have some Nitrate in the tank.
My PH had dropped very low a couple of times, so i did water changes. After the last water change, i added a load of Bicarb Soda which bumped the PH up to about 8.0

I'll post daily with my results and hopefully you guys can give me feedback of how its going and what to do (for example when my PH drops again). I realise having bog wood and ADA gravel is going to make my PH drop.

 

[Rorie]

So, the big news today is that my Nitrite has dropped down to zero 24 hours after the ammonia was added!

PH 8.0
Ammonia 0PPM
Nitrite 0PPM
Nitrate 40PPM (I think, its a bright bright red!)

Away to put 4-5 PPM ammonia into the tank, so hopefully it will process in 24 hours again

 

[ian]

so you're not doing a silent cycle?

if this is a fishless (ammonia) cycle, then this thread may be better in the new freshwater section?

 

[RadaR]

If you planted heavily from the beginning and gave the plants lots of CO2 and nutrients then you wouldnt need to bother with the fishless cycling. Could save you 8 weeks.

 

[Rorie]

so you're not doing a silent cycle?

if this is a fishless (ammonia) cycle, then this thread may be better in the new freshwater section?

Well it is going to be a planted tank. There are more than just the one way to cycle a planted tank IMO. It was another member who suggested i write in here for some advise about the cycling process as i have bee having some issues with stalling due to my ADA substrate, which is designed for a planted aquarium. So the idea was to keep a log on here for members to give their advice

RE skipping 8 weeks....i am going to plant it, but not sure it will be heavily planted from the start. I am buying some carpeting plants and also some tall plants for the back. I am going to rely on them growing and spreading to give me a heavily planted tank. So not sure i could have skipped the ammonia cycle - i need bacteria in my filter, so i not?!

 

[RadaR]

So not sure i could have skipped the ammonia cycle - i need bacteria in my filter, so i not?!

Yes fundamentally you need bacteria in your filter and substrate. The benefits of the plants is that they provide oxygen from their roots to the substrate. This increases bacteria growth rate. The plants are able to filter out ammonia themselves whilst allowing some ammonia (undetecable on your test kit) to continue to feed any bacteria. This means it's also safe for fish. Plants produce waste themselves. This organic waste is full of lovely carbon that the bacteria can utilise to grow. Folks think that the nitrifying bacteria need lots of ammonia to grow quickly, when infact you can still grow them quickly without chucking in 4ppm of ammonia everyday. Oxygen and carbon are very important.