Cycling

[losing nemo]

Hi im new to all this mularkey and need some advice on my fishless cycle the problem that i have is my cycle is at a standstill the homebase ammonia is processing in less than 6 hours and nitrite is processing in 15 hrs but it has stuck at 15 hours for the last 4 weeks i have a fluval 2 plus filter with two foam filterpads in it it also came with a fine filter pad and a black filter pad but i can not find the instructions for it.It also has a clogging indicator on it but im not sure how it works

tank holds 80l

ph 7.8
kh 10
gh12
rena smart heater 100 watts set at 29 degrees

 

[OldMan47]

Losing Nemo. Glad to have you here. Now lets get you started.
The clogging indicator will pop up when the filter starts to clog. Until then, I would not clean it out. When the flow starts to drop the clog indicator should pop up and be visible. At that time just rinse out the filter pads in tank water and put them back in the filter. pH, KH and GH have almost nothing to do with cycling the tank. What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? If you don't have a test kit for them, you won't be able to see how your cycle is going. The liquid type test kits are far better than the paper strip type and will last for hundreds of tests.
Look here for the basics of how to do a cycle and come back when you have questions. [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/[/URL] There are lots of people here who would be glad to help with any questions.

 

[losing nemo]

The clogging indicator will pop up when the filter starts to clog. Until then, I would not clean it out. When the flow starts to drop the clog indicator should pop up and be visible. At that time just rinse out the filter pads in tank water and put them back in the filter. pH, KH and GH have almost nothing to do with cycling the tank. What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? If you don't have a test kit for them, you won't be able to see how your cycle is going. The liquid type test kits are far better than the paper strip type and will last for hundreds of tests.
Look here for the basics of how to do a cycle and come back when you have questions. [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/[/URL] There are lots of people here who would be glad to help with any questions.

Hi oldman the 47 surely not your age LOL.The clogging indicator is pushed all the way up
im using a API master test kit and have been testing reguraly

ammonia is at 0mg/l after about 6 hours and i add it every 24hours then i test it every 12 hrs
nitrite 0mg/l after 15hrs
nitrate 80mg/l-100mg/l
i have been cycling 8 weeks

 

[waterdrop]

You have what sounds to be nearly ideal conditions for your fishless cycle. It is very common for the process to get stuck for a very long time at this late stage. Sometimes it helps to perform large water changes on the weekends and recharge with the right amount of ammonia. This helps to drop down the nitrite and nitrate that are building up and may suppress development of the N-bacs that are still taking you 15 hours. (I'm assuming you followed our RDD fishless article and have been adding 4-5ppm ammonia all along.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[losing nemo]

Hi waterdrop i have been following rdds article to the letter from the start i have also done large water changes to recharge also my kh had been dropping quite quickly so i did a large water change a couple of days ago like you told redevilman in another topic. i have bogwood and plastic plants and a sand substrate if that helps

 

[OldMan47]

I think its time to rinse out the pads in your filter. Other than that it sounds like you need to do a water change to get the nitrates down and check one more time to make sure you are cycled. To me it looks like you are basically ready to start picking out fish. Depending on what fish, you may need to lower the heater setting a little. Most tropicals are good between about 24 and 27 degrees.

 

[Colin_T]

The black filter pad is carbon and that is used for removing chemicals from the water. If you treat the fish with a medication or use plant fertiliser then remove the carbon and throw it away. Carbon should be replaced every 2 months if it is activated and about once a month for normal carbon. Most people don't bother using it and replace it with another sponge.

 

[losing nemo]

I rinsed the filter pads in tank water and wouldnt you know i managed to drop the filter container in the tank what a mess but thats the good thing about sand substrate it just sits on top so it is now all vacummed up.I also added the fine filter pad to the filter not sure if this was a good idea.The fish i want to start off with is maybe 6 zebra danios and maybe some tetras of some sort maybe emporor tetras or black skirt tetras about 6 what do you think and have you any other ideas for fish. I did a large water change 2 days ago should i do another.topped ammonia nitrates started to process in about ten minutes after i added ammonia which is a good sign.

 

[Colin_T]

don't get black skirt tetras if you plan on havnig fish with long fins like male fighters, male guppies and angelfish.

 

[losing nemo]

Yeah i understand they are a bit fin nippy what about cherry barbs can they go with blackskirt tetras

 

[Colin_T]

cherry barbs will be fine with black skirt tetras. Checkered, golden & ruby barbs will also be fine with them.

 

[rabbut]

Sorry colin, I dissagree. I've had black Skirts rip Cherry barbs before, and advise against it The others should be fine if you are looking for an alternative