Dan-Cr4 Fishless Cycle

[Dan-CR4]

Day 15 tests

this mornings 8am ammonia test, again at 0 so cleared the ammonia in 12 hours.

tonights test was a little different.

amm : 0 (same as yesterday)

Nitrates : 110 (same as yesterday)

Nitrites 3.3/1.6? (in between 3.3 and 1.6, )

ph : 7.5

temp : still a steady 84.

so the nitrite has dropped slighty it had definately got a lighter colour to it than it has been lately, but its not 1.6 yet. so marked it down as 3.3/1.6 as its in between by the looks of it.

the ph has dropped to 7.5, should i be concerned by this. its dropped back to what my normal tap water is at. I have updated the chart/table on post one.

I did the test 30 minutes early tonight as im off out shortly, hope this did not change the results.

thanks

Danny

 

[waterdrop]

It just means its a good idea to keep a daily eye on pH as pH usually doesn't steadily decline, instead the buffer runs out and pH suddenly starts changing rather quickly. But you can work your way down through the upper 6's and still have reasonable cycling progress.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

A drop in nitrites is a hopeful sign. If it continues, it could mean that you are getting near the end of cycling the tank.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Thanks for the replies guys, today is day 16 and this mornings 8am ammonia test was 0 again.

WD: i was glad when i saw that the ph had not fallen any further.

OM47: im glad its a good sign but i understand im still quite early on in the cycle.

tonights 8pm result is :

amm : 0 (same as yesterday)
nitrate : 110 (same as yesterday)
nitrite : 3.3/1.6 (same as yesterday)
ph : 7.5 (same as yesterday)

so no changes today, ph and nitrite stayed the same and did not fall any further like yesterday, its weird i wanted it to change but i did not want it to change. its a wierd feeling.

I did the nitrite test twice just to to make sure what i am seeing is correct. the ph is clearly 7.5

c u all tomorrow.

Thanks

Danny

 

[Dan-CR4]

Hi all,

todays 8 am ammonia test at 0 again after 12 hours.

tonights 8pm tests as follows

ammonia : 0 (same as yesterday)

nitrate : 110 (same as yesterday)

nitrite : 1.6 (fallen a little bit since testerday)

ph : 7.5 (same as yesterday)

only change today was the nitrite dropped from being from in between 3.3/1.6 to a 1.6. apart from that nothing to really write home about. as always i have updated the table on the first post.

Thanks

Danny

 

[Dan-CR4]

mmmmm, think i have had a problem with the nitrite test on day 16 and 17. My new api master test kit arrived this morning and i decided to do a nitrite test and the drops went purple straight away, i shook it and after 5 minutes they turned green, no colour for it on the chart. on the fishless cycling thread by rdd1952 it says that if it happens my nitrites are off the chart.

my 8pm test tonight i will use the api test kit on amm, nitrite, nitrate and ph and see how diferent it reads to the nutrafin kit i have been using up til now, but im positive my nitrites are off the chart now.

will update tonight with full tests.

thanks

Danny

 

[waterdrop]

Right, and this is all fine... Both tests are either telling you straight out or hinting that the nitrite level is spiked (which just means at a higher concentration than the test range can handle) and all of that just confirms you are still way out in the middle of fishless cycling land... no surprise.

What happens is that the tap water contains a tiny bit of both the Nitrosomonas spp. (A-Bacs) and the Nitrospira spp. (N-Bacs) and when you added ammonia at the very beginning of your cycle the A-Bacs began processing a little ammonia into nitrite and they began building their "nest" (a biofilm) in preparation for lots of cell divisions. Meanwhile, there was less nitrite available than ammonia, so the N-Bacs got off to a slower start than these A-Bacs, but they were slowly doing the same thing.

When the A-Bacs process 1ppm of ammonia, they process it into 2.7ppm of nitrite(NO2), which after some days helps the N-Bacs to start to catch up (since there was less nitrite available to them at first) but then very quickly this 2.7 mulitplier causes there to be way more nitrite than they can handle and the excess just keeps growing and growing. Meanwhile the A-Bac population, which had a head start, is able to reach a size where it can process 5ppm down to zero in one 24-hour period. But the N-Bac population is now drowning in nitrite(NO2) because of all this efficient processing by the A-Bacs. This is the Nitrite(NO2) spike stage and it can sometimes go on for a month.

The nitrite spike stage is made worse by the fact that the Nitrospira spp. themselves will not grow as well if they are surrounded by too much of their own "food," the NO2 or of their own waste, the NO3. And on top of that the waste, the NO3, always maintains a small (maybe 7%) component of the nitric acid state that is using up buffering materials (typically HCO3- "bicarbonate.") The amount of buffer any given water system has can vary a lot and if yours get used up then the pH may drop quickly, causing the bacteria not to die but just to stop processing.

(just some fun reading since you're in the boring middle and I've just had coffee )
~~waterdrop~~

 

[Dan-CR4]

thanks for the reply WD. i cant believe that i can understand what you wrote but i think i do.

from today im gonna use the api kit i got today. this mornign my ammonia was 0 again.

i checked the nitrite at 11am when my new kit arrived and it was off the chart. tonights results are as follows.

ammonia : 0

nitrite : off chart

nitrate : off chart (im sure it is off the chart, as it dont match fully any colour but close to the 5ppm)

ph : 7.6

one thing i have noticed between the 2 kits, theres a lot more shaking going on with the api kit, my arm hurts now.

 

[waterdrop]

You don't have to do the nitrate(NO3) every day. WD

 

[leemdylan]

Hey Danny, I am using the Nutrafin testing kit as well.
Did you find that when you did the tests and the nitrite was 3.3 that the nitrate test turned the same colour, like a very dark pink? It's almost like my nitrate tests turn a colour that doesn't match with any of the colours on the chart but it matches with the nitrite chart!

With me i think it's beacause i am still in my first nitrite spike and waiting for it to come down, so i don't think i have any nitrate in my tank even though my test comes up dark pink!

 

[Dan-CR4]

Hi leemdylan

No the nutrafin was showing the correct nitrate colur that was on the chart, but when i used the api kit it said it was off the chart? my nitrites have been off the chart and also my nitrates but today it looks like my nitrites have dropped to 1. hopefully that is correct and my nitrites are falling.

today is day 20. heres todays results

8am ammonia test : 0

8pm tests as follows

ammonia : 0 (same as usuaul)

nitrite : 1.0 (falling hopefully)

ph : 7.6 ( the same as past few days)

was wondering if i should do a 90% water change or leave it alone, as i got 4 days off work.

the table on the first post has been updated.

Danny

 

[Dan-CR4]

i need some advice?

a friend has just offered me loads of plants as he is shutting his tank down and going for marine fish. he has already got rid of his fish and tank (tomorrow) and offered me some plants from it, so what i want to know would it affect my cycle if i was to plant them at this time. seems a shamr not to take up this offer.

anyone done fishless cycling with plants?

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, I'd say go for it, don't waste the plants! WD

 

[Dan-CR4]

Thanks WD.

I did full tests this morning at 8am.

ammonia : 0
nitrite : 2.0
nitrate : off chart
ph : 7.6

I did a 90% water change this afternoon (3.30pm) right down to the substrate, then started planting the plants that was given to me. refilled tank with near on the right temperature of water it dropped to 82 so only dropped by 2 which i was happy with.

did some tests.

ammonia : 0
nitrite : 1.0
nitrate : 20
ph (high range) : 7.8

after tests added ammonia. will update again tonight at 8pm.

Danny

 

[Dan-CR4]

DAY 21

tonights 8pm results are as expected.

ammonia : 4.0
nitrite : 1.0
nitrate : 20
ph (high range) : 7.8

I knew the ammonia would still be present as it was about 4pm when i dosed the tank with 7.5ml of ammonia after the water change. nitrite is still the same as it was earlier, again no surprise i think, the nitrate is down to 20 and ph holding steady at 7.8. The temperature is back upto 84, i nearly got it spot on when i refilled earlier as the temperature was 82 after filling.

the plants look ok, im hoping they will take, but they were free and as WD said above, i should not waste them.

so on with the cycling.

Danny