Doing Fishless Cycle First Time...

[BIGbadJOHN]

You are staring at a Monet painting too close... all you can see is a series of dots! Back up a bit, no single dot in a fishless cycle is that important. You have to look at the overall trend. I warned you that you may not be as close as your current readings would have indicated. Most cycles take 5-8 weeks. You aren't really that close to that time frame yet. Relax. It isn't a big deal, really. Your cycle is coming along very nicely. Stay patient. It will come along, and you have gotten a lot more movement earlier than most other people. It will come along, just fine.


If it makes you feel a little better, add the tiniest pinch of fish food. DO NOT EVEN BUY PH DOWN. Adding chemicals like this to your fish tank are a BAD IDEA when you have fish. pH DOWN will NOT actually be effective at sustaining a proper stable pH. If you want to lower your pH (when fish are in the tank) use some bogwood, peat or other natural method - which will lower the pH gradually and be able to sustain that. This is all said, not even mentioning that lowering your pH is the LAST thing you would want to do during a fishless cycle. The bacteria grow best when the pH is above 8.0! Lowering the pH would be counter to that.


I am curious as to what has happened to your pH recently...

Well, I haven't been testing the pH very much, but did test it last night and it was around 7.6-7.8 so staying pretty steady. Why do you ask?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I was curious if it had fallen recently. A pH crash can stall a cycle. Sitting where yours is, doesn't stall it though.

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Great sign! Just checked nitrite levels after having dosed tank to 2 ppm ammo at midnight last night and so after around 21 hours I got a reading of 0 on the nitrites. Definitely the fastest it has converted the nitrites yet, even though it wasn't the full 4 ppm. I'll be dosing back up to 4ppm ammo tonight and lets see if it can convert that in 24 hours. Getting excited, though I know I probably shouldn't.

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

17 days into the cycle now and when I checked my nitrites today they were at 0. First time they've gone from 4 ppm ammo to 0 nitrites within 24 hours! Now just to hit that 12 hour mark! I feel it getting closer....

 

[KittyKat]

So I guess I was quite a bit off then.. but I was talking about ideal circumstances!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 7-14 days before you get the double zeros in 12 hours. But congrats on moving into phase three!

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

So I guess I was quite a bit off then.. but I was talking about ideal circumstances!

Yeah, I don't think very many ppl have the perfect environment needed to grow the bacteria at that rate. It's moving pretty nice in my opinion though.

I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 7-14 days before you get the double zeros in 12 hours. But congrats on moving into phase three!

Thank you sir! I can wait another 3 weeks if I have to I guess.

 

[KittyKat]

I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 7-14 days before you get the double zeros in 12 hours. But congrats on moving into phase three!

Thank you sir! I can wait another 3 weeks if I have to I guess.

I'm sure I'll suffer just as much as you, when I start my fish-less cycle in a couple of weeks!

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Dunno guys, it's looking good. When I tested it at 21 hours this afternoon it had 0 nitrites in it! Could have done it faster than that, but don't know because I was at work since 9. It did it somewhere between 12 and 21 hours because when I checked it before I went to work it was still pretty high, I'd say around 5 or a little higher. It's getting there steady though.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Good stuff!

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Processed 4 ppm ammo to 0 nitrites in about 14 hours today. It's been increasing by about 1-2 hours everyday for the past few days so I'm expecting to get the 12 hour processing either tomorrow or the next dose. Can't wait!

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Happy to say that I hit nitrites to 0 at 12 hours today! I'm 3 weeks and 4 days into the cycle so I'm very happy with the progress I've seen. I'll be going through the proving week the next few days and next Thursday I'll be stocking fish and a couple more plants! Thanks to everyone who helped me along with this process especially eagle and kitty. I appreciate it much! Now the real fun begins!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Always a pleasure helping out.

What are your stocking plans?

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Always a pleasure helping out.

What are your stocking plans?

Well, I know I was told not to stock platy's....But, like I said, my wife wanted some Mickey Mouse Platys so bad that I couldn't help it. I got 3 platys tonight. We got 1 MM Platy who has a dark orange color around his dorsal that speckles into a white on his face. He was the ONLY one in the many platy tanks we looked in. Also 1 Bumblebee Platy, also male. And 1 blue colored HiFin Platy with the MM trait, also male. We wanted no fry because my wife couldn't bare seeing them eaten because I'm not ready to take on rearing the fry. I also bought a small cryptocyrne and a couple of bunches of anacharis. I wanted to also get some Bamboo Shrimp, but they were out.

How many shrimp could I put in my 10G tank? Also, with the 3 platys, and the Betta I plan on adding, could I put in some corys as well along with some shrimp? Or just shrimp OR corys? I have sand so corys are an option.

I have the lights set for an hour in the early morning and then 5 hours from 5-10 at night. Is this sufficient? It's an 8000K florescent full spectrum daylight bulb 15W 112V I believe.

 

[KittyKat]

Pass on the bamboo shrimp till the tank is established, they're filter feeders, so they won't be able to get enough food right now. Cherry shrimp are a good first fish, but some Bettas may nom them, so amano shrimp might be a better option because they are bigger.

I really would recommend 6-10 dwarf or pygmy Corys of one species as they are fine with Bettas and platys, assuming it's a standard shaped tank because they do need the bottom area.

5 hours at 15W should be enough, it's quite a bit of light!