First Cycle Log

[XeroTolerance]

Hello everybody! This is my first fishless cycle log. I'm using the "Add and Wait" method to cycle.

LOG
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GO HERE FOR AN EASY TO READ LOG

Added 4ppm of Ammonia on 7/25 at 10:30 AM.
7/26| 10:00 am-Ammonia 4ppm|
7/27| 10:00 am-Ammonia 4ppm|
7/28| 10:00 am-Ammonia 4ppm|
7/30| 5:30 pm-Ammonia 4ppm|
7/31| 7:20 pm-Ammonia 3ppm| Nitrites 0-.25ppm
8/1| 10:00 am-Ammonia 3ppm| Nitrites 0-.25ppm
8/2| 9:00 am-Ammonia 3ppm|
8/3| 4:30 pm-Ammonia 3ppm| Nitrites 2ppm
8/4| 11:00 am-Ammonia 3ppm| Nitrites 5ppm
8/5| 10:00 am-Ammonia 2ppm| Nitrites 5+
8/6| N/A
8/7| 11:00 am-Ammonia .25ppm| Nitrites 5+ *RE-DOSED TO 3ppm*.
8/8| 8:00am-Ammonia .50|Nitrites 5+|Nitrates 5ppm| 22hours = 2ppm of Ammonia processed
8/9| 8:00 am-Ammonia 0ppm| Nitrites 5+|Nitrates 10ppm| pH 7.6 *RE-DOSED TO 3ppm*
8/10|8:00 am-Ammonia 0ppm| Nitrites 5+|Nitrates 5ppm| pH 6.6 *Did a 90% PWC and re-dosed to 3ppm*
8/11|8:00 am-Ammonia 1.5ppm|Nitrites 0|Nitrates 20ppm| pH 7.6 * Bio-Filter can handle 1.5ppm of Ammonia and Nitrite in 24 hours*
8/12|8:00 am-Ammonia 0ppm|Nitrites 0ppm| Nitrates 30ppm| pH 7.6 *RE-DOSED to 3ppm*
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[Tizer]

Is that a real plant? if so i would remove it, with ammonia in the water you will get algae on it.

 

[XeroTolerance]

It's not .

Glad it looks like one. But on the other hand this was taken on a crappy iPod camera .

 

[XeroTolerance]

New and Better picture of the tank.

 

[Tizer]

that looks much nicer, whatis your eventual stocking plan?

 

[XeroTolerance]

5 Flame Tetras, 1 Ghost Shrimp, and 2 Mystery snails .

 

[KittyKat]

You should go for at least 6, and maybe 8 tetras, or they'll bother the snails and the shrimp. Also, I always recommend against apple snails in anything under 15 gallons because of their adult size and tendency to produce enough ammonia to kill everything in a 10 gallon, when one dies. My advice is 15 gallons for the first snail + 5 gallons for every next one and in a 15 gallon, one would still need to be doing 50-90% water changes after one dies.

 

[XeroTolerance]

Thanks for your advice. I know what I'm doing though and I'm an active member of applesnail.net for over 3 years now. I have Mystery Snails which are the size of a quarter and they stay that size too. Thanks for your advice though its appreciated.

I think you are talking about apple snails .

 

[XeroTolerance]

July 31

Ammonia 3ppm
Nitrites 0 - .25ppm


The Nitrite test looked blue but not sky blue so I put 0 - .25. I'm using the API Master Test Kit.

 

[KittyKat]

Mystery snail is sometimes used as a common name for apple snails, especially in certain parts of the US.

25 mm is about right for adults, although they can grow larger, on occasion. The written part of applesnail.net is generally a great resource, but the forums contain just as much fluff as any other forum does. Just wondering, but have you ever measured the ammonia reading after one dies or read anywhere what it can be?

There's a really good book called "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium", which is well worth buying (but even if you don't want to, I imagine that if you searched for on a popular search engine, there might be a link to down load a PDF of it somewhere around the first or second page), around chapter 2-3 there is a section on toxicity of ammonia to fish, it goes into some detail about different levels of exposure and their long term effects. I recommend you have a read.

 

[XeroTolerance]

I will, thank you very much . It makes me think twice but I already have my two mystery snails since August of last year. I was keeping them in a 1.5 gallon ( which their in now until my 10 gallon is done cycling). Thanks for your help. I'll be sure to check that book out.

 

[XeroTolerance]

August 1

Ammonia 3ppm
Nitrites .25ppm

 

[XeroTolerance]

August 2

Ammonia 3.9ppm

 

[XeroTolerance]

August 3

Ammonia 3ppm
Nitrite 2ppm

 

[XeroTolerance]

August 4

Ammonia 3ppm
Nitrite 5ppm