Fishless Cycle Diary

[youngfisher]

Patience and it will all be werfit

 

[Kris T]

I'm about to start my cycle any day now (as soon as substrate arrives). What numbers do we need to see and for how long to know we're done?

For example, how many days in a row does ammonia need to get back to zero 12 hours after adding to know it's cycled? I've read lots on the subject, but what I'd like is exact numbers so I can be sure. Something like "Ammonia and Nitrite need to be at zero for 5 days running and Nitrate has to be below X for X days" etc. Are there any specific guidelines like that?

I'm asking because on some days it would have been easy to think that Jonty's cycle was about to be done, then his ammonia levels go up again...

 

[Jonty]

I'm about to start my cycle any day now (as soon as substrate arrives). What numbers do we need to see and for how long to know we're done?

For example, how many days in a row does ammonia need to get back to zero 12 hours after adding to know it's cycled? I've read lots on the subject, but what I'd like is exact numbers so I can be sure. Something like "Ammonia and Nitrite need to be at zero for 5 days running and Nitrate has to be below X for X days" etc. Are there any specific guidelines like that?

I'm asking because on some days it would have been easy to think that Jonty's cycle was about to be done, then his ammonia levels go up again...

Yep, ammonia is frustrating

I think you have to have Ammonia and Nitrite at 0ppm, then you keep going for 7 days. If every day you have Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 then you're completed. However if not I think you just keep going until you get that perfect week - the qualifying week

I just hope it comes soon - but I'll wait as long as it takes, as it'll be worth it.

 

[waterdrop]

Deciding on your "endpoint" is just a judgement call in a long continuum. The idea of the "qualifying week" was just that we were seeing a lot of fishless cyclers who would reach the first "double-zero", would make the big water change but would then still have a "blip" where ammonia or nitrite would show up again (a "mini-cycle" as we call them.)

So the idea was that once you hit the first "double-zero" (definition of which is that you have added ammonia to create 5ppm tank concentration and then 12 hours later or less you test and find zero ppm ammonia and zero ppm nitrite(NO2)) you should "begin your qualifying week." The definition of the qualifying week was just that if the biofilter is truly cycled, it should be easily able to drop 5ppm to double-zeros each day for the "rest of the week."

The "week" was really just intended to mean the better part of a week to get you to the weekend, which is most often when people typically want to do the big water change and get their first fish. It was never intended to be a hard and fast 7 days. Its only a technique in the sense that its intended to give structure for a beginner to follow... its an encouragement that incorporates something that many of us doing the helping have observed as being helpful.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Jonty]

Day 29 (24 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 8.4

Day 30 (12 hours after Ammonia add) - couldn't test

Day 30 (24 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 8.4

 

[Kris T]

Thanks for that excellent advice, waterdrop!

Jonty, nooouuu! You got ammonia back again!!?? To think you're still waiting after 30 days, and I haven't even started yet! And to make things worse, Seapets were supposed to deliver my substrate today, but all they sent me was my backgrounds and sealant and forgot to put the eco-complete on the van *furious* Now I have to wait until Tuesday to start the fishless cycling...

 

[Jonty]

Thanks for that excellent advice, waterdrop!

Jonty, nooouuu! You got ammonia back again!!?? To think you're still waiting after 30 days, and I haven't even started yet! And to make things worse, Seapets were supposed to deliver my substrate today, but all they sent me was my backgrounds and sealant and forgot to put the eco-complete on the van *furious* Now I have to wait until Tuesday to start the fishless cycling...

Patience is a virtue... but I'm losing it!

Nah, long as it takes. Anyway todays results are close

Day 31 (12 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 5ppm
PH 7.4-7.6

I say 7.4-7.6 as the colour is lighter than 7.4 on the high range ph tests but is blue (7.6) on the normal PH tests.

I'm more worried that is gone down by 1. Is this a big problem? Maybe I should do a 50% water change?

 

[Jonty]

Day 31 (24 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 7.8

Day 32 (12 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm
PH 7.6

 

[Jonty]

Day 32 (24 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 7.8

Day 33 (12 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 8.2

2 days with doubles 0s - wooooo

 

[Jonty]

Day 34 (24 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 8.0

I'm passing a LFS tomorrow - if I get 0s tomorrow would I be able to put in 3 ADFs? Or would 3 days be too short for a qualifying week?

 

[Jonty]

Day 35 (12 hours after Ammonia add)
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 8.0

3 days of double 0s - is it safe for fish. I need to know as I'd be going in a few hours..

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, you're looking ready to schedule your first fish! Congrats! (sorry I was out of town when you asked earlier...)

~~waterdrop~~