Fishless Cycle Diary

[waterdrop]

 

[mancin]

Phew! The cycle is back on track. The water change put the pH back at it's normal level. Now I'll just need to make sure that doesn't crash on me again!

 

[OldMan47]

It sounds like you have everything under control there Mancin. Good job on your part.

 

[mancin]

The numbers look good tonight!!! I won't be able to do my 12 hour test tomorrow morning, but I'm hoping to see the same numbers tomorrow night. I love that sky blue of NitrItes! If this keeps steady for a week then I'll feel pretty confident that it's actually cycled. We'll see though, I don't want to get my hopes up.

 

[waterdrop]

Are you going to begin testing at 12 hours after adding ammonia as well as 24 hours after adding ammonia?

Very good milestone that you got "double-zeros" at 24 hours after adding ammonia!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mancin]

Are you going to begin testing at 12 hours after adding ammonia as well as 24 hours after adding ammonia?

Very good milestone that you got "double-zeros" at 24 hours after adding ammonia!

~~waterdrop~~

Yep, definitely. I'll be watching for those double zeros at 12 hours.

 

[mancin]

Another double zero at 24 hours. I've been terrible this week @ checking around 12 hours because I have a friend in town visiting and we are always out and about before 10 AM. I'm hoping that I can get the 12 hour reading tomorrow morning.

 

[mancin]

Almost there, but not quite! Ammonia is processing in 12 hours, but I still have 1ppm left of NitrIte. Going forward I'll post my 12 hour for Ammonia and NitrIte and 24 hour for Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte. It's so close!

 

[mancin]

The pH is starting to crash again. It's in the mid 6s right now, so not as bad as it was before, but I assume if I do nothing it will likely get down to 6.0 like it was before. I'll likely wait until tomorrow morning to do my 12 hour test before I do my water change to see if I have double zeros at 12 hours yet. I'm not holding my breath though!

 

[waterdrop]

I forget, are you doing just water changes or water changes plus baking soda to bolster your KH to get your pH up?

-wd-

 

[mancin]

I forget, are you doing just water changes or water changes plus baking soda to bolster your KH to get your pH up?

-wd-

So far I've just had to do the one water change to get the pH back up. I wasn't expecting another drop so soon. I took my 12 hour readings and Ammonia is at 0 (which surprised me a little since I had an Ammonia reading out of no where during the last pH drop) and NitrItes are still at 0.5. I was hoping to see the NitrItes drop closer to 0 in 12 hours, but I'm almost there!

 

[waterdrop]

If you're that close then probably just a gravel-clean-water-change would be the thing.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mancin]

If you're that close then probably just a gravel-clean-water-change would be the thing.

~~waterdrop~~

Thanks!

 

[paulbr1]

Somebody will probably say of course it is but -

I reckon the PH drop is caused by the mass of accrued Nitrate, I had two PH drops in my "seaded" cycle also.

But it is looking good - there in a couple of days.

Pics required of course when you are there!

Paul.

 

[mancin]

First double 0 at 12 hours!!!