Fishless Cycle Question

[craigieboy01]

Hi, Im curently doing a Fishless Cycle on my 23 litre Fluval Edge and it seems to be stalling, I have had a few other questions answered about this, but i was wondering if the filter is set up properly, it came with a 3 part system, 1. Biomax 2. Carbon clean and clear 3. Foam Pad. Are all these items fine for a Fishless Cycle?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yes, those items are fine for a fishless cycle, however the carbon is unnecessary. Carbon is not stable enough to hold beneficial bacteria as the surface of it is changing all the time due to it adsorbing stuff in the water. However, it is in no way stalling your cycle.

Can you give us more info on your current setup?

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels?

What are you using as a score of ammonia?

What kind of test kit are you using?

How far in are you on your cycle?

What is your temp?

etc....

-FHM

 

[craigieboy01]

Yes, those items are fine for a fishless cycle, however the carbon is unnecessary. Carbon is not stable enough to hold beneficial bacteria as the surface of it is changing all the time due to it adsorbing stuff in the water. However, it is in no way stalling your cycle.

Can you give us more info on your current setup?

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels?

What are you using as a score of ammonia?

What kind of test kit are you using?

How far in are you on your cycle?

What is your temp?

etc....

-FHM

Hi fatheadminnow, Just checked my stats 2nite after doing a 90% water change on Tuesday, i dechlorinated and added pure Ammonia, Ph 7.4, Amm 4ppm, Nitrite .25ppm. Im using an Api master kit, I was 5 weeks into the cycle and i have upped the temperature recently to 78% as it was sitting about 72%, I cant seem to get my heater any higher even when turned up full.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Looks like to me everything is fine.

-FHM

 

[waterdrop]

The pH of 7.4 and the lower temp will mean a somewhat slower fishless cycle but it will still proceed. Is the carbon just pure black carbon, no white/gray chips in there are there?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[craigieboy01]

The pH of 7.4 and the lower temp will mean a somewhat slower fishless cycle but it will still proceed. Is the carbon just pure black carbon, no white/gray chips in there are there?

~~waterdrop~~

Hi Waterdrop, Yes the Carbon is just all black, the Biomax part of the filter is described as "Provides Optimum Biological Balance" and it is White/Grey pellet type chips, is that ok? Should my pH be higher?

 

[waterdrop]

A pH of 7.4 is not really low enough to justify alteration with baking soda (for now anyway) as things should still proceed pretty well, I would just leave it for now.

Biomax is a term used by at least one of the major filter manufacturers to describe their ceramic surface product. See if the white/grey pellet chips are nice and hard like ceramic or a little bit compressible/spongy, like zeolite (zeolite, am I saying the right thing? ) which is a chemical resin that removes ammonia, so we don't want it in our filters.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[craigieboy01]

A pH of 7.4 is not really low enough to justify alteration with baking soda (for now anyway) as things should still proceed pretty well, I would just leave it for now.

Biomax is a term used by at least one of the major filter manufacturers to describe their ceramic surface product. See if the white/grey pellet chips are nice and hard like ceramic or a little bit compressible/spongy, like zeolite (zeolite, am I saying the right thing? ) which is a chemical resin that removes ammonia, so we don't want it in our filters.

~~waterdrop~~

Hi waterdrop, I'm sure when i put them in my filter they were pretty hard, will i lift the filter out and check them now?

 

[waterdrop]

zeolite usually is a lot like carbon, maybe smaller chip size, maybe smoother but chalky surface. By contrast, ceramic used for media is usually rough almost scratchy surface and not chalky but very hard overall and is usually made in quite large chunks or rings, not little chips.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[craigieboy01]

Checked them out, they are hard solid cylinder shaped, they are about 10mm in size.

 

[waterdrop]

those are ceramics

 

[craigieboy01]

those are ceramics

So they are ok in my filter then for my Fishless Cycle? Thanks

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, ceramics and sponges are the two most competitive (ie. contenders as the best possible) biomedia choices in my opinion.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[craigieboy01]

Yes, ceramics and sponges are the two most competitive (ie. contenders as the best possible) biomedia choices in my opinion.

~~waterdrop~~

Sounds good to me Waterdrop, thanks again. Will keep you posted on the progress of my Cycle.