Fishless Cycle

[redevilman]

Hi, everyone just thought id give my results so far and ask for a little advice on my high nitrates

and high ph in my tap water

80L TANK

TAP WATER
PH 7.8
NITRATES 20-40


22 MAY
DAY 1
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 8.0 DID A 50% WATER CHANGE NOW AT 4.0MG/L
NITRITE OMG/L
NITRATE 40MG/L

23 MAY
DAY 2
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 4.0MG/L
NITRITE 0MG/L
NITRATE 20-40MG/L

24 MAY
DAY 3
PH 8.OMG/L
AMMONIA 4.0MG/L
NITRITE 0MG/L
NITRATE 20-40MG/L

DAY 5
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 4.0MG/L
NITRITE 0MG/L
NITRATES 20-40MG/L

DAY 6
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 2.0MG/L TOPPED UP TO 4.0MG/L
NITRITE 0MG/L
NITRATE 20-40MG/L

DAY 7
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 2.0MG/L TOPPED UP TO 4.0MG/L
NITRITES 0MG/L
NITRATE 20-40MG/L

DAY 8
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 2.0MG/L TOPPED UP TO 4.0MG/L
NITRITE 0.25MG/L
NITRATE 20/40MG/L

DAY 9
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 2.0MG/L
NITRITE 0.50MG/L
NITRATE 20/40MG/L

DAY 10
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 1.0MG/L TOPPED UP TO 4.0MG/L
NITRITE 1.0MG/L
NITRATE 20-40MG/L

DAY 11
PH 8.0MG/L
AMMONIA 0MG/L TOPPED UP TO 4.OMG/L
NITRITES 2.0MG/L
NITRATES 60MG/L

As you can see things seem to be runnig smoothly at the moment but i would like a bit of advice on lowering my ph and nitrates as my tap water is high in both

 

[Tolak]

Let the pH be, pH fluctuations are very common in a cycling tank, and a higher pH is actually better than one lower than neutral. When doing a fishless cycle the high level of nitrates is nothing to worry about, it will climb quite high, this is to be expected. This will be dealt with by doing a large water change once the cycle is complete.

For 10 days it seems to be moving along pretty quick, nice to see.

 

[rdd1952]

I agree with Tolak about your pH. During cycling, 8 is much better than sub-7. If you are speaking of what to do after the cycle is finished and you are ready to stock the tank, that is another issue all together.

Your tap water is 7.8 and usually but not always, water with a high pH will also have a high GH & KH. If your water is the norm, it will be very difficult to lower the pH. Things such as bogwood and running peat in your filter can help but probably won't have much of an effect. The thing you want to avoid though is using pH altering chemicals. They keep the pH in constat swing which is much worse for the fish than one that is outside their optimal range.

The truth of the matter though is that you really don't need to worry with it. Most fish can easily adapt to any pH as long as it's stable. There are several members that keep quite delicate fish and rays with very hard water.

As far as your cycle is going, do you have live plants in the tank? The fact that your ammonia was dropping for a few days the nitrite wasn't rising is odd. If you have a fair number of live plants though, they will use some of the ammonia before it can be processed.

 

[iankent]

As far as your cycle is going, do you have live plants in the tank? The fact that your ammonia was dropping for a few days the nitrite wasn't rising is odd. If you have a fair number of live plants though, they will use some of the ammonia before it can be processed.

thats what I got in the first few days of my cycle because of the plants! confused the hell out of me

 

[redevilman]

At the moment i have a few plastic plants but i wood like some advice on real plants to lower my nitrates and i forgot to add that i had added tetra safestart would this have had any effect on the ammoni lowering and the nitrites not rising

 

[rdd1952]

The Safestart shouldn't have any effect as I think it is just a dehlorinator (may be wrong but too lazy to look it up right now). It looks as though your are on your way though as you do have nitrites present now.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

sounds like it's all running smoothly, there will be a few species you can't keep in your water, but the vast majority of trops will be just fine, just make sure you do some research on the fish's pH preferences before you get them.

 

[redevilman]

sounds like it's all running smoothly, there will be a few species you can't keep in your water, but the vast majority of trops will be just fine, just make sure you do some research on the fish's pH preferences before you get them.

I have started to do some research on fish but some of the sites and forums give a lot of the same fish different ph levels.
I have filled a 25 litre water jar and dechlorinated it and left it for a couple of days. I tested it this morning and the ph is around 7.8 so i would like some suggestions on the fish i could keep in an 80L tank.I would be grateful for all the help i can get.

 

[rabbut]

Most things realy. Even sencitive fish like Discus can be OK in that pH. My Discus tank is running at about that ATM, but the fish stropp at me if I lower the pH for them

Tetras, barbs, most anbanitords (gourami and bettas) and catfish will be fine. IMO the pH you have doesn't realy limit you all that much. I'd go look round your LFS, see what they have and make a list of those that catch your eye. Post the list on here and we can take it from there

All the best
Rabbut

 

[redevilman]

Most things realy. Even sencitive fish like Discus can be OK in that pH. My Discus tank is running at about that ATM, but the fish stropp at me if I lower the pH for them

Tetras, barbs, most anbanitords (gourami and bettas) and catfish will be fine. IMO the pH you have doesn't realy limit you all that much. I'd go look round your LFS, see what they have and make a list of those that catch your eye. Post the list on here and we can take it from there

All the best
Rabbut

 

[redevilman]

My LFS water is pretty much the same as mine and they have a good selection of fish.They even have the small cichlids shell dwellers neolamprologus multifasciatus called multies for short which only grow 1.5 -2 inches females up to an inch but i am not sure if they are a good beginner fish

 

[rabbut]

There are worse choices you could have made . I believe that many are wild caught so they may not be forgiving of ammonia and nitrite. Nitrate should be kept no more that 20ppm above the tap water supply, as they would not seem much of this where they were raised (in lake tanjanika I think??). Otherwise, nice an easy I personaly don't know much more than that about them though

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Miss Wiggle]

multies would be good for your pH, they're african cichlids and like a higher pH, you may even need to raise it.

They're lovely little fish but they arent for a community tank, you need a species tank for them so you keep a little community of them together. lovely but it may not be what you are looking for

 

[redevilman]

multies would be good for your pH, they're african cichlids and like a higher pH, you may even need to raise it.

They're lovely little fish but they arent for a community tank, you need a species tank for them so you keep a little community of them together. lovely but it may not be what you are looking for

I read a little more up on them and it seems they arnt afraid of any fish no matter what size so i think il give them a miss but they are fun to watch tho. Maybe when i get a bit more experience behind me with a community tank i can then move on to something like cichlids but for now il stick to what ive got. thanks tho