Fishless Cycle

[Skins]

Just a suggestion but if your nitrate is still off scale I would reduce that with a big water change, you dont want high nitrate messing with the cycle at this late stage

Things can happen quickly at this stage in the cycle, looking back over my journal those annoying traces of nitrite disappeared after I reduced the nitrate

Yes they are o/c again. Will proberly do a down to gravel water change this week. Have not posted todays stats because there is no change from yesterday.

Skins.

 

[waterdrop]

 

[Skins]

Hello all,
What a busy little bee i have been this morning

(0800hrs)95% water change+vac

(1040hrs)My water parameters:
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 20ppm
Low pH 7.6
High pH 7.4
Tank temp 29c

(1045hrs)
H/H ammonia added 8.84(4ppm)

(1115hrs)Tap water parameters:
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 5-10ppm
low pH 7.6
KH 3dKH
GH 6dKH

*Would i be right in thinking that i have poor buffer levels for my pH?*

Skins.

 

[waterdrop]

Well, 3 is just crossing over into the low range (4 being the line) so yes, you could easily get pH crashes in the 3rd phase of fishless but no, you will not necessarily be too low once you have a running tank I'd say. WD

 

[Skins]

Well, 3 is just crossing over into the low range (4 being the line) so yes, you could easily get pH crashes in the 3rd phase of fishless but no, you will not necessarily be too low once you have a running tank I'd say. WD

Thanks WD

 

[Skins]

Hello all,

My water parameters:

1st(0930hrs)24hr test
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate n/a
Low pH 7.6
H/H ammonia added 8.84ml(4ppm)

*Will test tonight on the 12hr mark*

Will keep you posted, Skins.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Hello all,

My water parameters:

1st(0930hrs)24hr test
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate n/a
Low pH 7.6
H/H ammonia added 8.84ml(4ppm)

*Will test tonight on the 12hr mark*

Will keep you posted, Skins.

looking very promising.

 

[Skins]

Hello all,

My water parameters:

1st(2130hrs)12hr test
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 2ppm
nitrate n/a
Low pH 6.8-7.0
(2145hrs)3tsp sodium bicarb added
(2300hrs)low pH 7.6

2nd(0930hrs)24hr test
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate n/a
low pH 7.6
H/H ammonia + 8.84ml(4ppm)

*Had to lightly clean parts of the filter due to very poor flow rate, I would assume this is down to when i started my fishless cycle(when i didn't have grey hair,LOL!!!)i used fish food and not h/h ammonia. If i'm honest i proberly did put a lot in at the time. Fingers crossed i have not upset the process to much.*

Will keep you posted, Skins.

 

[Aqua Tom]

seems like you are cycling the ammonia & nitrites nicely in 24 hours. Fingers crossed that it speeds up a bit. lets both hope we have fish by Xmas (probably doomed us both by saying that).

 

[Mogs26]

O dear, you've missed a little piece of the methodology! You only ever add ammonia at the "add-hour," the 24-hour mark after you dosed previously. Adding sooner than that or adding if your NH3 reading has not reached true zero ppm will eventually add too much nitrogen to the tank. ~~waterdrop~~

Ok now I am confused! I read a really good article on 'add and wait' version of fishless cycle and it said to add ammonia when it dropped to 0ppm. It didn't mention only adding at the 24hour mark-is that that the 'add daily' version? What I am doing is adding as the ppm drops to 0 and waiting 'til it drops to 0 and re-adding. If I wait til the 24 hour point how will I know when the ppm drops to 0 in 12 hours? (My 215l tank is processing ammonia from 4-0ppm in 24 hours ATM, so I need to make sure I don't muck up the next bit!!!!)
Carole x

 

[Skins]

seems like you are cycling the ammonia & nitrites nicely in 24 hours. Fingers crossed that it speeds up a bit. lets both hope we have fish by Xmas (probably doomed us both by saying that).

Fingers crossed for us both. I told my daughter she can buy me a mature filter for xmas if things don't change, lol.

 

[Skins]

O dear, you've missed a little piece of the methodology! You only ever add ammonia at the "add-hour," the 24-hour mark after you dosed previously. Adding sooner than that or adding if your NH3 reading has not reached true zero ppm will eventually add too much nitrogen to the tank. ~~waterdrop~~

Ok now I am confused! I read a really good article on 'add and wait' version of fishless cycle and it said to add ammonia when it dropped to 0ppm. It didn't mention only adding at the 24hour mark-is that that the 'add daily' version? What I am doing is adding as the ppm drops to 0 and waiting 'til it drops to 0 and re-adding. If I wait til the 24 hour point how will I know when the ppm drops to 0 in 12 hours? (My 215l tank is processing ammonia from 4-0ppm in 24 hours ATM, so I need to make sure I don't muck up the next bit!!!!)
Carole x

Hi Carole,
As waterdrop says you only dose on the 24hr mark. It would be a good idea for you to check your nitrAtes, I expect they will be quite high if you have not done any water changes and secondly high nitrates can lower your pH which then slows or even halts the cycle process.
If you look at my posts you will notice my timing routine:
0930hrs
Check parameters/Dose h/h ammonia
2130hrs(12hr test)
Check parameters
0930hrs(24hr test)=the following day
Check parameters/Dose h/h ammonia

Hope this helps, Skins.

 

[Skins]

Hello all,

My water parameters:

3rd(0930hrs)24hr test
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 80ppm+
Low pH 7.6
H/H Ammonia added 8.84ml(4ppm)

*I feel the 12hr test tonight will show up any hick-ups caused by my light filter clean yesterday, fingers crossed results will not be to damaging.*

Keep you posted, Skins.

 

[Mogs26]

O dear, you've missed a little piece of the methodology! You only ever add ammonia at the "add-hour," the 24-hour mark after you dosed previously. Adding sooner than that or adding if your NH3 reading has not reached true zero ppm will eventually add too much nitrogen to the tank. ~~waterdrop~~

Ok now I am confused! I read a really good article on 'add and wait' version of fishless cycle and it said to add ammonia when it dropped to 0ppm. It didn't mention only adding at the 24hour mark-is that that the 'add daily' version? What I am doing is adding as the ppm drops to 0 and waiting 'til it drops to 0 and re-adding. If I wait til the 24 hour point how will I know when the ppm drops to 0 in 12 hours? (My 215l tank is processing ammonia from 4-0ppm in 24 hours ATM, so I need to make sure I don't muck up the next bit!!!!)
Carole x

Hi Carole,
As waterdrop says you only dose on the 24hr mark. It would be a good idea for you to check your nitrAtes, I expect they will be quite high if you have not done any water changes and secondly high nitrates can lower your pH which then slows or even halts the cycle process.
If you look at my posts you will notice my timing routine:
0930hrs
Check parameters/Dose h/h ammonia
2130hrs(12hr test)
Check parameters
0930hrs(24hr test)
Check parameters/Dose h/h ammonia

Hope this helps, Skins.

Thanks for that-I tested the nitrates this morning and they were 80. The Ph is 8.2 which is as it has been since day 1! I am pleased I read this thread as I would have dosed at 12hrs once it started to drop in that time!
Carole x

 

[anon02]

Hi Skins,
I would drop the ammonia test and save it for when you have fish, which shouldn`t be too long now