Fishless Cycle

[Little_Nemo]

Fishless cycle has been running for 5 days now, with no changes what so ever in testing results, beginning to think the filter media isn't helping at all.
I have a film on the water surface too now, even covers where the flow of water is from the filter, got a water sample yesterday and broke the film, and can now only describe the film as being like flaky skin bits. Used Tetra Aqua Safe to dechlorinate my water when I did a change on Wednesday, previously used 'Gold' from Pets @ Home. Any Ideas?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Fishless cycle has been running for 5 days now, with no changes what so ever in testing results, beginning to think the filter media isn't helping at all.
I have a film on the water surface too now, even covers where the flow of water is from the filter, got a water sample yesterday and broke the film, and can now only describe the film as being like flaky skin bits. Used Tetra Aqua Safe to dechlorinate my water when I did a change on Wednesday, previously used 'Gold' from Pets @ Home. Any Ideas?

Sounds fine and the exact same to my shrimp tannk. I have a 54L set it up and added added ammonia with some LFS media as well. Had no chnage for 8 days then day 9 the ammonia droped from 5ppm to 2-3pmm. Im on day 22 now and my tank can do 5ppm of ammonia to 0ppm in 24 hours. Remember every tank is different but 7-10 days is normal to start things off. I also have the oily film on the top of the water i read its due not enough movment of the waters suraface.

What size is your tank and how much ammonia did you add?

 

[Little_Nemo]

Sounds fine and the exact same to my shrimp tannk. I have a 54L set it up and added added ammonia with some LFS media as well. Had no chnage for 8 days then day 9 the ammonia droped from 5ppm to 2-3pmm. Im on day 22 now and my tank can do 5ppm of ammonia to 0ppm in 24 hours. Remember every tank is different but 7-10 days is normal to start things off. I also have the oily film on the top of the water i read its due not enough movment of the waters suraface.

What size is your tank and how much ammonia did you add?

My tank size is 35L and I didn't add ammonia - as I've got mature filter media.

 

[Skins]

Sounds fine and the exact same to my shrimp tannk. I have a 54L set it up and added added ammonia with some LFS media as well. Had no chnage for 8 days then day 9 the ammonia droped from 5ppm to 2-3pmm. Im on day 22 now and my tank can do 5ppm of ammonia to 0ppm in 24 hours. Remember every tank is different but 7-10 days is normal to start things off. I also have the oily film on the top of the water i read its due not enough movment of the waters suraface.

What size is your tank and how much ammonia did you add?

My tank size is 35L and I didn't add ammonia - as I've got mature filter media.

Hello L_N
I have just posted a reply in your other thread, You will have to get yourself some H/H Ammonia for two reasons:
1)To keep any bacteria in your donated filter media alive.
2)encourage the bacteria to colonise and cope with your future fishes bio-load

Keep us all posted, Keith.

 

[Skins]

Hello again,
May i suggest you have a look at the article "fishless cycling", there is a link in my signature at the bottom of this post.

Keith.

 

[Aqua Tom]

You need to add Ammonia. You are trying to establish a bacterial colony in your filter. Bacteria like all life need food to survive. The food they eat is ammonia, usualy produced by fish waste etc. We use hh ammonia because it is a know quantity so easy to judge the dose.

If you are not dosing your tank in any way then your filter bacteria have died, sorry to be blunt.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

You need to add Ammonia. You are trying to establish a bacterial colony in your filter. Bacteria like all life need food to survive. The food they eat is ammonia, usualy produced by fish waste etc. We use hh ammonia because it is a know quantity so easy to judge the dose.

If you are not dosing your tank in any way then your filter bacteria have died, sorry to be blunt.

yeah sorry to say but going on 6 days with no ammonia for them to feed them tom's right the bacteria will have died if not there will be so few left it will take another week of feeding ammonia to get to the starting point.

If you in the UK i got my bottle of ammonia from boots £1.75 huge bottle found in the household cleaning bit. Hope it helps

 

[Little_Nemo]

i've had a dying plant in the tank since from the day I added the media, and read that this helps feed the bacteria - so surely my media is still 'alive'

 

[Skins]

i've had a dying plant in the tank since from the day I added the media, and read that this helps feed the bacteria - so surely my media is still 'alive'

This will produce ammonia if it has got to that stage, but the most reliable source of food for the bacterias in a fishless cycle is h/h ammonia. I would imagine one of the members has already mentioned that you need a liquid test kit, which will enable you to monitor your ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, and pH levels. If your bacteria colonies are being starved it will start to die off at a rate of 2-10% every 24hrs.

Keith.

 

[Little_Nemo]

Tested now - and

Ammonia 0.25 PPM
Nitrite 0 PPM
Nitrate 5 PPM *Just checked colour again*
Ph 7.6

 

[Skins]

Tested now - and

Ammonia 0.25 PPM
Nitrite 0 PPM
Nitrate 0 PPM
Ph 7.6

Did you get some h/h ammonia?

 

[Little_Nemo]

Nope - just wanted to see where i stood with the results - seeing as my results are inline with my brothers tank, and he has fish swimming about as happy as larry.