Fishless Cycle

[leavingreality]

This is my fishless cycle where my filter was soaked in water squeezed from a mature filter overnight before setting it up.

Tap water Ammonia: between 0 - 0.25 slight green tinge , pH: 7.6, Nitrites: 0 , Nitrates:between 40-80 (can this be right? ,

21/06 - 13:00 - day 1 : Ammonia: 0.25 , Nitrites: 0 , Nitrates:10ppm , Temp: 26 , pH: 7.4 - before filter is put in tank after water has been in 36 hours after sand has settled and bog wood is in.
22/06 - 21:00 - day 02 : Ammonia: 0.5 , Nitrites: 0 , Nitrates:80ppm , Temp: 26 , pH: 7.4 - filter has been in 24 hours
23/06 - 13:00 day 3 Ammonia: 0.5 , Nitrites: 0.5 , Nitrates:80ppm , Temp: 26 , pH: 6.6
24/06 - 14:30 day 4 Ammonia: 0.5 , Nitrites: 2 , Nitrates:40ppm -80ppm , Temp: 30 , pH: 7.6 - turned temp up abit as reading other threads that seems to help things.
25/06 12:30 day 5 Ammonia: 0.5 , Nitrites: 2 , Nitrates:20ppm -40ppm , Temp: 30 , pH: 7.2 - added ammonia upto 4ppm
26/06 16:30 day 6 Ammonia: 4 , Nitrites: 5 , Nitrates:40ppm , Temp: 30 , pH: 7
<been away past week so no readings done>
04/07 11:30 day Ammonia: 1 , Nitrites: 5 , Nitrates:20ppm , Temp: 30 , pH: 6.4

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

I'm just wondering why ammonia has risen and nitrates have jumped up. What does your tap water read?

 

[Miles_hot]

I would certainly add some ammonia as if there are any bacteria on your sponge they need something to each and I would be concerned thay they might run out at 0.25 - 0.5.

Miles

 

[leavingreality]

HI,

I've added the tap water stats and the ones for today, I forgot to do it this morning but am going to set a reminder on my phone to make sure i start doing it at the same times.

I'm not sure now if I just can't read the colour difference well enough for the nitrates or if it is a bad test kit as shouldn't the tap water be lower?

I guess I might have to just take tap and tank water to a shop and see if they can help confirm if it is the test kit or just me reading it wrong?

Thanks

Suz

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The nitrate test is a tricky one. What kit are you using?

 

[leavingreality]

The nitrate test is a tricky one. What kit are you using?

It is the api test. Just managed to get a photo of the last tank test but I know this is hard to read being here let alone from a photo.


api test photo day 3

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The API nitrate test is tricky - shake the bottle much longer than you ever think necessary - and the same goes for the test tube. The reagents are a powder and they separate easily in bottle #2.

 

[leavingreality]

The API nitrate test is tricky - shake the bottle much longer than you ever think necessary - and the same goes for the test tube. The reagents are a powder and they separate easily in bottle #2.

OK cool thanks. I'll try testing the tank and the tap water again later. Is the fact the nitrites have increased a good sign do you think? Do you think I should be adding ammonia now even though it is with some old media. Sorry I'm just getting confused as trying to cheat by not doing the whole cycle from scratch but I think that is making it harder for me to understand that it should be.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Using mature media is not "cheating" as you say, but how most veteran aquarists set-up a new tank. I would dose ammonia to 3-4ppm, and watch how long it takes to drop to 0ppm.


The rise in nitrite is a good sign. A rise in nitrates is an even better sign.

 

[leavingreality]

brilliant thanks for the help eaglesaquarium

 

[leavingreality]

So if I'm reading this right it doesn't look like mature media squeezings made any difference and I guess I just have to wait it out or get some other mature media.

 

[leavingreality]

I've been away for a while so didn't manage to do readings every day. Ammonia has come down a bit at least but so has ph. I can't decide between just doing a water change as the water is a bit coloured from the bog wood anyway or just put some baking powder in to get the ph up. What do you think?

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd do a water change if your pH has dropped to below 6.5 ish.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I've been away for a while so didn't manage to do readings every day. Ammonia has come down a bit at least but so has ph. I can't decide between just doing a water change as the water is a bit coloured from the bog wood anyway or just put some baking powder SODA in to get the ph up. What do you think?

FYP.

What are your readings? Has nitrite shown up? Has nitrate increased? An increase in nitrate could drive your pH down. Other than that, I'm not sure why the pH would have dropped. Do you have any bogwood in the tank?

 

[leavingreality]

FYP.

What are your readings? Has nitrite shown up? Has nitrate increased? An increase in nitrate could drive your pH down. Other than that, I'm not sure why the pH would have dropped. Do you have any bogwood in the tank?

Hi sorry the readings are the last ones in the first post. I do have bog wood in the tank which has discoloured the water quite a bit even though it was presoaked. I've done a 50% water change now as I couldn't get the syphon to work to get it all out (can you recommend any good ones where I won't end up having to suck it?)

I'll leave it to settle for a bit I think (just as water changes are hard!!! i'm nackered after that and that wasn't the whole tank) and see what the levels are before upping the ammonia back to 4.