Fishless Cycling Log

[waterdrop]

Patience is paying off!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[degsod]

Day 33 (12 hours after ammonia)
NH3 0.25
NO2 0
NO3 0
pH 7.8

 

[degsod]

Day 34 (24 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 0

 

[degsod]

Day 34 (12 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0.25
NO2 0.5
NO3 5

 

[degsod]

Day 35 (24 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 5

 

[degsod]

Day 35 (12 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0
NO2 0.5
NO3 5

 

[degsod]

Day 36 (24 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 0

 

[degsod]

Am getting excited now, does this mean that I am nearly cycled?

 

[waterdrop]

Very interesting how "close to the edge" of ending you keep being! For most people its one or the other population that seems to "stick" at the end but for you it seems dead even.. it goes back and forth between either ammonia or nitrite sticking just a tiny bit short of passing the 12-hour test. Its gotta just hit straight-out double-zeros at 12 hours here very soon I'd say.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[degsod]

Very interesting how "close to the edge" of ending you keep being! For most people its one or the other population that seems to "stick" at the end but for you it seems dead even.. it goes back and forth between either ammonia or nitrite sticking just a tiny bit short of passing the 12-hour test. Its gotta just hit straight-out double-zeros at 12 hours here very soon I'd say.

~~waterdrop~~

Just my luck to be different LOL, I will keep on doing the measuring and hopefully it will all come good.

 

[waterdrop]

Oh, but its a very positive thing that you're so close now. And you are sticking to the tough standards for a good biofilter so in my opinion it will be a very robust and strong filter for you once you start to use it with fish!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[degsod]

Oh, but its a very positive thing that you're so close now. And you are sticking to the tough standards for a good biofilter so in my opinion it will be a very robust and strong filter for you once you start to use it with fish!

~~waterdrop~~

I agree, this is the first tank that I have cycled the proper way, and when I get my next tank I will be doing the same thing. I have been explaining about the different bacterias to everyone in the house and how we have to wait. After all it did take millions of years for life to evolve on earth after the big bang LOL

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, the whole nitrogen cycle and the bacteria are quite fascinating the fun to talk about. If you play your cards right you will never again have to perform a fishless cycle from scratch because from now on you will have your very own "starter bacteria." You will simply buy some new biomedia for your current filter, remove 1/3 of your mature biomedia from your current filter (replacing it with the new stuff you bought) and work it into the media of the new filter, which will be running on the new tank (a tank with 5ppm of ammonia which you are so skilled at knowing about now.) Then you'll also dunk your trays of media and/or squeeze your mature sponges right in the beautiful clear new tank water, making it muddy as heck (!) and what you should find is that this same fishless cycling process that took you weeks and weeks the first time will take hardly a single week when you do this new one!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[degsod]

Day 36 (12 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0
NO2 0.25
NO3 5

 

[degsod]

Day 37 (24 hours after addition of Ammonia)

NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 0