Fishywishie Is A Noob - A Guide How Not To Cycle A Tank

[PDSimon]

oh never mind... I'm not even sure if that is actually a proper amazon sword? just called mini but actually another species so nevermind. leaves always die... you realise ammonia at these concentrations is a lot for them to handle?

Should be ok soon enough

 

[FishyWishie]

Yeah hence im thinking hauling them all out for now is prob the best way forward.

1) The ammonia isnt helping the plants

2) The nitrates from the ferts are building up in no time and are stalling the cycle

Im not emo or ragequitting or anything I just fear that trying to keep the plants alive and the tank cycle make be working against each other.

 

[PDSimon]

Why not just stop dosing ferts for the rest of it...take dying stuff out? I don't see the problem with that what dies dies and it can't bother the cycle. They're definately going to die if you take them out?

 

[FishyWishie]

Well some news today even if I don't fully understand it lol


@ 12 hour check (Well 12 hr 45 mins check I slept in lol) Ammonia was 1 PPM (This is false reading due to the TPN + dosing) But Nitrites were 0 Now god only knows how this has happened as my cycle has been troublesome to say the least I tested it 3 times and 3rd time I left the tube sittting 10 mins just incase but it is definately a 0. Last night was the first time I used my new plastic syringe to measure the ammonia being added so I guess it's possible that in the past I've been accidently overdosing. The sad thing is im so used to failures and setbacks im sitting thinking maybe every other time was right dosing and I underdosed last night lol.

Now today I have a problem in 1 hr I set off for a overnight stay with the missus at a friends meaning I wont be here to add the ammonia dose at 10 PM (My usual time) it's 11AM here currently and I leave at midday What should i do ammmonia wise ? Dose now or don't dose at all ?

 

[FishyWishie]

Right gotta go out now back sometime later tommorow I've decided to dose even tho its 12 hour mark just incase were delayed home tommorow in which case tank could have had no ammonia to eat for 36 hours potentially.

 

[PDSimon]

It'll be alright

 

[FishyWishie]

Back had great time managed to plow my way through over 3 litres of Koppaberg pear cider plus about 6 baby guiness (Tia Maria with baileys layered on top lol) Mind you that was from midday to about 2am so not to bad

Now back to the tank.

Before i left at midday yesterday i dosed 12ml as the ammonia had cleared from the night before barring the 30-40 mins late in doing the check it was actually a double 0 for both ammonia and nitrite so will be interesting to see if it can repeat this feat @ the 12 hour check or if it was a rogue result just to taunt me

 

[FishyWishie]

Double zero @ 12hours for 2nd day running \o/

Now do I increase from 4 PPM to 5 PPM and wait till that double zero's OR do i stock to say 50-60% and say almost 80 days of cycle is plenty ?

Looks like my wonky measuring really was a major contributing factor.

 

[PDSimon]

Whatever you prefer fishy, it was close hey, good job you waited that little longer! (and dosed the right amount )

I preferred to stock lightly to start of with anyway because I wanted to experience keeping some fish before I got all I could and then realised well actually I preferred so and so. So your best bet to is really research your favourite fish and then start of with that, and maybe a shoal of another fish and work from there. thats if you want to, you could go to 5ppm, and stock 100% if you wanted!

 

[FishyWishie]

Think we might take a leisurely drive to 2 closeish LFS later and peruse there wares Stocking list is pretty much settled upon just a little debate over what fish will be at the top of the tank

Current Stock Plan is tho I'm not 100% on the Hatchets and I think the apisto would be better coming later as there not as hardy as say the Rams ?

 

[PDSimon]

Good stuff, don't forget you have to do a 100% waterchange and gravel/sand clean before adding any fish!!

I agree you may want to wait a atleast until the tank has settled before adding the agassizii. The bolivian rams will be fine

galaxy rasbora can be really small, did you check the rams/apistos won't eat them? most tetra would be suitable if you do change your mind plus tetra are south american too so would match the rams, apisto and hatchets.

 

[FishyWishie]

According to all I can read the Rams would only bother the Rasborra if there breeding. Aquadvisor doesn't flag up any conflict but I understand its far from 100% perfect. I'll go post it again in Trop Fish section see if anyone has had issues or knows of any.

The tank is draining as we speak the Nitrates were above 80 so it was being drained in any case.

 

[FishyWishie]

Not sure if I'll buy tonight or not been standing looking at the tank tonight and I really hate how it looks plant wise think I might sort that out first. Not sure anyway off to LFS for a look.

 

[PDSimon]

Pfft who cares about plants get some fish

They would almost definately eat fish that fit in their mouth IF they could catch them. My rams are very friendly - except at feeding time!

 

[FishyWishie]

Back fishless

There stock was really bad 1 khuli loach was about all they had that was on my list lol Ran out of time to visit the other LFS will try that tommorow night. For now ill up the ammonia to 12.5ml (5 PPM) to see how close it is to being able to handle that.

The plants have to be sorted tho atm its not a good layout its far to busy looking, Waaaaaay to much Hygrophilla and feels cluttered and badly thought out. Due to so much dieing like I said prev its not so much that I have what I wanted more that I have what didn't die lol