Ginga's Fishlesss Cycle Log No 13

[Ginga@139]

Good evning guys , gals
right lets try out this template see if it works for you all


Size of Tank: 65L
Make/Model of Filter: Interpet power filter PF2
Type of Test Kit: api master freshwater
Tank Temperature: 29c
Tap Water pH: 7.4
Type and Strength of Ammonia: homebase household 9.5%
Decor including Plants: 1 stone shark in from very begining

Test 13
wednesday 19th 8pm
Dosed up 3.5ml last evening

Ammonia Oppm
Nitrates 5ppm
Nitrites of scale but not hitting bottom quite so quick
PH 7.8


Conculsion
time to dose with another 3.5 i think

again as always please comment critize , advise as much you can

Ginga

 

[sjolliff]

You will know when your nitrites start dropping, coz the colour will take longer to change when hitting the bottom.
As the nitrites drop the nitrates should start goin up.
mine was at 40ppm for ages them when i was proccesing 4ppm of ammonia and nitrites in 14hrs it was around 90ppm

On my 2nd cycle the one i nearly finished, once i hit my nitrites spike i dropped down to dosing only 2ppm of ammonia every 24hrs
it took about 8 days to get near 0 after that, i then dosed back up to 4ppm.
I also never did a water change, as not disturbing it can be beneficial.

But every tank and cycle is different, this is my 3rd time and is different to my second

 

[waterdrop]

ok, since you asked...

Very nice template of baseline stuff, excellent to include whenever you start a new thread about the fishless cycle under discussion. The one thing I'd add to that baseline info would be the tap stats (NH3, NO2, NO3, pH.)

In contrast to the baseline type of info, I'd consider changing the "repeating" info. Telling what "Test #" is less useful to the critical info we're usually looking for.. the "Day #." When the members look at a fishless cycle post to try and help, one of the first things we look for is "what day its on" from the time that ammonia was first added.

When to add ammonia is pretty easy to figure out with the add & wait method. If the ammonia concentration (from some previous addition of ammonia) as dropped to zero ppm any time during the preceeding 24 hours, then its time to add ammonia. You only add once during any 24 hour period and its ideal to be consistent about which hour of the 24-hour day you make the addition in. What most people do is establish an hour such that they will commonly be home and that they will also likely be able to be home 12 hours hence. So, for example, if you would typically be home at both 7am and 7pm or 8am and 8pm, then you could pick one of those times to be your regular hour at which to add ammonia. Say you always planned to add at 7am. If you tested zero ppm ammonia at 7pm, you still wait to the following 7am time to come up before adding your 3.5ml or whatever, because that's your regular "add time." Does that make sense?

The only reason I'm mentioning this is that sometimes people get confused and add ammonia -any- time they test and find the level to be zero. Doing that would tend to pump too much ammonia into the system and cause you to have to wait even longer for the "nitrite spike" phase to finish up.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tropical_Fish]

sometimes people get confused and add ammonia -any- time they test and find the level to be zero.

Some people hey! I'm easily confused!

Having said that my nitrite was processing in about 10 days after the ammonia which from reading isn't bad even with the excess ammonia

 

[Ginga@139]

ok, since you asked...

Very nice template of baseline stuff, excellent to include whenever you start a new thread about the fishless cycle under discussion. The one thing I'd add to that baseline info would be the tap stats (NH3, NO2, NO3, pH.)

In contrast to the baseline type of info, I'd consider changing the "repeating" info. Telling what "Test #" is less useful to the critical info we're usually looking for.. the "Day #." When the members look at a fishless cycle post to try and help, one of the first things we look for is "what day its on" from the time that ammonia was first added.

When to add ammonia is pretty easy to figure out with the add & wait method. If the ammonia concentration (from some previous addition of ammonia) as dropped to zero ppm any time during the preceeding 24 hours, then its time to add ammonia. You only add once during any 24 hour period and its ideal to be consistent about which hour of the 24-hour day you make the addition in. What most people do is establish an hour such that they will commonly be home and that they will also likely be able to be home 12 hours hence. So, for example, if you would typically be home at both 7am and 7pm or 8am and 8pm, then you could pick one of those times to be your regular hour at which to add ammonia. Say you always planned to add at 7am. If you tested zero ppm ammonia at 7pm, you still wait to the following 7am time to come up before adding your 3.5ml or whatever, because that's your regular "add time." Does that make sense?

The only reason I'm mentioning this is that sometimes people get confused and add ammonia -any- time they test and find the level to be zero. Doing that would tend to pump too much ammonia into the system and cause you to have to wait even longer for the "nitrite spike" phase to finish up.

~~waterdrop~~

OK so here i am .. very easily confused
im testing once day at moment 8pm
have twice test in morning but ammonia never down to O the twice i tested at 12hrs
so i usally test about 8pm then add Ammonia..if at O
yes
thats right yes??

 

[waterdrop]

ok, since you asked...

Very nice template of baseline stuff, excellent to include whenever you start a new thread about the fishless cycle under discussion. The one thing I'd add to that baseline info would be the tap stats (NH3, NO2, NO3, pH.)

In contrast to the baseline type of info, I'd consider changing the "repeating" info. Telling what "Test #" is less useful to the critical info we're usually looking for.. the "Day #." When the members look at a fishless cycle post to try and help, one of the first things we look for is "what day its on" from the time that ammonia was first added.

When to add ammonia is pretty easy to figure out with the add & wait method. If the ammonia concentration (from some previous addition of ammonia) as dropped to zero ppm any time during the preceeding 24 hours, then its time to add ammonia. You only add once during any 24 hour period and its ideal to be consistent about which hour of the 24-hour day you make the addition in. What most people do is establish an hour such that they will commonly be home and that they will also likely be able to be home 12 hours hence. So, for example, if you would typically be home at both 7am and 7pm or 8am and 8pm, then you could pick one of those times to be your regular hour at which to add ammonia. Say you always planned to add at 7am. If you tested zero ppm ammonia at 7pm, you still wait to the following 7am time to come up before adding your 3.5ml or whatever, because that's your regular "add time." Does that make sense?

The only reason I'm mentioning this is that sometimes people get confused and add ammonia -any- time they test and find the level to be zero. Doing that would tend to pump too much ammonia into the system and cause you to have to wait even longer for the "nitrite spike" phase to finish up.

~~waterdrop~~

OK so here i am .. very easily confused
im testing once day at moment 8pm
have twice test in morning but ammonia never down to O the twice i tested at 12hrs
so i usally test about 8pm then add Ammonia..if at O
yes
thats right yes??

Yes, that's fine. 12 hour tests aren't really important until near the end of fishless cycling and if you're only testing once a day then if ammonia has dropped to zero that day its time to add another dose.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

Your approach is fine Ginga, as WD said. Testing daily and only adding when levels are zero is exactly what you want to do. When you find levels at zero every day, you need to start testing more often but, even then, you only add ammonia once a day.