Graph of a fishless cycle

[daza]

When I did a fishless cycle on my current tank a while ago, I kept a table and plotted a graph. I have just got around to tidying it all up a bit and adding some comments.

I thought I would post it here to help anybody else doing a fishless cycle. There has been a couple of cycling records by others, but hopefully the graph will explain things differently.

The tank is a Juwel Rekord 70 (70 Litre, 18.5USg) and the ammonia source was Jeyes Kleen Off. The ammonia was still added between day 21 and 37 because I couldn't get to the LFS for fish, and needed to keep the bacteria alive (i.e. keep the tank cycled).

and the table for the same graph.

Hope it is of some use to somebody

 

[wetwetwet]

yep nice work mate

Though I cann't understand why the nitrAte dropped so much before the 50% water change - unless this result was skewed untill the nitrItes were under control



www

 

[daza]

yeah I wondered why that was myself. Maybe it was the test kit and the reading was scewed as you say

 

[jflowers]

Great idea daza! why hasn't this been done before, gonna have to do that next time I get a tank (don't worry, won't be long I am sure ).

That nitrAte reading is strange, why so high so early and what caused the drop? I suspect the test kit what make was it?, strips or liquid?

[EDIT: Did you get a bacterial bloom somewhere in there? If so what day? All my tanks had a cloudy stage that cleared up in a day or so.]

Jon

 

[newfishies]

that is great! a really clear, concise view of what to expect!!!

maybe this should be pinned?

 

[daza]

I was using Nutrafin NH3/NH4 test kit for ammonia throughout and TetraTest 5in1 for the other parameters up to day 37. On day 37 I switched to using Nutrafin test kits for nitrite and nitrate (hence no readings for pH, KH and GH that day).

It is possible that it was the TetraTest giving the strange nitrate reading. Although they are very convenient during a cycle for taking multiple readings quickly, the colours can run between the different pads on the strip. As the nitrate and nitrite pads are next to each other then it is possible that the dark colour on nitrite ran into the nitrate reading.

I didn't really get a bacterial bloom. There was a short period of slightly cloudy water but unfortunately I didn't log when it occured, but I remember that it didn't last long at all. I was lucky in this area!