Hello New Here I Am 3/4's Into My Fishless Cycle

[PDSimon]

I agree with dan, I think people confused because all your readings aren't in one post at the start of the thread.

I don't quite understand whats going on in your fishless cycle so...

Maybe take a look at my blog on the forum.

Stage one of the add and wait method

Dose your tank with 4-5ppm. When it drops to 0, dose it with 4-5 ppm. Repeat this at the same time whenever you need to.

So for example, you might put 5ppm on day 1. then on day 10 your ammonia has dropped to 0 and you add another 5 at the same time you've added the first dose and so on.

Stage one is over when 5ppm of ammonia has cycled within 24 hours so you have to test every 24 hours.

Stage two is where you test nitrites so that they go within 24 hours. For me, I started dosing my tank with 3ppm rather than the 4-5 that you do in stage one, which you can do everyday at the same time because your tank can easily cycle it. This is where you will experience a nitrite spike as I currently am.

Why 3ppm? Its meant to be more effective.

Stage three is where you dose the tank with 5ppm of ammonia and wait for it to drop. When it starts going completely within 12 hours is when you've finished your cycle.. I think theres a bit more to this stage but I havn't got to it yet!

hope you understand. check around for the other blogs.

Notes: my ammonia is 9.5% too. I just use the calculator on the beginners section to calculate how much I need.

- You don't just want to dose ammonia whenever, it won't make uniform results. You also don't want to dose ammonia so it causes more than 8ppm in the tank. This encourages the wrong type of bacteria.

thanks for explaining but i dont have a clue what you mean mate i have posted the results i have done what people have told me so why are people confusing me going on about other/same stuff can someone just tell me what to do its really annoying me am either going to bin the tank or just find another forum that can give me more advice the people on here who have gave me advice has been appreciated but people are telling me this and that can they just read my post before this thats what am up to thats wha am doing and now what do i do ect

It doesn't matter what forum you go to, if you don't understand the basics you won't be able to complete the cycle... i'm not the best at explaining things but if you don't know what I mean you're going to have to work it out one way or another.

I take it you've read the beginners section on fishless cycling?

I've read your post, but there is a communcation problem. If you look at most blogs, all the tests are on the first post which makes it easy for the members to understand. If we can't understand and look throughout your results, we can't help.


I assumed you had read about cycling but if you don't understand and have just been following people I shall try and explain it a bit if it helps... fish poo has poisonous ammonia in. Bacteria breaks it down into nitrite(still very poisonous to fish), and then another bacteria breaks it into nitrate, which can be removed by water changes when you finally have fish in your tank after the cycle. So what a fishless cycle is doing, is using ammonia instead of fish to grow bacteria in the filter where the bacteria grow.


Has your tank got mature media in? As in has it got filter media/sponge from a friends or fish store that you've put in your tank? This speeds up the cycling process. Fishless cycling can take a long time so mature media is useful.

the filter was bought so its got no mature media and i dont know anyone close who has a tank, your replys are appreciated but your not tellin me what to do... did u read my last post telling people where and what i am up 2 ?

So your saying you've followed the advice i said earlier "Dose your tank with 4-5ppm. When it drops to 0, dose it with 4-5 ppm" and your confused because your nitrites havn't changed for weeks?

 

[scouse_george]

I agree with dan, I think people confused because all your readings aren't in one post at the start of the thread.

I don't quite understand whats going on in your fishless cycle so...

Maybe take a look at my blog on the forum.

Stage one of the add and wait method

Dose your tank with 4-5ppm. When it drops to 0, dose it with 4-5 ppm. Repeat this at the same time whenever you need to.

So for example, you might put 5ppm on day 1. then on day 10 your ammonia has dropped to 0 and you add another 5 at the same time you've added the first dose and so on.

Stage one is over when 5ppm of ammonia has cycled within 24 hours so you have to test every 24 hours.

Stage two is where you test nitrites so that they go within 24 hours. For me, I started dosing my tank with 3ppm rather than the 4-5 that you do in stage one, which you can do everyday at the same time because your tank can easily cycle it. This is where you will experience a nitrite spike as I currently am.

Why 3ppm? Its meant to be more effective.

Stage three is where you dose the tank with 5ppm of ammonia and wait for it to drop. When it starts going completely within 12 hours is when you've finished your cycle.. I think theres a bit more to this stage but I havn't got to it yet!

hope you understand. check around for the other blogs.

Notes: my ammonia is 9.5% too. I just use the calculator on the beginners section to calculate how much I need.

- You don't just want to dose ammonia whenever, it won't make uniform results. You also don't want to dose ammonia so it causes more than 8ppm in the tank. This encourages the wrong type of bacteria.

thanks for explaining but i dont have a clue what you mean mate i have posted the results i have done what people have told me so why are people confusing me going on about other/same stuff can someone just tell me what to do its really annoying me am either going to bin the tank or just find another forum that can give me more advice the people on here who have gave me advice has been appreciated but people are telling me this and that can they just read my post before this thats what am up to thats wha am doing and now what do i do ect

It doesn't matter what forum you go to, if you don't understand the basics you won't be able to complete the cycle... i'm not the best at explaining things but if you don't know what I mean you're going to have to work it out one way or another.

I take it you've read the beginners section on fishless cycling?

I've read your post, but there is a communcation problem. If you look at most blogs, all the tests are on the first post which makes it easy for the members to understand. If we can't understand and look throughout your results, we can't help.


I assumed you had read about cycling but if you don't understand and have just been following people I shall try and explain it a bit if it helps... fish poo has poisonous ammonia in. Bacteria breaks it down into nitrite(still very poisonous to fish), and then another bacteria breaks it into nitrate, which can be removed by water changes when you finally have fish in your tank after the cycle. So what a fishless cycle is doing, is using ammonia instead of fish to grow bacteria in the filter where the bacteria grow.


Has your tank got mature media in? As in has it got filter media/sponge from a friends or fish store that you've put in your tank? This speeds up the cycling process. Fishless cycling can take a long time so mature media is useful.

the filter was bought so its got no mature media and i dont know anyone close who has a tank, your replys are appreciated but your not tellin me what to do... did u read my last post telling people where and what i am up 2 ?

So your saying you've followed the advice i said earlier "Dose your tank with 4-5ppm. When it drops to 0, dose it with 4-5 ppm" and your confused because your nitrites havn't changed for weeks?

how can i do that when i get told to dose when it drops ? how can i wait for it to go to 0? also i have at first i was told to wait till it hit 0 it didnt for a few days on the run and got told to dose up so ?

 

[Dan-CR4]

Hi George,

what it is that you dont understand about PDSimons post, if there is something you dont understand, explain what it is that you dont understand. We are really trying to help.

Maybe whoever said that you may nearly be done misunderstood your readings, thats why its important for a history of your testings and times on your first post. The testing in a cycle has to be regular every 24 hours at the beginning, thats why i said to you in a previous post on this thread, to choose a time you will be at home. I used 8pm, so once my ammonia started dropping to 0ppm every 24 hours then I could start doing testing at every 12 hours so that would be 8am and then 8pm.

You only need to dose when your ammonia has reached 0ppm and you only top up at say the 8pm timeslot, even if your ammonia has dropped to 0ppm within 12 hours, you only dose on the 24 hour slot.

you dont need to dump your tank or goto another forum as that would then be the third forum you have tried to get you through the cycle. This forum worked for me and loads of others, we will get you through but if there is something you really are not getting your head around let us know. There are good people here with a lot of knowledge, 2 People who got me through were Oldman47 and Waterdrop, if they give advice to you, Then thats who I would listen to, im not saying anyone else on here dont know what there doing but i am only going by who got me through and the advice they gave me were spot on.

This is what I would do....

1. Empty the tank of water down to the substrate, thats a 90% water change. Refill your tank, Have your heater set to 84 and then dose your tank with tap water conditioner, this removes Chlorine and Chloramine from your tap water, (I use Nutrafin aquaplus) but there are different brands that do the same thing, so what ever you use.
   
2. Now add the ammonia, you are using 9.5% ammonia, (same as what i used and most people here use). I see your tank is 214 litres and as long as it is full to the line on the tank you will need to add 11ml of ammonia, this will take the ammonia to 5ppm in your tank. This is using the calcultor at the top. I used this when i did my cycle and it worked fine for me.
   
3. Start a new cycling thread on this forum. And update the first post every day you do your water tests, just goto the first post and pres edit and add that days water tests. remember every 24 hours to begin with, it cant be 18 hours, 15 hours, get the test as close to the 24 hour mark as possible.
   
4. Wait 24 Hours, now do your test on ammonia only, no use testing nitrite or nitrate as that wont rise unless the ammonia is clearing. Once the ammonia reaches zero for the first time, then you can start testing for nitrite. Once the ammonia has reached 0ppm add 9ml of ammonia this will take your ammonia level in your tank backup to 4ppm. Again keep testing for ammonia every 24 hours only adding 9ml of ammonia once your tank is down to 0ppm.
   
5. Once the Ammonia and the Nitrite is clearing in 24 hours, you will need to start testing every 12 hours, if you are getting ammonia levels down to 0ppm within 12 hours, do not dose your tank with ammonia until the night time test, this way you are only adding ammonia once every 24 hours.
   
6. Now you are will be reaching the final hurdle. Once Ammonia and Nitrite are both reaching 0ppm within 12 hours, you continue adding the 9ml of ammonia in your night test, hopefully this will continue for one week which is called your qualifying week.
   
7. Once you have completed your qualifying week, you will then empty the tank down to the substrate refill the tank with tap water, remember to turn the heater down to accomodate what fish you are having then add your fish. you no longer need to add ammonia.
   
8. Other things to do on your first post. Do a test on your tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph and put the results at the top of your first post, again it helps people to see how you are going.
   
9. Test for Nitrates and your PH every couple of days remembering to add them results to your first post.

Dont give up. I am the worlds worst at having patience, my wife was so surprised how i stuck at it, but when you get your fish going in and they seem really happy, you will then know its all been worth it. Also you dont need to goto another forum as all you will be doing is starting all over again with them.

All the information I have given is what I did or what I would do and i got my cycle done in 36 days and i knew nothing aout cycling until I started it. I know each cycle is different and some are quicker than others but they all seem to follow the wait and add method thats used on this forum. And i can tell you it works if you follow it to the rule.

how can i do that when i get told to dose when it drops ? how can i wait for it to go to 0? also i have at first i was told to wait till it hit 0 it didnt for a few days on the run and got told to dose up so ?

Maybe they thought you were stalled and wanted to kickstart your cycle. But the tutorial for the add and wait method does say wait til it reaches 0.

you can take my advice or someone elses, its only you who can decide what to really do, but im a believer if things are not working out, then go back to the beginning and try again. I did a water change a few times during my cycle and it did not affect it badly or slow me down. I say you got nothing to lose by doing a 90% water change.

 

[scouse_george]

thanks mate but there is no way i am startin my cycle from scratch its been months since i started it and i dont wanna start from scratch and i dont think there is any need in starting from scratch shall i just do a test tomorrow when i wake up and see what it read?

 

[Dan-CR4]

As theres no history to read, from when you started cycling its hard to say what is happening. Maybe one of the more experianced people can help you out, as im out of ideas, i can only give advice of what i have done to get my cycle done in 36 days or what i would do. Good luck and hope you get cycled soon

 

[OldMan47]

You are getting decent advice from PDSimon George. To put things as simply as I can, you dose to 4 or 5 ppm when your present measurement get =s to zero. If you are having no luck getting that tank with the zero ammonia to process nitrites, you try a water change of well over 90%. That will lead to you having new water in the tank that might possibly contain some of the nitrite processors that you had not seen before. If that is the case, it will greatly speed your n-bac development. I always use a filter clone for my new filters so dealing with a total lack of bacteria is outside most of my experiences.

 

[scouse_george]

i had nrites awhile back, but then they went which is good isnt it?

As theres no history to read, from when you started cycling its hard to say what is happening. Maybe one of the more experianced people can help you out, as im out of ideas, i can only give advice of what i have done to get my cycle done in 36 days or what i would do. Good luck and hope you get cycled soon

history is in the whole thread

 

[Dan-CR4]

all im saying is how this forum works. everyone who goes through the cycle puts up a history by editing their first post of their cycle thread. you cant expect everyone who is trying to help you to go through 6 pages and remember each days results, if they were all in your first post they can quickly browse over it and it will help them to help you.

again you got to help the people here, if you want them to help you. its as simple as that. Im sure we all want to see u succeed but please make it easier for us to help. editing your first post will take about 1 minute a day. You cannot expect the more experianced people to go through 6 pages as they are keeping an eye on other peoples cycle as well, as they are trying to help more than just one person a day and really dont have the time to read 6 pages of every thread they are helping out on.

 

[chrisbassist]

Agreed, editing first post really helps.

Also, when it gets close to zero you re dose. I didn't say zero because you had a period where it stayed at .25 and it shouldn't have done. Now if the light you're Reading from is casting a colour or if the test is off and what you are seeing is actually a zero, then it would have starved bacteria.

If you still don't understand after several verygood explanations of what to do, then I'm going to suggest something else.

This is where people are going to dis agree with me.

Do a fish in cycle.

Basically, get a fish or 2. (no more) and put them in. But make sure you do a FULL water change first.

Then all you need to do is do a waterchange any time the ammonia or nitrite get above .25

a fishless cycle is normally the way to go. But you seem to be having trouble grasping the basic concept.


If you decide to go fish in there are a couple of things to remember.
Firstly, you will not lose the bacteria you have grown so far, so don't worry about it being starting from scratch.
Secondly, be prepared for lots of water changes.

 

[waterdrop]

Hey, have any of you guys read through and can summarize what stage he's likely to be at?

 

[PDSimon]

how can i do that when i get told to dose when it drops ? how can i wait for it to go to 0? also i have at first i was told to wait till it hit 0 it didnt for a few days on the run and got told to dose up so ?

Ok, are you using a pipette or a syringe?

Say you dose it at 10pm with 5ppm, the next day if its still 5ppm, you don't dose it. like Chris said, if its close to 0, you can still dose it but with slighlty less. it's an add and wait method not add daily method.

I really think if you want help from us you should put all the posts at the start, its very confusing for us to try and understand it from all the seperate posts, never mind for you.

 

[scouse_george]

i will a test at 4