Ifti's [Long] Fishless Cycle.....

[Ifti]

And so it begins!

Tap Water:
PH - 7.6
High PH - 7.4
Nitrite - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm

Will go check my tank for the first time shortly.....bear in mind Ive been waiting for the test kit to arrive, and I added a bit of ammonia 2 days back, along with some Interpet Filter Start, and am in a Bacterial Bloom!
Should give some interesting results!

OK I was wrong - nothing interesting.

Day 1 - Ammonia 0.25ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, pH 7.6, Nitrate 0ppm - Added Ammonia to approx. 6ppm
Day 2 - Ammonia 5ppm
Day 3 - Ammonia 5ppm
Day 4 - Ammonia 5ppm
Day 5 - Ammonia 5ppm
Day 6 - Ammonia 5ppm, Nitrite 1ppm, pH 7.7, Nitrate 2ppm
Day 7 - Ammonia 5ppm
Day 8 - Untested
Day 9 - Ammonia 4.5ppm
Day 10 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 11 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 12 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 1ppm, pH 7.8
Day 13 - Untested
Day 14 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 1ppm, pH 7.8, Nitrate 5ppm
Day 15 - Untested
Day 16 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 17 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 18 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 1ppm, pH 7.8, Nitrate 5ppm
Day 19 - Untested
Day 20 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 1ppm, pH 7.8, Nitrate 5ppm
90% water change (with tapsafe). Ammonia redosed.
Day 21 - Ammonia 4ppm, pH 7.8
Day 22 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 23 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 24 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 25 - Untested
Day 26 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 27 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 28 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, PH 7.8ppm
Day 29 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 30 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm
Day 31 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 32 - Untested
Day 33 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 34 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 35 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 36 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 37 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 38 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 39 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 40 - Ammonia 4ppm
Day 41 - Untested
Day 42 - Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrite 0ppm

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hi Ifti - I hope everything goes smoothly for your cycle. Looking forward to seeing your log results.

 

[Ifti]

Cheers - just going to go get an ammonia reading now!....

 

[Ifti]

Should I be doing a small water change at all at this early stage to introduce any bacteria from my tap water??

Still have a little foggyness in the water (Bacterial Bloom) which seems to be clearing very slightly day by day....

 

[Skins]

Should I be doing a small water change at all at this early stage to introduce any bacteria from my tap water??

Still have a little foggyness in the water (Bacterial Bloom) which seems to be clearing very slightly day by day....

Hello,
The only times you want to be performing a water change is if you over dose on the h/h ammonia or in the later stages of the cycle where you experience a pH crash. Unfortunatly there is no beneficial bacterias in your water supply because of its chlorine content, this is why we treat tap water with a dechlorinater so that the beneficial bacterias which colonies in the filter come to no harm. Fingers crossed you have a quick cycle.

Keith.

 

[Ifti]

Cheers mate - will just stick to testing daily and keeping my fingers crossed! lol

 

[Ifti]

Is it OK to top up the water a little? Its dropped slightly due to taking water out daily for tests etc....
If I top up (only a cupfull or so), do I still need to use some TapSafe?

 

[Gvilleguy]

You can top up a little bit like that, but I am paranoid - I would still treat the water to neutralize the chlorine. Even if you just use a few drops of TapSafe!

 

[Ifti]

Ok will do, cheers

 

[Ifti]

I may check my ph etc tomorrow - would it be useful to check it every 5 days or so?

 

[Gvilleguy]

I think 5 days is fine as long as you don't notice any "stalling" of the process. If something seems stalled our first question will be "what is your pH?"....

 

[Ifti]

Some slight changes (edited first post).
Ammonia seems to be getting ever so slightly lighter, but not light enough to enter the next shade down - but not sure if thats just my wishful thinking yet!

 

[Ifti]

Shouldnt I be seeing some kind of movement in Ammonia by now???

 

[Gvilleguy]

It is not at all unusual for it to take a couple weeks to show a drop in ammonia. I would think you'll see something soon.

 

[Ifti]

I hope so!! lol