Jayne's Cycle

[LilyRose Tank]

64L tank, new setup, with interpet PF2 filter with carbon sponge and normal "white " sponge media . With black washed gravel...no heater as tank is iitially going to be a cold water tank

tank setup and switched on without ammonia 7.45pm this evening. allowing to settle before addition of ammonia at 3.5mls of 9.5% household ammonia from Homebase store UK

Day 1(29/8) Amm 4
Day 2 Amm 4
Day 3 Amm 4
Day 4 Amm 4
Day 5 Amm 2/4... can't judge the reading will see what is what tomorrow
Day 5 +12 Amm 2/4 No2 .25ppm and we're off
Day 6 Amm 2/4 No2 .25ppm

abandoned cycle

 

[waterdrop]

~~waterdrop~~
ps. good luck with it - work has been keeping me off the boards a bit too much but I'm sure flutter or GVG or Aqua Tom or some of the others will look in on you.

 

[Miles_hot]

I'll bow to more experienced people however you might want to consider buyng a cheep heater for just the cycle as the advice is to raise the temp to a bacteria friendly 29-30 degrees C. When the cycle is complete you can always let the temp die back to room temp??

Miles

 

[fluttermoth]

A 64l would be better as a trop tank anyway; I can't really think of any coldwater/temperate fish that would live happily in there...

 

[LilyRose Tank]

ok thanks guys

Flutter....was advised a 60L would be ok for one black moor gfoldfish? no?
also, are the bacteria in a tropical tank, the same as in a coldwater tank? I was informed once that if the tank was to be used for coldwater, then it would have to be cycled as coldwater?

 

[waterdrop]

No, that's incorrect Jayne, the bacteria are the same for cold or tropical freshwater filters. They will indeed grow faster if you fishless cycle at 29C/84F and then just drop temp back down prior to introducing the fish (remove the heater or whatever the plans are.)

Technically from all the advice from the people who do lots of goldfish I've always heard that the fancy goldfish are minimum 20G(76L) volume for the first fish (non-fancy are 30G(114L) for the first fish.) That means your 60L is a bit small but I wonder if your size (between 15 and 20G) might be borderline enough if it were a hardship to upsize (thinking just the raw tank itself since probably the same equipment would handle these similar sizes.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

ok, thanks waterdrop,didnt realise you supposed to cycle at 29....was using much lower temp last time. maybe i shall research some different fish that look like moors. Or maybe I shall just stick to what I know and get a mixture. We will see. thanks waterdrop xx

 

[LilyRose Tank]

ok, i installed a heater set at 29 degrees. also bought air pump, but forgot non return valve so will get one on the weekend, and install it properly

 

[LilyRose Tank]

think todays reading is between 2 and 4ppm. we shall see tomorrow if its a definate 2

 

[LilyRose Tank]

retested this morning Dyay 5 +12 ( usually dose at 11pm)
amm 2/4
no2 0.25ppm....and we're off

 

[LilyRose Tank]

abandoned cycle...needed the filter sponges to help an ill betta

 

[waterdrop]

When you get back to it, be sure to use a thermometer in addition to your heater, often the numbers on the heater dials don't mean that the heater is calibrated to real temperatures, so you want to check that the dial number that is pointed to when the light goes on or off is matching up pretty closely with what your thermometer is saying. I like the simple glass float thermometers with a simple red spirit thermometer inside the glass tube. If you look at several of them in the store, just don't choose one that is off from what the majority of the other ones in the pile. Did that make sense?

WD

 

[LilyRose Tank]

yes thanks WD. I lost the betta, and am just cycling a 28L tank for my Jewel, who is in a hospital tank with finrot right now.
just started cycling the 64L again, already producing nitrites so adding half dose to 2ppm of ammonia