Karawr - Fishless Cycle

[karawr]

I was thinking eheim jager if they have it.

I don't even know why it's not working!! So far I'm hearing good things about it. I wonder if, instead, my thermometer is broken....? I have two thermometers and both have different readings. But either way, even though it's set to 30C, it says not even 25C.

Can anyone suggest a thermometer?

I've got this (underwater treasures digital thermometer) and a regular ol' floating glass thermometer.


EDIT: Btw congrats on completing your cycle... 31 days jeeze. Why is mine taking so long?

 

[Gelt]

I was thinking eheim jager if they have it.

I don't even know why it's not working!! So far I'm hearing good things about it. I wonder if, instead, my thermometer is broken....? I have two thermometers and both have different readings. But either way, even though it's set to 30C, it says not even 25C.

Can anyone suggest a thermometer?

I've got this (underwater treasures digital thermometer) and a regular ol' floating glass thermometer.


EDIT: Btw congrats on completing your cycle... 31 days jeeze. Why is mine taking so long?

i have a glass thermometer and a digital , cheap with a probe from a well known auction site - both are more or less spot on, the digital is great for temp matching fresh water , just whip it out the tank and chuck the probe back in when done. Two thermometers is a good idea in case of the unlikely event one fails.

yep thats my digital one too , but face in black and grey- good little gadget.

 

[OldMan47]

If you have a 100W heater in a 20 gallon tank that can't get water temperatures above 22C, it is not working. A 100W heater in a 20 gallon tank, in any normally warm room, will easily get the water temperature to 30C in less than a day. It is time to reach your hand into the water and feel around the area of that heater. The water there should be noticeably warmer than water just a few inches away from the heater.
As far as thermometers, I suggest that any alcohol filled thermometer, the dirt cheap ones with the red liquid fill, will give you plenty of accuracy for fish keeping. If you can get your temperature anywhere close to suggested values, things will work well for you. I go to a fish shop and just compare the half dozen thermometers that are hanging on a rack. They all should match since they are all in the same room. I buy the ones that agree with each other and leave the rest for someone else. At less than $2 each, I see no reason to spend more for my tanks.

 

[karawr]

~ignore~

 

[karawr]

NITRITE FINALLY 0PPM *dance time*

So do I start dosing to 4ppm now?

 

[BIG BAD BARRY]

Yes up your dosing now.
Your A bacs appear to be slower in processing/growth compared to a typical cycle.
This could be due to your heater issue.
Are you back up to cycling temp?

 

[karawr]

No my heater situation hasn't improved.

I dosed 4ppm and tested 12 hours (well 11, given my time schedule) later and it was 4ppm.

 

[karawr]

Bought a 10g air pump for more oxygen.

 

[karawr]

I completely removed the bio rings from the 20g and 100% replaced it with bio rings from the established 75g.

I've ALSO put a little piece of filter sponge in my 75g which I will also take out later and put in the 20g. How long do I have to wait for the bacteria to transfer over to the piece?

 

[karawr]

Really need some comments please!!

I have contacted my LFS about corydoras habrosus... a fish I've been avidly hunting for my tank!! I live in a small town and it's incredibly hard to find cool fish and habrosus has been missing til now. Definitely don't want to let it slip away!! They say they can hold it for 2 days for me... I need some opinions.

I really don't want to put them in my 20g and risk losing them. Of course I would do daily water changes but still. The current update is I can dose 2ppm around 7PM and by the next day (7pm) it drops to 0.25ppm and nitrite is 0ppm. That is 24hours and ammonia still not even dropping to 0.

I do have an established 75g but I have a crazy fish-eating turtle in there. I am wondering if I should buy a divider and give them a slab of the tank until my tank is done?? I don't even know if I can find a divider big enough. I might have to build something...

Another option is cutting out some sponge from the established 75g. That would give me mature sponge plus the mature bio media I took from it this weekend. Technically making the filter completely cycled as it's full of completely mature media!!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You could finish it as a fish-in cycle and be ready to do water changes at the drop of a hat (or more exactly a rise in ammonia or nitrite).

 

[karawr]

How safe would that be though? I don't really want to spend $30~40 on a school of cories and then half/all of them die. I am prepared to do the water changes when necessary.

 

[karawr]

Stupid retards thought corydoras habrosus/salt and pepper was a pepper cory. I bloody hate this town, no one knows anything about fish.

So, that leaves me with continuing my add and wait cycle.

Here's my cycle plan:
Dose 2ppm until it drops to 0ppm in 24 hours. (currently only dropping to 0.25)
Then, dose 4ppm until I get double zeros in 12 hours.

 

[karawr]

Yay today's tests show ammonia 0ppm and nitrite 0ppm.

Gonna now dose 4ppm and check in 24 hours. Fingers crossed.

 

[BIG BAD BARRY]

Sorry to see things stalled a bit.
Is the heater back on track and up to cycling temp?
Hopefully the A bacs will get sorted now.
I think the situation has allowed your N bacs to get ahead of the game as it were so you should not be far off now.
The fish in cycle is always a fall back position but you have come a long way.
You can miss a testing period or dosing period with fishless cycling but you dont really want to miss a fish in cycling water change particularly with your busy situation.