Leanne's Fishless Cycle

[leannethenewbie]

142 days WD, and you're the one advising us on how to cycle? Just kidding!

I found when I did a waterchange in the nitrite spike stage it helped speed up the processing of nitrite

Thanks PDsimon, I'll certainly give it a go if it worked for you...

I don't mind being all experimental!! emphasis on 'mental!'

 

[leannethenewbie]

My nitrate has dropped to almost nothing

Thats weird right??

 

[PDSimon]

No its good!

What time do you dose ammonia? if its 12 hours since you put ammonia in you're in your third and final stage

 

[waterdrop]

Yeah, when our tank broke I set up a crazy bucket system in the garage with the filter and heater running but the water volume changed and the temperature was less controlled in the shed. WD

 

[leannethenewbie]

I am imagining this series of buckets and tubes and things everywhere... I have a very overactive imagination!!!



My Nitrites are still through the roof , and my nitrates are lower than they were before

 

[PDSimon]

oops, i read nitrate as nitrite. How have your nitrate dropped without a waterchange, impossible?

 

[leannethenewbie]

I know.... thats what I thought!!!

Crazy right??

I haven't done one, maybe I did the test wrong ?? I'll test again tonight, before I do the water change as suggested..

I'll keep you posted

 

[PDSimon]

With the API test kit, don't forget to shake the second bottle for 30 seconds, hit it against something a few times as well(it breaks up crystals inside). Then shake the test tube for atleast 1 minute too

 

[OldMan47]

A nitrate drop can be quite normal. Plants use nitrates, even algae use nitrates. If you are not producing any because you are not moving nitrites, the nitrates can indeed drop. In this tank, even when I don't do a water change for months, I never see more than 10 ppm of nitrates. There are a lot of fish in there and I feed them heavily but the plants use it all up.

 

[PDSimon]

A nitrate drop can be quite normal. Plants use nitrates, even algae use nitrates. If you are not producing any because you are not moving nitrites, the nitrates can indeed drop. In this tank, even when I don't do a water change for months, I never see more than 10 ppm of nitrates. There are a lot of fish in there and I feed them heavily but the plants use it all up.

Is there a filter in that tank?

 

[leannethenewbie]

Hey Guys

So good result with my water change !!

I'll check again tonight to see how things are getting on, but looks like my water change has made a difference

 

[leannethenewbie]

The bacteria are processing 2.0ppm of ammonia and the nitrite back to zero in 24
hours!!!


What do I do now???

 

[PDSimon]

Did WD/OD47 say to use 2ppm yeah?

You can start adding 5ppm everytime its 0 now(at your normal add in hour that is), or 3>4>5ppm i.e. add 3ppm today and if ammonia is 0 tomorrow add 4 etc

you could just whack in 5ppm straight away in your add hour...

Start testing to see if both ammonia and nitrite are going in 24 hours, if one is processing 5ppm within 24 hours, start testing every 12 hours.

Remember to keep an eye on your pH and that your nitrates aren't getting to high(160ppm)

 

[leannethenewbie]

Did WD/OD47 say to use 2ppm yeah?

You can start adding 5ppm everytime its 0 now(at your normal add in hour that is), or 3>4>5ppm i.e. add 3ppm today and if ammonia is 0 tomorrow add 4 etc

you could just whack in 5ppm straight away in your add hour...

Start testing to see if both ammonia and nitrite are going in 24 hours, if one is processing 5ppm within 24 hours, start testing every 12 hours.

Remember to keep an eye on your pH and that your nitrates aren't getting to high(160ppm)

Yeah they said that was enough at the nitrite stage!

Funnily enough, I forgot to say yesterday that the night before I put enough to get it up to 4ppm (0.6ml as I did in the first stage).

Then tested it last night and they were both as zero ...

So.... the bacteria are processing 4-5ppm back to zero in 24 hours...

I will now start testing every 12 hours..

 

[leannethenewbie]

MY TANK IS PROCESSING 4ppm in 12 HOURS!!!!!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I will try it again over the weekend to make sure it's not a fluke

I can't believe what a difference doing that water change has made!!