Leeroy's Fishless Cycle Log..... Day 33 Am Test

[leeroy]

Hey all,

Finally got my RIO180 tank and well happy with it see pic thread here

I've got myself Tetra liquid test kits (total ammonia, nitrate and pH) and an API Nitrite test kit to get me started as this is all the shop had when i got my tank so i got a good deal on em... also got some stress coat and stress zyme. Picked myself up some Ammonia from homebase so i should be good to go....

Anyway i've started cycling my water so i thought i'd keep u'll updated so you can 'hopefully' advise if im going wrong

Right my tap water was pH 7.2 and seemed to have a very slight nitrate reading (i will check this again tonight). I also need to get a hardness kit so i'll check that once i ket the kit.

Day 1

Carried out all the following in the evening so i think i'll do the 24hr tests at 9pm

Freshly filled tank
Added Stress Coat to neutralise Chlorine/chloramines
Added Stress Zyme (read some comments saying this is probably useless but it was free so may as well add it)
Added approx 10ml of Ammonia to raise up to around 5ppm (worked out on calculator)
Started filtration
Set heater temp to 28 - thermometer also added so will keep an eye on temp

right well i guess i'll have to wait now for the first actual test tonight and see if anything has happened yet

if i've missed anything or you have any comments please let me know!!!

Leeroy

Day 2
Ammonia 5+ppm
Nitrite 0
temp is up to 27 now and i have set heater to 30 as there seems to be a 1 degree difference from setting to thermometer reading.

Hopefully my pal will be about today so i can nab some of he's gravel or media out of he's tank

Day 3
Ammonia 5+ppm
nitrits 0
temp now at 29!!!!

no media from my pal yet but soon...

Day 4
Ammonia 5+ ppm
Nitrites 0.25 ppm Yay things are happening!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 5
Ammonia 5+ pm
Nitrites 0.25 - 0.50 ppm Yay!!!!!! going up

Day 6
Ammonia 5+ppm
Nitrites 0.50 ppm

Day 7
Ammonia 5+ ppm
Nitrites 0.50 ppm
Nitrates 25ppm

Day 8
Ammonia 5+ppm
Nitrites - hmm getting hard to tell the level but it looks 5+ppm

Day 9 - 12

been major hectic so no time to update log but over these days ammonia has dropped back to zero and nitrites have shot up

Day 13
Ammonia - 0ppm added 2ppm
Nitrites - off chart
Nitrates off chart


Day 14
Ammonia - 0ppm added 4ml ammonia up to 2ppm
Nitrites - off chart
Nitrates - off chart

Day 15
Ammonia - 0ppm added 4ml up to 2ppm
nitrites - off chart still


Day 16
Ammonia - 0ppm added 4ml up to 2ppm
Nitrites - off chart

Day 17
Ammonia - 2ppm not dropping as quick as last few days..
Nitrites - off the chart still.....

Day 18
OH no run out of ammonia test liquid... got my API multi test kit on order but its friday and not here
Nitrite - still off chart

Day 19
ended up at a car show so no test tonite or ammonia added......

Day 20 - sunday
Nitrites - 5ppm nitrite spike seems to be reducing as the test is far lighter when drops are first added

Day 21
Nitrites - 5ppm or just above
Ammonia - 4-5ppm
pH - 8
GH - 267?

Day 22
Nitrites - 5ppm or slightly higher Seems to have stopped dropping
Ammonia - 4-5ppm seems to have stopped dropping
Nitrates - 10ppm thought these would have been higher

Day 23
Nitrites - 0.25/0.5ppm
Ammonia - 2/4ppm

Day 24
Nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia - 2/4ppm

Day 25 9:30am
nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia - 2-4ppm still
pH- 8.2
KH - 286.4
GH - 322.2

Day 25 9:30pm
nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia - 2-4ppm

Day 26 9:30am
nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia - 2ppm

Day 26 9:30pm
nitrites - 0ppm
ammonia - 4ppm
nitrates - 5ppm

Day 27 9:30am
nitrites 0.50ppm
ammonia - 2ppm
nitrates - 5ppm

Day 27 pm
nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia - 2ppm

Day 28 am
nitrites - 0pp
ammonia - 2ppm come on drop!!!!!!!!

Day 28 and 29
Away for work last minute so no tests but hopefully ammonia will have dropped on my return

Day 30 am
nitrites - 0ppm
ammonia - 1-2ppm arrghhhh why are you dropping so slowly.....
nitrates - 0ppm WHAT???


Day 30 pm
nitrites - 0ppm
ammonia - 1-2ppm added 5ml ammonia to top back up to 5ppm
nitrates - 0ppm


Day 31 am
nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia - 4ppm


Day 31 pm
nitrites - 0.25ppm
ammonia 4ppm


Day 32 am
nitrites - 1ppm
ammonia - 4ppm


DAY 33 ALL CHANGE!!!!

 

[Harlequins]

Good luck leeroy

I've just started a fishless cycle also

 

[leeroy]

hope it goes smothly for ya buddy...

im just so impatient so this is gonna be a nightmare but im determined to see it through properly!!!

 

[waterdrop]

raise your temp to 29C/84F

 

[leeroy]

cheers waterdrop.. i have up'd the temp now!!!

does anyone know if snails are tolerant of the adverse water conditions so that they can control any potential algae bloom???

Also is it better to have the lighting on or off???
Leeroy

 

[waterdrop]

Just about nothing kills snails but your big thumb and even that can get cut (well, that's not really true as since this is a hobby, we can discuss snails until the cows come in, but that was a hobbyist's attempt at begin funny, something which also rarely works in my case ) Seriously, snails are considered by some to be as much of a problem as algae!

If you are not growing plants during fishless cycling (which indeed do need light) then no, you not only don't need light but can be better off running a "blacked out" fishless cycle where the tank is covered from light in some safe way (ie. don't let blankets be on something electrical or get in the water where it could be wicked out of the tank.) If you -do- have plants then hours of light and other things can be discussed.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[leeroy]

well plants are now out and going into my pals tank for a bit and lighting is off.

got some goodies through to stick in the tank now so i'll guess i'll have a go at setting them up and then wrap the tank in a dark cover and let it be. least i guess that way i wont see the algae growth so i wont be to bothered by it.

 

[leeroy]

day3 now done........... no change

had a delivery of wood, ornaments and stones today for the tank got them soaking at the mo so i'll have some pics up soon of the tank with them in

 

[cowboy507]

are you going to wait to add the decor? this probably would be best with at least the wood, certain woods will lower the pH, which you dont want yet.
what is the pH anyway?

 

[leeroy]

are you going to wait to add the decor? this probably would be best with at least the wood, certain woods will lower the pH, which you dont want yet.
what is the pH anyway?

maybe i'll wait then no major rush right now might help the wood to shed plenty of is dye if i leave it to soak for plenty of time . pH of tank water is at 7.4/7.6 right now and incoming tap water is around 7.2.

 

[cowboy507]

alright, that sounds good!
i totally forgot about about it leaching

 

[leeroy]

Day 4 and nitrites are raising

 

[leeroy]

nitrites still raising

 

[leeroy]

day 6 and still not much change but nitrites defo rising

 

[leeroy]

day 7 done and not much change ..... come on bacteria!!!!!