Lily Rose's 64L Tank Cycle

[waterdrop]

If you haven't already got any liquid ferts for your live plants you could look for the smallest bottle of the cheapest stuff next time you are in the shop, one that includes iron. Putting in a tiny bit of iron in the tank is something that Hovenec has reported to be helpful for the autotrophic bacteria (can't hurt the plants either probably, though I'd probably put less than recommended.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

I'm doing my cycling, without plants as I was advised before not to include them in a cycling tank, so right now its got gravel, and stones and thats it

ps, just did a test set, and I think my eyes are playing tricks, either the tank filter is starting to do its thing, or i'm going mad... the nitrite test looked a purply blue.. not the bright light blue I usually get and the ammonia test seemed toward the 2ppm. but I've had difficulty distinguishing 2 and 4ppm before, so not going to allow excitement to get me, i shall wait........ hopefully anyway!

 

[waterdrop]

No, I wasn't saying that for the plants, what I was suggesting is that a small dash of a fert that has iron in it is a good thing for the bacteria, so if you wanted to this could be another "ingredient" of your "bacterial growing soup" (which is what I consider my tank water to be until the day of the big water change and getting fish! No big deal, just if you saw some cheap.

Very good that you've had a sign that the A-Bacs are now producing a little NO2!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

oh i see...duh blonde moment (or rather grey) ok but i must admit i'm getting impaitent (flu must be getting to me) but i shall keep on trying,thanks

 

[waterdrop]

You can definately get depressed feelings when you have cold or flu symptoms, a bad thing when you're fishless cycling ... don't let it get to you! Good cycling is an extreme test of patience but that's why we're all here to help each other. Its much better to go off and read some of the info articles in other subforums or something, always lots to learn. I know its also hard to be creative about it if there are kids, but creative is what you just have to be if possible.. good luck and good evening, I've had a darn cold too!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

FINALLY!!!!!

and we're off
ammonia 2ppm
nitrite .25










can someone check my test results please......are they conclusive

 

[finalfantay85]

I'd have to agree with you on the 2ppm and 0.25ppm. The nitrite is easy but that bleeding ammonia test is the most evil thing on the planet when you are trying to decide between 2 and 4ppm
Well trying to pick anything out on that colour chart can be annoying. But it does look like you're getting somewhere with your cycle now which is good.
I'm sure your daughter will love it

 

[waterdrop]

I agree with the readings, looking good!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

oh thank heaven for that, i hope it doesnt take another week to get a higher nitrite reading!

 

[waterdrop]

Its an excellent sign that you've had some early movement now but remember, all fishless cycles are quite unpredictable in course and length, no two are quite alike and we've seen plenty of cases that run to 60 to 70 days in length, so you may still be quite early in the game!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

thank s guys


redid the tests to make sure and they are the same results except the .25 nitrite was a darker more definate purple

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Hi guys..... ammonia 2ppm, nitrite 1ppm, NITRATE 5ppm.... thought I'd do a test for the hell of it, and nitrate says yes! how is this possible.... without a nitrite spike and without ammonia not dropped to 0ppm

 

[waterdrop]

Sounds great! You're getting a lot of signs of bacterial activity very early on... should be good!

Don't forget, when you take NH3 and NO2 measurements, you are taking a "snapshop" of a brief point in time. A little spike in these substances could move on by when you -aren't- testing and some nitrate(NO3) would be created. The times when you get big numbers with test kits are just the -excess- that the next colony hasn't yet processed (or, sometimes in the case of NO3 if you have plants, of the plants not having absorbed it.) Consider the thought that a perfectly running cycled tank will have a full load of fish giving off waste and yet you'll hopefully always be reading zero ammonia and zero nitrite. The "flow" of the substances is just below the radar of the tests! Same thing happens during fishless cycling, there's some constant low flow beneath what you see (usually until you see some nitrate.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

thankyou waterdrop

this mornings results.... amm 2ppm, nitrite 5+, nitrate 20ppm

 

[OldMan47]

It looks to me like you have entered the nitrite spike now LilyRose.
Making nice progress there.