Lily Rose's 64L Tank Cycle

[LilyRose Tank]

K-Holed...yeah I thought if that, but being a newbie can you please explain how I do this.
Plus does anyone have an AQUA ONE AR620 as I'm usure if a part or two is missing from mine... the elbow adapter, and the cap on the spray bar isnt present.

 

[waterdrop]

With a normal mature filter you can remove up to 1/3 of the biomedia (you can simply take out an amount of loose media or you can use scissors on a sponge (have appropriate new sponge material to take its place prior)) and put it into a new uncycled filter. The ideal place to put it in the new filter is just prior to the biomedia of the new filter in the water flow direction. Often you have to cut it up if its sponge. Its a messy job but its really not tricky as just about anything will work and the important point is just having mature media (MM) and getting it in there!

Now, the PROBLEM in your case is going to be that a filter that's just finished qualifying as a cycled filter from a fishless cycling process can not really be considered to be a "mature" filter. That really doesn't come until 6 months from new. The way I'd propost handling this is to simply use LESS than 1/3 of the biomedia of the filter that's just finished cycling. That way you'll get a boost to your new fishless cycling effort but you'll have very little risk of causing a mini-cycle in your first tank. And of course you'll need to keep up your testing on both tanks.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Thanks Waterdrop.
As ever a wonderful supply of info. I think I'll be a glutton for punishment and just cycle it...it all depends on how impaitient I get..lol.
There are I think a few bits missing from my new tank so I'm about to phone the lfs.
anyway, todays results are
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 5+ppm
Nitrate 5.0ppm
pH 8.2

 

[waterdrop]

Do you let LilyRose do some of the shaking on those nitrate tests? (you -could- go every other day on those you know, lol)

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Do you let LilyRose do some of the shaking on those nitrate tests? (you -could- go every other day on those you know, lol)

nno unfortunately i don't let lily Rose do the shaking.... as she is special needs she would see them as a toy,....not a good idea with an autistic child.

question.... i think i may opt for faKE PLANTS....SO PLASTIC OR SILK?

 

[K-Holed]

Personally I'd go with silk.

 

[LilyRose Tank]

good evening guys and gals.....here are this evenings results....
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrites 5+ppm
Nitrates 20ppm
pH 8

 

[waterdrop]

exciting evening...

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Really WD? What happened?
anyway I just performed my first filter partial clean..... thought filter was slowing down, so I took it apart and it was really messy, so I cleaned away all the plant ( and rotting) debris in aquarium water left the noodles alone...l.dont want to be disturbing them now do we..... and put it back together and now its back in and moving my plants leaves all over the place....watermovement again....yo!
Wander if this will help or hinder my cycle?!

 

[waterdrop]

I meant yours hon, never mine.. (er, never mind, that is.. )

Sounds good, that should be excellent for the bacteria, they want to get a nice flow of fresh ammonia and oxygen!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Well after doing the filter clean, thought I'd perform another nitrites test....





so the test on the right is a true negative. the test on the right is mine....,

It didnt do the hoirid grey thing....
It went from lilac, to clear, to pale green.....any ideas, anyone?

 

[waterdrop]

nitrite test going pale green is still spiked

 

[LilyRose Tank]

OK well, I probably just altered everything, but I was fed up with horid grey and green,.....I performed a 75% water change, after adding bicarb dechlorinator results wer

ammonia 0ppm.... they were 0 before water change
Nitrites 1ppm....they'll go back up wont they in a spike
Nitrates 10ppm....still holding same level.

( decided that when i did water change on ammonia spike it didnt change reading so It will probably go back up in the morning anyway.and I'll continue ammonia addition in morning at usual time


should i decide when its cycled to use the "maturish media to help the new tank ( new tank has 6 times more noodles that this tank!) then I will only take a few out and put a few from the 2nd tank bak in the 1st tank filter.

I know I'm about to get flamed....but boredom got the better of me... look on the bright side, I'm getting experience in water changes.



UPDATE...10PM.... results this evening are:

ammonia 0ppm ( added 2.5 mls due to water change)
nitrite .50ppm after being 1ppm 3 hours before....so maybe nitrites were being seen to after all,
nitrate 5ppm
pH 8

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Hi Waterdrop, just wanted to ask a question without starting a thread on it..... I am now thinking of changing my plans... and making 64L tank into the Betta tank and the community tank be the 90L tank ( ie tank 2). what do you think....
stoking list for betta tank.... betta plus 6-8 small fish e g. white cloud mountain minnows/ norman lampeye/ danio species or a mix of these 3 species
90L... a mixture of platies(2)guppies(2)neon tetra(2) lemon tetra(2)glowlight tetra(3)glowlight danios(3)albino corys (6 minimum) zebra otocinclus(2)harlequin rasboras(2)silver molly (2)
If the individual number for these fish are too small a shoal per breed ....would all the different tetra shaol together........then i would chose my favourites from the list...
platies...4
guppies...4
corys...6
glowlight danios...4
glowlight tetra...4
zebra otos (2)
i am thinking about 2 dwarf peaceful honey gouramis as centrepiece fish
thanks for your opinions

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Good Morning everyone! This mornings results are

Ammonia 0ppm...added 2.5mls ammonia
Nitrites 0.50ppm
nitrates 5.0ppm
pH 8

going lfs shopping today to look for deco for tanks