Liverbird's New Fishless Cycle

[Liverbird36]

A little drop in the Nitrites today. Probably going to jinx myself but looks like i'm finally getting there.

 

[Twinklecaz]

I don't think you've got long to go atall Liverbird. I don't think my Ammonia did it that quickly that long before my Nitrite so you'll prob end up with a better colony than I've got.

 

[Liverbird36]

I don't think you've got long to go atall Liverbird. I don't think my Ammonia did it that quickly that long before my Nitrite so you'll prob end up with a better colony than I've got.

Oh god !!! knew I spoke too soon !! Nitrites have gone back up again !!! .....The road is long.....with many a winding turn

 

[LondonguyJ]

The road is long.....with many a winding turn

lol tell me about it

Good news is your cycle has been going so well that this may just be a temporary blip, at least that's what we're all hoping.

J

 

[Liverbird36]

The road is long.....with many a winding turn

lol tell me about it

Good news is your cycle has been going so well that this may just be a temporary blip, at least that's what we're all hoping.

J

I'm close to hurling the dam tank out of the window at the moment. Not sure what's going on. Gonna check my ph I think but i'm sure it's ok.

Ph is 8.2ppm so it's not because of that.

 

[LondonguyJ]

I know how you feel. I've tried everything short of opening up my filter and giving my bacs a pep talk. But when I feel I'm getting too frustrated with this whole process I find myself revising my stock list, reading up on the specifics species and checking other peoples tanks on youtube. For instance the other day I raised my green neon tetra count to 10 instead of 6. I guess whatever helps helps right?

J

 

[Liverbird36]

I know how you feel. I've tried everything short of opening up my filter and giving my bacs a pep talk. But when I feel I'm getting too frustrated with this whole process I find myself revising my stock list, reading up on the specifics species and checking other peoples tanks on youtube. For instance the other day I raised my green neon tetra count to 10 instead of 6. I guess whatever helps helps right?

J

That's a great idea. Positive thinking to (not too sure I'm of the ability to manage that but will try lol) May try some scream therapy. Did have an idea of what I wanted but not sure they are suitable for a beginner so will have to revise my list. I so love the Bolivians and Blue Rams though.

 

[waterdrop]

Hang in there Liverbird.

This fishless cycle looks like its had a lot of long periods of off the chart nitrates (and nitrites sometimes) and I see a log entry for one 50% water change that saw nitrates still off the chart after the water change.

Both high nitrate and high nitrite levels, individually, are known to slow N-Bac growth (they like to sip their nitrites, not choke on them, lol)... but of course when we feed the tank with our huge 5ppm concentration of NH3, we are constantly generating tons of N fuel for the process! In some tanks this doesn't seem to make all that much difference but in others if feels like it gets them bogged down.

The waste-water industry is the only "commercial" area where autotrophic bacteria growth gets studied, actually practiced and scientific papers get published. They use very different devices to grow their bacteria (very different, that is, from our filters) I believe. But, despite the differences, we continue to see hints from them about the dislike that the Nitrospira (the N-Bacs) have for high NO2/NO3 levels in their water flow.

For this reason, and because it constitutes a good practice session for the beginner to work on handling all the hoses and buckets and such, we often promote full gravel-clean-water-changes periodically (weekends for instance) to try and get the excess nitrite and nitrate out of the closed tank system. I know that this, to some extent, removes some of the "easiness" advantage that a fishless cycle has over a fish-in cycle, but to me the main benefit of a fishless cycle has always been that the fish are simply taken completely out of the picture as far as exposure to deadly ammonia and nitrite.

So basically I'm promoting some "down-to-the-gravel" type water changes (with re-charge of the 5ppm ammonia level afterward of course.) The large amounts of fresh tap water that this brings in will also re-supply Calcium and Iron and other trace substances that may be needed in the rapid cell development going on. Think about biology class and biochem class and all the many elements needed to form the molecules and organelles needed for a single cell!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Liverbird36]

Many thanks for your response WD. Was wondering if the high Nitrates may be holding it back as the Nitrites did drop after I performed a 90% water change a few days ago. Will do some regular water changes from now on. Thanks for making things much clearer it's hugely appreciated.

 

[LondonguyJ]

Did have an idea of what I wanted but not sure they are suitable for a beginner so will have to revise my list. I so love the Bolivians and Blue Rams though.

90% of this hobby is about keeping water and by the end of this cycle, you will know how to keep water So I would definitely recommend buying the fish you want to keep. Obviously read up on them (which I'm guessing you already have) but if there were some type of qualification I'd say you'd achieve that at the end of your qualifying week

J

 

[Liverbird36]

Yay !!!!! my Nitrites have dropped !!!!! (again) couldn't ask for a better birthday pressie

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yay, Happy Birthday!

 

[PDSimon]

Happy birthday

 

[Liverbird36]

Many thanks Caz and Si. Fingers crossed for my morning test.

 

[LondonguyJ]

Happy Birthday

Good luck with the test