Mark's Fishless Cycle Log - 'add & Wait' Method

[mark4785]

After successfully cycling a 120 litre aquarium earlier this summer it has become apparent that some of the fish stock that I have bought for it harbour nasty pests such as gill and body flukes which are highly transmissable, thereby infesting all of the stock in the tank. This has resulted in 4 Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish dieing. I'm cycling a new 60 litre eheim aquarium for the purpose of using it as a hospital/quarantine tank where new stock will be disinfected of viruses/bacteria/pests prior to introduction to the main 120L aquarium.

Tank capacity: 60 litres.
Temperature: 28 degrees C.
Pure ammonia required for 5ppm of ammonia: 3.16ml.
PH level:
Aquarium contains malachite green and formalin to disinfect it of flukes (infected fish was QT within it previously).
Cycle type: Fishless 'Add & Wait' method.

~When the nitrogen cycle is complete, what kind of coldwater/tropical fish would be most suited to living in it for the purpose of producing ammonia to keep the nitrogen cycle in check?~

Tuesday, 10th august 2010 at 11:00pm: Added 3.16ml of pure ammonia.
Wednesday, 11th august 2010 at 10:00pm: Ammonia level: 2.0 ppm, Nitrite level: very dark purple on API colour card (off the scale??).
Thursday, 12th august 2010 at 9:00pm: Ammonia level: 2.0 ppm, Nitrite level: again, very dark purple on API colour card.
Friday, 13th august 2010 at 11:40pm:Ammonia level: 2.0 ppm.
Saturday, 14th august 2010 at 9:30pm:Ammonia level: 2.0 ppm.
Tuesday, 17th august 2010 at 9:30pm:Ammonia level: 1.0 - 2.0 ppm, Nitrite level: 1.0 ppm.
Thursday, 19th august 2010 at 9:30pm:Ammonia level: 0.50 ppm, Nitrite level: 5 ppm+, PH level: 7.8 - 8.0.
Friday, 20th august 2010: Added 3.15ml of Ammonia.
Saturday, 21st august 2010: Ammonia level: 1.0 - 2.0 ppm, PH level 7.8 - 8.0.
Sunday, 22nd august 2010 at 11:00pm: 0 ppm. Added 3.15ml of ammonia. Nitrite level: 1.0 ppm, PH level: 7.8 - 8.0.
Monday, 23rd august 2010 at 10:30pm: Ammonia level: 0. Added 3.15ml of pure ammonia. Nitrite level: 1.0 ppm. PH level: 7.4 (possibly below); added 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda.

 

[mark4785]

The QT tank seems to be converting ammonia into nitrite after only being in operation for about 2 days! I guess the established filter media I placed in there from the pond introduced some beneficial bacteria into the aquarium!

Unfortunately, I have removed the established filter media as it likely contained termatodes.

I now have new filter media installed in a an Eheim filter system.

 

[mark4785]

Is it ok to add the pure ammonia again even when there is still 0.50 ppm of ammonia in the water? I'm cycling my tank in accordance with the 'add and wait' guidelines for fishless cycling.

 

[waterdrop]

Normally we like to always wait until ammonia goes all the way back down to zero ppm but since you are still at the very beginning and trying to establish whether there is any movement I don't see any problem in it. I'd only try to match the 4ppm first shade of the card, there's no real need to guesstimate up to 5ppm at this point and we defininately don't want it getting as high as 8ppm.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mark4785]

Thanks for that clarification WD .

The ammonia level is now reducing to 0 ppm after 24 hours. At this point do I begin to check the ammonia level every 12 hours and add bottled ammonia if it has reduced to 0 ppm?

Also, I go away on a short break to London soon for 2 days and I was wondering whether being away for 48 hours would kill some of the nitrifying bacteria on the filter media as a result of me not being at home to dose the tank with ammonia? What can I do to ensure this doesn't happen?

Thanks,

Mark.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Mark, the extra day of your trip won't matter, just leave it.

No, you don't shift to 12-hour testing until way on after the nitrite spike stage has finally subsided. The 12hour testing is mostly about figuring out how -fast- the 5ppm can be reduced to zero ammonia and zero nitrite during that final stage of fishless cycling, usually beyond a month of cycling.

At no point do you add more ammonia after less than 24 hours. The "add-hour" is always some fixed hour out of the 24 hours of the day, like 7AM or 7PM or something. (Sometimes the PM "add-hour" is easier because then you are "just checking" before work when more rushed in the morning.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mark4785]

Hi Mark, the extra day of your trip won't matter, just leave it.

No, you don't shift to 12-hour testing until way on after the nitrite spike stage has finally subsided. The 12hour testing is mostly about figuring out how -fast- the 5ppm can be reduced to zero ammonia and zero nitrite during that final stage of fishless cycling, usually beyond a month of cycling.

At no point do you add more ammonia after less than 24 hours. The "add-hour" is always some fixed hour out of the 24 hours of the day, like 7AM or 7PM or something. (Sometimes the PM "add-hour" is easier because then you are "just checking" before work when more rushed in the morning.)

~~waterdrop~~

Hey, thanks again for that clarification.

Mark.