My "add And Wait" Fishless Cycle Diary :)

[waterdrop]

Clint, the two pH kits that cover different ranges are meant to be an "either or" kind of thing. Once you know your pH is within the "high range" like yours is, you can stop doing the lower range test and just do the high one.

The fishless cycling process may eventually cause your pH to drop (there is some residual nitric acid produced by the process which will gradually make the water more acid, and you may detect it depending on how buffered your water is) and at some point then the lower range test would become appropriate to use. For now though it seems you are safely up in the upper one.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Clint, the two pH kits that cover different ranges are meant to be an "either or" kind of thing. Once you know your pH is within the "high range" like yours is, you can stop doing the lower range test and just do the high one.

The fishless cycling process may eventually cause your pH to drop (there is some residual nitric acid produced by the process which will gradually make the water more acid, and you may detect it depending on how buffered your water is) and at some point then the lower range test would become appropriate to use. For now though it seems you are safely up in the upper one.

~~waterdrop~~

K.

Thanks ~~waterdrop~~ for that tip! It also save's my pH solution (Not that i'm tight, Squeek Squeek lol)

I think I read in one of your posts/reply's somewhere You recommended cleaning out the test tubes with Purified water? If so would you recommend soaking them in it or just washing out with it? I only mention this as I have a 5 litre container full just sitting around.

Can I ask when do you recommend testing for Nitrite & Nitrate's, 1 or 2 weeks in or less?

Clint.

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Day 1:

Time: 2200 Date:6th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

Day 2:

Time: 2200 Date:7th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 3:

Time: 2200 Date:8th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 4:

Time: 2200 Date:9th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

Something dose not look right here! Should my Ammonia level be this low already?

Just tested for Nitrite & Nitrate's as my Ammonia level has dropped

Clint

 

[PDSimon]

I don't think its weird that your ammonia has dropped so soon, I believe it varies a lot from place to place... another member will back it up soon enough anyway I imagine

You're nitrites are up, and you have no nitrites in your water? This means that the ammonia has been convertered to nitrites!

With my cycle I dosed up to 5ppm everytime it dropped to 0ppm. So wait until your next test (assuming they're every ~24hours) and it should be 0ppm ammonia, then add 5ppm of ammonia.

As soon as your ammonia cycles in 24 hours, e.g. 5ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours then you've finished stage 1 of 3.

The next stage is the nitrite spike, where your adding 3ppm everytime ammonia is 0 (which will be everyday). Your nitrites will go well over 5ppm for a while (mine are like 25ppm at the moment lol..). In this stage the aim is to process all the nitrites within 24 hours I believe

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

I don't think its weird that your ammonia has dropped so soon, I believe it varies a lot from place to place... another member will back it up soon enough anyway I imagine

You're nitrites are up, and you have no nitrites in your water? This means that the ammonia has been convertered to nitrites!

With my cycle I dosed up to 5ppm everytime it dropped to 0ppm. So wait until your next test (assuming they're every ~24hours) and it should be 0ppm ammonia, then add 5ppm of ammonia.

As soon as your ammonia cycles in 24 hours, e.g. 5ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours then you've finished stage 1 of 3.

The next stage is the nitrite spike, where your adding 3ppm everytime ammonia is 0 (which will be everyday). Your nitrites will go well over 5ppm for a while (mine are like 25ppm at the moment lol..). In this stage the aim is to process all the nitrites within 24 hours I believe

Panic over :stupid:

Thanks for your input Si,

I just re-read rdd1952 advice on the fishless cycle.

Quote: "When the ammonia drops back to about near zero (usually takes about a week) add enough to raise it back to about 3 to 4 ppm and begin testing the nitrite daily."

Looks like i'm one of the lucky one's only 4 days in!

Thanks again for your help.

Clint.

 

[waterdrop]

Yup, 4 days is really lucky! I usually have to tell people 2 weeks is ok when they are complaining after a week. Looks like you've found the right answers to your questions about it - I agree with what you've found out. WD

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Yup, 4 days is really lucky! I usually have to tell people 2 weeks is ok when they are complaining after a week. Looks like you've found the right answers to your questions about it - I agree with what you've found out. WD

Thanks for looking in ~~waterdrop~~ I'm starting to get excited!

How sad am I lol.

 

[waterdrop]

Yeah, just stay the course, fishless cycling is a topsy-turvy ride. Works best to have the patience of a saint, lol.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Day 1:

Time: 2200 Date:6th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

Day 2:

Time: 2200 Date:7th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 3:

Time: 2200 Date:8th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 4:

Time: 2200 Date:9th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

Day 5:

Time: 2200 Date:10th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Ammonia up again!

 

[waterdrop]

 

[plecostomus-mad]

looks good so far

i did a fish in cycle so i cant really offer much in the way of advice because its a diiferent method etc. i didnt have to top up with ammonia etc but the testing and overall result is the same.

when my ammonia was up i had to do water changes, so my fish didnt have damaged gills or even die.

sounds like its all in hand, good advice from peaople, hi Waterdrop

i will definatly watch this thread ad will look in to see how you are getting on.

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Day 1:

Time: 2200 Date:6th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

Day 2:

Time: 2200 Date:7th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 3:

Time: 2200 Date:8th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 4:

Time: 2200 Date:9th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

Day 5:

Time: 2200 Date:10th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Ammonia up again!

Day 6:

Time: 2220 Date:11th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 0 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Ammonia down again!

Re-topping up ammoina to 4 ppm (Looks like I should start testing for Ammonia every 12 Hrs now)

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Many thanks for popping by plecostomus-mad.

I appreciate you saying you will look in on me also

Clint.

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Day 1:

Time: 2200 Date:6th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

Day 2:

Time: 2200 Date:7th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 3:

Time: 2200 Date:8th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH: "off the scale"

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Day 4:

Time: 2200 Date:9th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

Day 5:

Time: 2200 Date:10th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Ammonia up again!

Day 6:

Time: 2220 Date:11th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 0 ppm

pH high: 8.00 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Re-topping up ammoina to 4 ppm (Looks like I should start testing for Ammonia every 12 Hrs now)

Day 7:

Time: 0900 Date:12th May 2010

Temp: 84F/29C

Ammonia: 1.0 ppm

Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

Looks like I am cycling every 12 Hrs now Adding more Ammonia to bring it back up to 4 ppm.

 

[PDSimon]

Hi noobie, why are you testing in every 12 hours? the first stage is just 24 hour tests generally...

The next stage is the nitrite spike, where nitrites will go off the scale. this is just 24 hour testing too with the addition of 3ppm of ammonia everyday(rather than 4ppm like you have been adding). Assuming that the ammonia level drops to 0 within 24 hours.

Just to varify the first stage is over when 4ppm of ammonia is cycled within 24 hours.

Second stage is over when nitrite is processed within 24 hours

third stage is when ammonia and nitrites are both processed within 12 hours