My Fishless Cycle Log

[soccermatt]

Temperature 29
Ph 7.8
12.5 Gallon
4 Plants
Air Pump
AquaClear 20 Filter

Day 1 (Dec 8) - Started
Day 4 - Ammonia = .6
Day 5 - Ammonia = .8
Day 7 Ammonia = 1
Day 8 Ammonia = 1.75
Day 9 Ammonia = 2.25
Day 10 Ammonia = 1.50 Nitrite = 0.50
Day 11 AM Ammonia = 1.50 Nitrite = 1
Day 11 PM Ammonia = 1.50 Nitrite = 1.25
Day 12 Ammonia = 1 Nitrite = 3.5
Day 13 AM Ammonia = .75 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 13 PM Ammonia = .60 Nitrite = 5.0 (did 10% water change)
Day 14 AM Ammonia = .25 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 14 PM Ammonia = .10 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 15 AM Ammonia = 0 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 15 PM Ammonia = 0 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 16 AM Ammonia = 0 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 17 Missed Testing For Christmas
Day 18 Ammonia = 0 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 19 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 20 Nitrite = 5.0
Day 21 Nitrite = 5.0 (3 week mark)
Day 22 Nitrite = 5.0 Nitrate = 8
Day 23 AM Nitrite = 1.0 Nitrate = 10
Day 23 PM Nitrite = 1.0 - .50 Nitrate = 10 - 15
Day 24 Nitrite = 0 Ammonia = 0 Nitrate = 10 -15
Day 24 did 40% water change (added 3 Tiger Barbs)
Day 25 AM Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0
Day 25 PM Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0

I am cycling purely with fish food. I'll keep updating it on how it is going.
How long do you think that i have left.
Thanks

 

[grumpysteve]

how are you working out how much fish food you need to cycle the tank? the main reason people use pure ammonia is so they can work out how much to use so the cycled tank will have enough bacteria to cope with a full stock of fish. you might end up with enough bacteria to deal with the food, but that doesn't mean they'll be able to cope with the bioload of a stocked tank

 

[waterdrop]

From the numbers so far I'd suspect you need significantly larger pinches of fishfood but its hard to judge of course because it takes days for the fishfood to break down to -make- the ammonia.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

You are doing fine SoccerMatt. You do not need the high numbers that we shoot for with an artificial ammonia start. Your lower numbers will just keep feeding into the bacterial cycle and allow the bacteria to grow and prosper. Keep up the good work, I think you are right on track. Just remember that you will only end up with a cycled filter bacterial colony large enough for the amount of food you are using. That means only enough fish for that to be plenty of food for them. Then once the tank stabilizes with fish in it you can gradually raise the stocking levels.

 

[soccermatt]

i am acually putting in a fair amount of food, about 10 flakes every 12 hours.

 

[OldMan47]

I think I would back off to only adding daily at that high rate. Maybe even cut back a bit so that you don't end up with a nasty smelly tank during your cycle. As WD said, the decay in the food doesn't happen all at once so it will go on quite a while after you stop adding food.

 

[soccermatt]

I am still adding food every 12 hours, but i am adding slightly less now that ammonia levels are on there way down. I am wondering if i should stop adding food, since i am guessing that there is already plenty on the bottom breaking down, or would i be fine to keep adding food until i'm about to add fish, then do a good vacuum job to suck up all the food to stop extra ammonia from being added?

 

[OldMan47]

You are simulating having fish in the tank. You need to feed your fish. Do not feed more than the fish you intend to keep would eat, but that amount is the right amount. I feel really silly saying this to a person who has never actually fed fish, how would you really know how much that is?

 

[soccermatt]

if i wanted to get both ammonia and nitrite levels below .25, does anyone know how big a water change i should do?

 

[OldMan47]

When starting with a 5.0, it would mean all but 5% of the water needs to be changed. You might as well say to drain down to the gravel and then refill with water to get the nitrites down. If you do that, chances are good that the fish food will almost all be gone so you will be restarting the decay process and not have much ammonia to feed the bacteria at first.

 

[soccermatt]

how long does nitrite usually stay peaked?

 

[OldMan47]

It is not unusual for a nitrite spike to go on for 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[soccermatt]

anything i can do to speed up the cycle?

 

[OldMan47]

The only thing I have seen that actually speeds a cycle is a mature filter media sample to clone in your filter.

 

[soccermatt]

Finally nitrite dropping. Or at least i hope because it was hard to tell, it looked similar to both 5 and 1, so i went with 1. At least Nitrate is defiantly on the rise.