My Fishless Cycle

[waterdrop]

Well, we don't know if its coincidence but sure looks like the bicarb didn't hurt!

Hope you get your first zero soon!

You're right, you only add ammonia when you've really reached zero and even then you don't necessarily add it immediately but instead add it at your "add-hour" (regular hour within 24, usually morning or evening, when you plan to always make your ammonia additions, such that you'll later on be able to measure some results 12 hours later.. eg. 8am, 8pm) and you only add once per 24 hours and only if you reached zero ppm in the previous 24 hours.

got that?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[scotty]

once again thank you,and i think i've got it

 

[waterdrop]

You're welcome. Be safe out there today, your bacteria may need you tonight.

 

[scotty]

doing my tests this morning ammonia is 1,nitrite is 5,is it usual for the nitrite to go so high so quick

 

[waterdrop]

No, entirely normal! This is the way the "Nitrite Spike" begins! You're off and running on the second phase of the fishless cycle! Time now to watch for ammonia to fully drop to zero as its quite uncommon for A-Bac development to be lagging a bit behind N-Bac development but there's nothing wrong with it or with what you're doing. If the nitrite spike continues to hold up for the next 3 days I'd say it will be time to actually only do the ammonia add to 3ppm, rather than 5ppm. Again, unusual if you've not even had your first full drop to zero ppm, but that's probably what I'd do.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[scotty]

thanks for that will do another ammonia test at 9 oclock tonight,to see whats happening

 

[scotty]

when should i start testing for nitrates?

 

[scotty]

didn't test again last night for ammonia,ammonia levels this morning are 0,nitrite 5 +,added 4ppm,so i'm hoping its going to go alright

 

[waterdrop]

One thought is to test for nitrate(NO3) weekly until the 3rd phase of fishless cycling when you might choose to test a bit more often.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[scotty]

ammonia cleared within 24hrs,nitrate at 10

 

[waterdrop]

 

[scotty]

Ammonia back to zero again,nitrite between 2 and 5,just too hard to tell with the colour

 

[scotty]

when will i start the 12 hourly tests?

 

[scotty]

anyone?

 

[scotty]

Ammonia gone within 12 hours,nitrite still between 2 and 5,addeed more ammonia.

think i might have made a cock-up,don't think i should have added the ammonia again so soon