My Fishless Cycling Log

[Falling Ash]

I've seen at least five now. Should I put them in the garden pond? I don't wanna kill 'em really.

 

[KittyKat]

Tropical snails are very likely to die in cold water. There are some, such as Malaysian Trumpet Snail and ramshorns, which will survive in cool water though.

 

[Falling Ash]

Managed to get a few snails out, took out all the grassy plants (LOL, my plant knowledge isn't very good) because they looked to be browning and dying. The ammonia hasn't dropped yet after a week (other than when I did the water change, 'cos I put too much in at the start). Patience is being tested. Hopefully I'll start seeing a drop as the week progresses! I hope I'm not doing something wrong. Is it possible to have a sudden ammonia drop? Or is it a gradual thing?

 

[Skins]

Managed to get a few snails out, took out all the grassy plants (LOL, my plant knowledge isn't very good) because they looked to be browning and dying. The ammonia hasn't dropped yet after a week (other than when I did the water change, 'cos I put too much in at the start). Patience is being tested. Hopefully I'll start seeing a drop as the week progresses! I hope I'm not doing something wrong. Is it possible to have a sudden ammonia drop? Or is it a gradual thing?

A few checks then if your worried:
Temp: 29c
pH: Above 7.0
Oxygen: have you got your filter flow nozzle positioned so that it aggitates the waters surface or have you added an airstone?
Like you said, you have been cycling for a week so will be pretty soon i would imagine and when your ammonia level drops it can vary by what ammount.

Keith.

 

[Falling Ash]

Temp is 29c, pH is above 7.6, the water surface is agitated though I haven't got the airbubble feature turned on due to the annoyance it causes the family . I saw a worm today though I tried to remove it but it was too fast and it disappeared. Is this the sign of a bad aquarium?

 

[Skins]

Temp is 29c, pH is above 7.6, the water surface is agitated though I haven't got the airbubble feature turned on due to the annoyance it causes the family . I saw a worm today though I tried to remove it but it was too fast and it disappeared. Is this the sign of a bad aquarium?

Have you put fish food in at some point?, worms are found when there is left over food in the subtrate. Your aquarium is just fine.

Keith.

 

[Falling Ash]

I haven't put any food in, but perhaps they came with the plants? But anyway disaster struck last night, we had a power cut. Now we were asleep, so it could have been a short one, or it may not have been. I just hope my little bacterias are not dead. If I have to start again I think I'll go insane. Are there anyway ways of telling if it has disrupted the cycle? I'm going to test the ammonia again at 3pm, I hope it's dropped.

 

[KittyKat]

A power cut should not have much effect, unless it was a VERY long one.

 

[Falling Ash]

A power cut should not have much effect, unless it was a VERY long one.

Ok, thanks or the reassurance. It was the filter manual that put me off, it said if there is no power for 3 hours the bacteria will die, is this true?

 

[Skins]

I agree with KK, will look out for your post after 3pm.

Keith.

 

[waterdrop]

You could pretty much go the whole night without power to the filter and the bacteria would still be ok, I've done it. It's true you get some die-off but the worry gets exaggerated. You'll be fine.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[KittyKat]

Aye, 3-4 hours is usually when the bacteria starts to die off.. but very slowly and not in numbers which have much impact. Around 9-12 hours is when most people should start worrying.

 

[Falling Ash]

http/img232.imageshack.us/i/4ppm.jpg/

 

[KittyKat]

You're only (in practice) 7 days into cycling, I have often seen no change in ammonia before days 10-14. Also, you might not realise, but it is very likely you actually did have a very slight drop in ammonia: the dying plants would have released ammonia into the water.. yet the reading did not change!

(Also if the plants were "grass like", they were very likely not aquatic.)

Could you test nitrite? I noticed that you had some on the day you filled the tank... I do wonder if it is still there...

 

[Falling Ash]

You're only (in practice) 7 days into cycling, I have often seen no change in ammonia before days 10-14. Also, you might not realise, but it is very likely you actually did have a very slight drop in ammonia: the dying plants would have released ammonia into the water.. yet the reading did not change!

(Also if the plants were "grass like", they were very likely not aquatic.)

Could you test nitrite? I noticed that you had some on the day you filled the tank... I do wonder if it is still there...

Thanks KK, hopefully I'll start to notice some drops soon. I don't think the grass was aquatic either, seeing how it reacted to the water, I'll deffinitely do some research before buying plants again.

I tested my nitrite and it was still 0.25ppm, should it still be there? The tank had been running for a week before starting the cycle (in which time I was adding the bacteria product that came with it) could this have affected the nitrite level?