My Fishless Tank Cycling Log

[mayurkirti]

Tank Size: 10 US gallon tank
History: Switched from fish-in to fishless cycling (all credits to waterdrop)
Temperature: 29C/84F
Setup: 5lbs/2.27KG gravel, 6 fake plants, Whisper filter running almost 24 hrs, aerator with 10" stone running 24 hours

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Test Methods:

De-chlorinator: API
Procedure: 7 drops per 3 gallon bucket. Wait for anything between 5-20 mins before adding water to tank.

Ammonia Test Kit: Red Sea brand.
Procedure: Rinse vial with tank water, fill 3ml with tank water, add one tiny scoop of powder reagent A, shake for 2 seconds, add 5 drops of liquid reagent B, shake for 20 seconds, wait for 5 mins

Nitrite Test Kit: API brand
Procedure: Rinse vial with tank water, fill 5ml with tank water, add 5 drops of the solution, share for 10 seconds, wait for 5 mins

Nitrate Test Kit: API
Procedure: Rinse vial with tank water, fill 5ml water, add 10 drops of solution#1, shake vial, shake solution#2 for 30 seconds, add 10 drops of solution#2 to mixture, shake for 1 minute, wait for 5 minutes. I HATE this procedure. Plain pain and time consuming.
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Tap water readings:
NH3: 0.5
NO2: 0
pH: Basic / > 7.4
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Log

Testing ammonia every 12 hours and other tests done every 24 hrs at 9 O'clock. Adding ammonia every day after the tests to raise the level back to 5.

Day 0: Switched from fish-in to fishless cycling
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (added ammonia to raise to 5 later)
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH:

Day 1:
12 hours:
NH3: 1

24 hours:
NH3: 0.5
NO2: >5
NO3: 5
pH:

Day 2:
24 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2: >5
NO3: 5 (for sure)
pH:

Day 3:
12 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 5ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3: 5

24 hours:
NH3: 5 (not topping up tonight)
NO2: 1?
NO3: 140
pH:

Day 4:
12 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2: 1 or 5
NO3:

24 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2: >5
NO3: 100
pH: <6.2!

50% water change.
pH: 7.2-7.4
(topping up ammonia to 5ppm)

Day 5:
12 hours:
NH3:
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH: 7.2

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topping up to 5ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH: 7.2

30% water change.
pH: >7.4

Day 6:
12 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH: 7.2

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (added ammonia to 5ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH: 7.2

Day 7:
12 hours:
NH3:
NO2: >5
NO3: 5
pH: 7

70% water change.

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 5ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3: 5
pH: 7.2

Day 8:
12 hours:
NH3:
NO2:
NO3:
pH:

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH: 7.2

Day 9:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:


Day 10:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:

Day 11:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:
pH: 7.2

Day 12:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:

Day 13:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:

Day 14:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:

Day 15:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
NO3:

Day 16:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5

Day 17:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5

Day 18:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
pH: 7.2

Day 19:
24 hours:
NH3: 0 (topped up to 2ppm)
NO2: >5
pH: 7.2

Day 20:
24 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2: >5
NO3: 5
pH: 7.2

85% water change

NH3: 0 (topped up to 5ppm)
NO2: >5!

Day 21:
12 hours:
NH3: 5!

24 hours:
NH3: 0.5 (not adding ammonia tonight)

Day 22:
12 hours:
NH3: 0

24 hours:
No tests (added 2ppm ammonia)

Day 23:
12 hours:
NH3: 0

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (added 2ppm ammonia)
NO2: >5

Day 24:
12 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2: >5

18 hours:
Seeded tank with mature filter media
added plants
75% water change

NH3: 0.25-0.5
NO2: 1

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (not adding ammonia)
NO2: 0.25

ADDED FISH
(8 guppy fry, 2 adult guppies, 1 red clawed crab)
Day 25:
12 hours:
NH3:
NO2:0
NO3: 40-80

24 hours:
NH3: 0 (added 2ppm)
NO2:0

Day 26:
12 hours:
NH3: 2
NO2:0

24 hours:
NH3: ~1 (STOPPED ADDING AMMONIA)
NO2:0

Day 27:

24 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2:0
NO3:80

Day 28:

24 hours:
NH3: 0
NO2:0

 

[fatheadminnow]

Check the level of ammonia in the tank every 12 hours, and top up the ammonia o 4-5 ppm every 24 hours like you have been doing.

Also, raise the temp, if you have not down so already, to 29C/84F, as this is optimal for the bacteria in the filter to grow.

-FHM

 

[mayurkirti]

Check the level of ammonia in the tank every 12 hours, and top up the ammonia o 4-5 ppm every 24 hours like you have been doing.

Also, raise the temp, if you have not down so already, to 29C/84F, as this is optimal for the bacteria in the filter to grow.

-FHM

Heater is set at 28C/82F right now. Turning it a little bit up as you suggested.

 

[mayurkirti]

I am seeing ammonia drop to 0 in my 12 hour tests. It may be dropping in just few hours. What will be the harm in topping up ammonia more often, like every 12 hours?

How long does it usually take to cultivate enough nitrite processing bacteria to see the nitrite level drop to zero?

 

[fatheadminnow]

No, you top up the ammonia every 24 hours, but you check every 12 hours.

The first 12 hours after you add the ammoina, is the 12 hour mark you want to see the ammonia dropping to zero. Then 12 hours after that, (24 hours total) you add ammonia back up to 4-5 ppm.

For every 1 ppm of ammoina proccessed, you get about 1.7 ppm of nitrite.

Usually it takes double the time, if not longer, to colonize enough bacteria to process nitrite for it to drop to zero.

-FHM

 

[mayurkirti]

No, you top up the ammonia every 24 hours, but you check every 12 hours.

The first 12 hours after you add the ammoina, is the 12 hour mark you want to see the ammonia dropping to zero. Then 12 hours after that, (24 hours total) you add ammonia back up to 4-5 ppm.

For every 1 ppm of ammoina proccessed, you get about 1.7 ppm of nitrite.

Usually it takes double the time, if not longer, to colonize enough bacteria to process nitrite for it to drop to zero.

-FHM

Hey thanks fatheadminnow. You didnt answer my question though. Why do you ask to test ammonia every 12 hours but only add it at 24 hour mark? Why shouldnt I top ammonia back up to 5ppm as soon as I see it drop to 0?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Think of it as a science experiment, and the control of the experiment is the amount of ammonia added, and when you add it.

Also, if you were to add ammoina every time it went to zero, you may have other problems?

I really don't know why it is done that way, other than that it gives ample time for the bacteria to process all of the existing ammoina.

12 hours is when you want the ammonia to drop to zero. If the ammonia is dropping to zero within 12 hours, and your other water parameters, like nitrite, are at zero as well, then you can consider yourself cycled!

That is why you test at the 12 hour mark, than once again 12 hours later at the 24 hour mark, just to see where you are at.

Hope this helps a little bit for ya!?

-FHM

 

[mayurkirti]

fatheadminnow, I read the pinned fishless cycle instructions on this forum and the OP suggested someone to top ammonia up to 5ppm as soon as they see it dropped to 0. I did that even before you replied and topped up ammonia in my tank. I think it is going to be fine this way as well.

Anyway, more importantly, I am seeing nitrites drop! wohoo! I think nitrite right now is 1ppm (I may be mistaken too, but it is definitely not as high as before, may be 5ppm). Nitrate jumped to about 140ppm!

Thanks!

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yes, there are a couple different ways to do the fishless cycle, and the most commonly used one is the topping up of ammonia every 24 hours.

You can do it both ways, just as long as you are taking a reading at the 12 hours mark and not adding anymore ammonia before then.

When you are seeing the ammonia drop from 5 ppm to 0 ppm at the 12 hour mark, than you know you have colonized enough bacteria in your filter to successfully process your approximate max fish load, when you are ready to get fish.

You see, when you add the 5 ppm of ammonia and it drops to zero within 12 hours, and you also have zero nitrites at the same time, you have colonized roughly enough bacteria to handle you full stocking of fish for your sized tank.

So once your cycle is complete, and you are getting zero readings of ammonia and nitrite for over a week, then you can go ahead and add your full stocking of fish for your tank roughly following the 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon rule.

-FHM

 

[OldMan47]

The biggest problem that I can see with topping up ammonia at 12 hours is how high it will drive the nitrites. Since the nitrites are not processing yet, the more ammonia you put in the higher the nitrites will become. We often recommend cutting back the ammonia to only adding to 2 ppm during the nitrite spike to give the nitrite bacteria a chance to catch up. Once nitrites start processing well, we bring the ammonia additions back to the 5 ppm level. Excess nitrites and nitrates, the end product, will drive your pH lower if your buffering isn't very high. That will stall the cycle, so you really don't want to end up with huge numbers for either of those chemicals. You will do nothing to speed the cycle by overdosing the ammonia but you can stall it that way. If you can't resist adding every time that you test, there is no reason to test for nitrites more often than every day or two until you see some kind of drop in the nitrites. More testing will not make it go faster, it will make it seem to go slower.

 

[mayurkirti]

Updated day 4 12 hours readings.

I cannot read the nitrite chart very well. I noticed that the drops turn purple at the bottom of the vial immediately, then after 1 min its pinkish purple, and then after 5-10 mins its between 0.5-1ppm color range.

 

[OldMan47]

We usually interpret the immediate color change as being too high to read properly with the test kit.

 

[mayurkirti]

The biggest problem that I can se with topping up ammonia at 12 hours is how high it will drive the nitrites. Since the nitrites are not processing yet, the more ammonia you put in the higher the nitrites will become. We often recommend cutting back the ammonia to only adding to 2 ppm during the nitrite spike to give the nitrite bacteria a chance to catch up. Once nitrites start processing well, we bring the ammonia additions back to the 5 ppm level. Excess nitrites and nitrates, the end product, will drive your pH lower if your buffering isn't very high. That will stall the cycle, so you really don't want to end up with huge numbers for either of those chemicals. You will do nothing to speed the cycle by overdosing the ammonia but you can stall it that way. If you can't resist adding every time that you test, there is no reason to test for nitrites more often than every day or two until you see some kind of drop in the nitrites. More testing will not make it go faster, it will make it seem to go slower.

fair enough. I am going to cut back ammonia to every 24 hours just to keep feeding the bacteria in the tank. I may even go as low as only 2ppm.

We usually interpret the immediate color change as being too high to read properly with the test kit.

Umm, the test kit instructions say to verify the color after 5 mins. The wanter does not change to dark purple, rather its the liquid drops that turn dark purple at the bottom. After shaking the vial, the water changes to dark purple shade of pink, and then to very light purple after 5 mins.

I am still going to wait till I see zero nitrites in the tank. Btw, does this ever happen or will I always see some ammount of nitrites in my tank?

I agree it seems unusual to see nitrites drop so soon, and the chances are I am reading the chart wrong. But more importantly, I am not going to add fish into the tank as long as there is appreciable ammount of nitrite in the tank.

Thanks.

 

[OldMan47]

In the long run, you will see ammonia and nitrites at a solid zero. That is the point to doing the cycle before adding fish. You will not stop adding ammonia and testing until it shows a very clear zero for both chemicals.

 

[mayurkirti]

I need some serious help here. I havent been testing pH this whole time and did the test tonight only to find that it has dropped drastically. I have a mid range pH test kit that tests pH between 6.2-7.4. The pH right now is less than 6.2!

What should I do? Water change may be?