Here is my latest tank:
It is a 5.5 gallon and my first attempt at a fishless cycle. Tonight I will be adding the heater, thermometer and these:
They have only been soaking since Sunday and should give the water a nice tannis shade. I am going for a certain look and it should work out nicely. Also the tank will be heavily planted. Here is the above shot:
The Aqua Clear 20 will be arriving tomorrow and I already have the ammonia from Ace Hardware, which I could only find in a small hole in the wall hardware store an hour from my house. So I think I’m all set. After doing all my reading up on it here is what I plan on doing. Please offer any corrections or advice.
“Add and wait method”
Turn heater up to 85-88
Add air pump and stone
Steal one sponge from the AC20 on my 10 gallon and clean out the rest of the media in the tank water, hoping to jump start cycle
Add first dose of ammonia (1ml) then check reading……first big question, how long after I “seed” the new filter should I dose the ammonia?
Check ammonia level after 24 hrs and every 24 hrs after, at first sign of drop start checking nitrite
Once ammonia gets at/near zero start dosing again and raise to 3-4ppm and start checking every 12 hrs
Once at zero again dose to 3-4 ppm and continue until nitrite spike
Continue until ammonia and nitrite at zero after 12 hrs
Once reached 90% WC and done
There is the plan in a nutshell. I will be starting tomorrow. See anything that needs changing?
If I understand this correctly I should completely cycle the tank before I add the live plants, right?
It is a 5.5 gallon and my first attempt at a fishless cycle. Tonight I will be adding the heater, thermometer and these:
They have only been soaking since Sunday and should give the water a nice tannis shade. I am going for a certain look and it should work out nicely. Also the tank will be heavily planted. Here is the above shot:
The Aqua Clear 20 will be arriving tomorrow and I already have the ammonia from Ace Hardware, which I could only find in a small hole in the wall hardware store an hour from my house. So I think I’m all set. After doing all my reading up on it here is what I plan on doing. Please offer any corrections or advice.
“Add and wait method”
Turn heater up to 85-88
Add air pump and stone
Steal one sponge from the AC20 on my 10 gallon and clean out the rest of the media in the tank water, hoping to jump start cycle
Add first dose of ammonia (1ml) then check reading……first big question, how long after I “seed” the new filter should I dose the ammonia?
Check ammonia level after 24 hrs and every 24 hrs after, at first sign of drop start checking nitrite
Once ammonia gets at/near zero start dosing again and raise to 3-4ppm and start checking every 12 hrs
Once at zero again dose to 3-4 ppm and continue until nitrite spike
Continue until ammonia and nitrite at zero after 12 hrs
Once reached 90% WC and done
There is the plan in a nutshell. I will be starting tomorrow. See anything that needs changing?
If I understand this correctly I should completely cycle the tank before I add the live plants, right?