New Tank - Aqua One Regency 120

[Schmill]

Well since receiving the new tank I have been asking people lots of questions, so I just thought I would put up a few pictures of it so that those that are interested can see how it develops, (it's a bit boring at the moment! - lol)

So it arrived, and my brother and I managed to position the cabinet where I wanted it in the living room, and then lift the tank on:

21-Oct-2008

3 Big bags of gravel later, painstakingly washed through a couple of handfuls at a time in cold water, a numb arm, and a few ornaments:

With the room lights out, tank lights on, but still no water!

22-Oct-2008
My wife and I filled the tank with cold water from the tap using buckets, 9 litres at a time! (Only used cold as that was faster, and used buckets to know how much water we put in!)
Primed the filter and set everything going, then went to sleep.

23-Oct-2008
Water has heated to 26 deg. C by this evening and thankfully all seems to be holding well, no drips
The water has cleared a lot of the milkyness it had last night, so I started to cycle the tank:

Are people generally interested in how the cycling goes, (if so I will post my tests and results), or should I just log them myself and only post if there is a problem?

 

[doresy]

Nice tank, very nice tank! Love AquaOne's

Like the photos and the thread too.

You add as much info. as you like, this is a forum and members can read it or not.

I for one will watch your progress and don't forget, what might be boring stats to some will be a great help for others new to cycling.

 

[Keithoms]

Lovely tank, looks fantastic. Would like to see your log.

 

[Schmill]

Many thanks both.

Not sure what is best here whether to just update the first post with each days update, or whether to do a new 'reply'. For now I think I'll do a new 'reply' otherwise the topic won't get marked as having a new post...

So let the cycling begin!

BLUE - Items added to the tank
Italics - Comments
GREEN - Tank Parameter Readings

Reference Data
Tank is quoted as 300L, but currently has 280L in it due to substrate and ornaments.
Filter is holding 12L.
Total water volume = 292L

Tests Performed using API Liquid Test Kit, (hardness tests performed using strips - urgh, but I've got to use them for something!)
Bottled Ammonia is 9.5%. To reach 5ppm in 292L calculator says approx. 15ml of Ammonia.
Stress Zyme at 10ml for 38L works out to be 76.8ml in 292L tank.

22 October 2008 - Day 0 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Tank filled with 280L of cold water, treated with API Stress Coat to declor.
Filter & heater switched on.
75ml of API Stress Zyme added.
Water Temperature: 15 deg. C

23 October 2008 - Day 1 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 26 deg. C

Time: 19:40
KH : 240
GH : 180
Ph : 7.4
High Ph: 7.4
Ammonia: 0
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: 20
This confirms that everything is sitting at around the right levels to start the fishless cycle.

Time: 20:30
15ml of 9.5% Ammonia added to the tank
75ml of Stress Zyme added
Stress Zyme is supposed to be added on days 1, 7 & 14, but I've added it on day 0 as well. I think it might have been too cold on day 0 though hence the repeat today.

Time: 21:45
Ammonia: 2
Erm, ok. Either niether my wife or I are reading the test right tonight or else the ammonia dosing didn't have the expected effect! Will try adding some more.
15ml of 9.5% Ammonia added to the tank

Time: 22:30
Ammonia: Greater than 4, but less than 8. (Perhaps a 6?)
Ok, so it's increased. I can't tell exactly what value it's at now as there are only levels for 4 and 8 at this point, but I'm guessing a 6. The main thing for me is that it is now closer to the point I was trying to achieve. I'll it at that for tonight

 

[OzeN]

very nice tank and you have good tactics.. nice

 

[Schmill]

24th October 2008 - Day 2 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 27 deg. C

Time: 19:30
Ammonia: 4
It seems like the value has dropped, but as the colour chart for these things is green, green, greener, or more green, it's not overly clear!
(I long for the day when someone makes something that is green for 1, yellow for 2, red for 3, purple for 4, and blue for 5 or more, it would make things soooo much easier!)
Anyway, do to the slight uncertainty with the results, but the fact that they are still higher enough for cycling to work I'm not going to do anything tonight. A night off on a Friday - RESULT!

 

[Schmill]

25th October 2008 - Day 3 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 29 deg. C

Time: 19:10
Ammonia: 4
Ammonia is definitly 4 tonight Will be keeping an eye on the temperature though. This is around where I wanted it for cycling, but if it keeps climbing I might need to tweak the heater a litte.

 

[Schmill]

Sorry, been doing the tests, but not had time to put the updates on here until now!

26th October 2008 - Day 4 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 28 deg. C

Time: 21:10
Ammonia: 4

27th October 2008 - Day 5 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 28 deg. C

Time: 20:50
Ammonia: 4

28th October 2008 - Day 6 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 26 deg. C

Time: 00:00
Ammonia: 4

29th October 2008 - Day 7 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 26 deg. C

Time: 19:30
Ammonia: 4 (come on I want some fish in my tank!)
Hi PH: 7.6
PH: 7.4

 

[Schmill]

30th October 2008 - Day 8 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 26 deg. C

Time: 19:45
Ammonia: 4
Seems I forgot to add my API Stress Zyme yesterday on Day 7, so have added it today instead!
75ml of API Stress Zyme Added

EDIT:
No idea if it will make any difference to the cycle at all, but thought I had better make a note that today I added my 2ft air curtain at the back wall of the tank.
2ft / 60cm air curtain added at rear base of the tank

 

[JenCliBee]

30th October 2008 - Day 8 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 26 deg. C

Time: 19:45
Ammonia: 4
Seems I forgot to add my API Stress Zyme yesterday on Day 7, so have added it today instead!
75ml of API Stress Zyme Added

just 2 let you know m8 stress zyme is actually not doing a single thing 2 your fishless cycle other than you wasting money buying it just thought i would let you know just incase you are buying more and more


jen

 

[Schmill]

Cheers Jen,

I'd actually already bought the mahoosive bottle of it before I read on these forums that in theory it shouldn't help.
I'm fairly sure my first tank (60L) cycled faster than 'usual' when I used it, but this tank is going to be the make or break test for me. If this tank cycles in the 'normal' amount of time, then the bottle will not be being replaced - lol
Just intrigued to see what difference it makes if any

Thanks for mentioning it though!

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Schmill,

Firstly, nice tank with a nice aquascape. Well done!

Also, this is the start of a great fishless cycle log. Your attention to detail with your colour coding makes for very easy reading.

I agree with Jen that the stress zyme probably has no effect, but different people seem to have different experiences of these products. My advice is to use it by all means, but don't be too disappointed if it doesn't seem to do anything. I would imagine that if it actually had the correct bacteria colonies living in it, they'd have got to work on your ammonia by now.

Don't get disheartened that you haven't seen any ammonia movement by day 8, it can commonly take up to 2 weeks to see the first drop.

I would suggest cranking the temp up to around 30 for the duration of the cycle. This will speed it up slightly. Also, monitor the pH closely as if it drops, this will slow your cycle and if it drops to around 6, your cycle will stop. Just keep an eye on it.

I am fairly concerned that you had to double dose the ammonia to get the desired result. Did you shake the bottle? I designed the forum ammonia calculator and i'm certain that its 100% accurate. You should be able to calibrate your test kit by it.

Thats all my comments for now. I'll be following this thread, so you'll hear from me again.

Good luck and keep up the detail in your log. It can prove invaluable later if you run into any problems.

Good luck with the cycle

BTT

 

[Schmill]

Hi Schmill,

Firstly, nice tank with a nice aquascape. Well done!

Also, this is the start of a great fishless cycle log. Your attention to detail with your colour coding makes for very easy reading.

I agree with Jen that the stress zyme probably has no effect, but different people seem to have different experiences of these products. My advice is to use it by all means, but don't be too disappointed if it doesn't seem to do anything. I would imagine that if it actually had the correct bacteria colonies living in it, they'd have got to work on your ammonia by now.

Don't get disheartened that you haven't seen any ammonia movement by day 8, it can commonly take up to 2 weeks to see the first drop.

I would suggest cranking the temp up to around 30 for the duration of the cycle. This will speed it up slightly. Also, monitor the pH closely as if it drops, this will slow your cycle and if it drops to around 6, your cycle will stop. Just keep an eye on it.

I am fairly concerned that you had to double dose the ammonia to get the desired result. Did you shake the bottle? I designed the forum ammonia calculator and i'm certain that its 100% accurate. You should be able to calibrate your test kit by it.

Thats all my comments for now. I'll be following this thread, so you'll hear from me again.

Good luck and keep up the detail in your log. It can prove invaluable later if you run into any problems.

Good luck with the cycle

BTT

Hi BTT,

Thanks for all your positive comments
I'll try cranking the temperature up again. At the beginning of the cycle it seemed to go higher, but has then dropped back down to a more stable 26 degrees.

Don't let the double-dose of ammonia concern you, to coin a phrase, "It's not you, it's me" , but seriously, when I cycled my 60L tank about 7 months ago I used the calculator, a medicine syringe and managed to hit the 5ppm dead on everytime.
This time I did shake my ammonia bottle, which resulted in me getting ammonia splashes all over my hands, so I'm fairly sure the lid seal isn't all that tight. I've actually commented on this in another thread, (posts 92 to 96), but basically the ammonia in a bottle is ammonia gas that has been 'fed' into a water carrier. When I bought this bottle it was sealed with an airtight seal on the top of the bottle and the bottle states it's 9.5% ammonia w/w. I think what is likely is that over the course of the 6/7 months that the bottle has since sat in the cupboard some of the ammonia has broken free of the water in the bottle and managed to escape through the bad seal of the lid, in the process now lowering the concentration of the ammonia in the bottle. Using the forum ammonia calculator alongside my figures, it would seem that my bottled ammonia has actually dropped to around a 7% concentration, so I will use that figure next time and see where I get

 

[paul123]

nice tank man..
love aqua one is a very good brand

nice setup by the way

 

[Schmill]

Thanks, I've just got to get some bogwood in there somewhere now as I recently found out that my Plecos would be quite keen on it

Anyway, on with todays results (although no great suprises...)

31st October 2008 - Day 9 (300L - Fishless Cycle)
Water Temperature: 26 deg. C

Time: 19:45
Ammonia: 4