Nicolaisam-My Tank Is Cycling

[eaglesaquarium]

Dose every 24 hours when it drops to zero, regardless of when it hits zero.

 

[nicolaisam]

Ok thanks.

 

[nicolaisam]

Just tested.


Ammonia from 3ppm to 0ppm
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 80ppm

 

[nicolaisam]

Tested

Ammonia 3ppm to 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0---How has that happened,what uses up Nitrates,could it be my plants,moss,and java fern

Thats in 24 hrs

Will redose at 3ppm ammonia and check in 12hrs

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Nitrates test is 100% wrong mate, there dodgy at teh best of times. if your using Api follow the booklet to the letter just to get a mediaoke reading this means a dead arm due to shaking like fool for like 5min.

Ok think it time for some 12hrs tests now. Dose ammonia back to 5ppm ONCE every 24 hrs but you should doing the water stats test 12 hours after adding the ammonia. when your tank can do Ammonia and Nitrites back to 0 in 12 hours for 5 days in row water change then fishy time... your nearly there mate

 

[nicolaisam]

Just tested again.Gave the bottles a good shake.

Between 80 and 100.That seems more like it.

Will dose up to 5ppm of ammonia,Tommorow evening,

At the Moment i only have 5 Cardinal tetras and 6 Black phantom tetras to put in this tank,they will have plenty of room,Not much of a load for the filter.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

+1

 

[nicolaisam]

Getting there now,will clear 5ppm of ammonia in 12 hrs,takes 14hrs to clear the Nitrates.

I think another week should do it.

50% water change this afternoon Nitrate is very high,Dosent seem to be a red that colour.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The water change might actually pause the cycle slightly. If I were you I would just ride it out and do the water change at the end. In this case, the water change will do nothing for you besides lower the nitrates, and they aren't really a problem.

 

[nicolaisam]

Ok.

Will leave it alone.

I am hoping it will cycle this week,will give it 4 or 5 days,of clearing 5ppm totally.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You are pretty close.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Looking good

 

[nicolaisam]

Thanks

I picked up some shrimp earler for my shrimp tank,the people i picked them up from had about 20 tanks,all different sizes,all full of fish and baby fish,I was amazed.

They sell a lot of fish locally.

Will be looking at the list they gave me,want a nice community tank,colourfull and piecefull.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Based on what you are telling me, it's possible that your cycle may have stalled a bit.


I don't have lot of information here... did your pH crash again? That could be due to high nitrates. Did you add any baking soda to increase your water's buffering capacity?


A detailed log with daily updates can be very useful in trying to troubleshoot. If you could update your first post, and include: date, time, pH, NH3, NO2, NO3, temp and dosage that would be very helpful in figuring out exactly what is going on.


Long story short - simply doing a huge water change at your normal dosing time and dosing as usual will probably be the best course of action. You are very close, but not quite there yet. Post your log and we can go from there.

 

[nicolaisam]

After a few problems recently we seem to be back on track.

Had Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
after 12hrs this morning.