Second Stage Cycle Started Today Help

[Miss Wiggle]

only cos you put loads of little stars all over the place

 

[backtotropical]

only cos you put loads of little stars all over the place

Fair point!

 

[waterdrop]

To me, Big Bert with the dorsal fin there has been eyeing those little starred links with increasing displeasure, lest they crowd his territory.

 

[lana]

6 pm readings

ammonia 0
nitrites 0.25ish
nitrates 0 to 5

ph 7.6ish do i take out a bit of coral

temp 26ish

all fish good

 

[waterdrop]

"do I take out some coral?"

Lana, lets see, why don't you start reported KH each time, along with pH, so you and we can see the relationship. You can cut your nitrate(NO3) tests to one a week and that will gain you back more than enough time to add the new test.

Its almost impossible to control pH to tenths, I probably wouldn't try. Did you put in a large or small handful? If it was large, you could go ahead and take a little out.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lana]

"do I take out some coral?"

Lana, lets see, why don't you start reported KH each time, along with pH, so you and we can see the relationship. You can cut your nitrate(NO3) tests to one a week and that will gain you back more than enough time to add the new test.

Its almost impossible to control pH to tenths, I probably wouldn't try. Did you put in a large or small handful? If it was large, you could go ahead and take a little out.

~~waterdrop~~

well after all my hard work keeping the fish alive and sort of happy,

a friend had a 200g tank and had room for my little fishies so they have a new home in a very big cycled tank for now till my tank is cycled,

she came by today after being away and offered to house them for me so we moved them this afternoon they all appeared happy when i left playing with her fishies

so i am going to finish my tank fishless.. i emptied 80% of water cleaned rocks pretty good added 9 ml ammonia now i wait

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well that's excellent news for you, the fishies will be safe and well and you don't need to do backbreaking water changes every day while you get the tank sorted out for them.

 

[lana]

day 41 fish in cycle

now changed to fishless cycle day 1

ammonia 2 to 4
nitrites 1
nitrates 5

ph 7.2

kh 2 drops

temp 30C

water a bit cloudy this morning

 

[Miss Wiggle]

the cloudy water will be a bacteria bloom as you've added the extra ammonia.

 

[waterdrop]

wow, this is huge news! You did a rough count on your friends tank and made sure she wasn't overstocked?

I'll bet the cloudiness is just some heterotrophs having a bit of a meal on the stir-up of your gravel from that big cleaning. You didn't forget to dechlor the water right? Great that you got your ammonia level right on up there to 4 without delay. You feel confident that your pure ammonia is pure, right?

It will take some days of stats to get a feel for where your cycle is relative to a fishless. I assume if you'd disturbed the filter in any way you'd tell us, right? Thank you for including kh now. I think the kh and pH show that its still good having the crushed coral still in there and we might even decide to augment it with some baking soda but lets get more readings for now I'd say.

I'm off traveling around a bit but between all of us we'll hopefully keep you going fine. I think you've probably read enough fishless threads that you feel fine about it.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lana]

wow, this is huge news! You did a rough count on your friends tank and made sure she wasn't overstocked?

I'll bet the cloudiness is just some heterotrophs having a bit of a meal on the stir-up of your gravel from that big cleaning. You didn't forget to dechlor the water right? Great that you got your ammonia level right on up there to 4 without delay. You feel confident that your pure ammonia is pure, right?

It will take some days of stats to get a feel for where your cycle is relative to a fishless. I assume if you'd disturbed the filter in any way you'd tell us, right? Thank you for including kh now. I think the kh and pH show that its still good having the crushed coral still in there and we might even decide to augment it with some baking soda but lets get more readings for now I'd say.

I'm off traveling around a bit but between all of us we'll hopefully keep you going fine. I think you've probably read enough fishless threads that you feel fine about it.

~~waterdrop~~

as for the ammonia yup i am pretty sure it is PURE did the shake it test no bubbles of foam at all

nope never touched the filter,

and yup i added my prime

and she has a 200 gallon tank that just houses about 15 fish she had 5 clown loaches and forget the name of the other ones but they are all the same kind ...lol they are bottom fish what ever they are.she split with hubby he took the other tanks she had and her fishies so pretty much a empty tank for it's size.

i will con'd to post my readings twice a day every 12 hours , this is how i keep track ...lol

have a great Sunday off to do some shopping need a new winter coat this year

 

[lana]

7 pm reading

ammonia 1 to 2
nitrites 1 to2
nitrates 10

ph 7.2

kh 3 drops

temp 33C yup this time i mean 33C

 

[Miss Wiggle]

good stuff lana, fingers crossed you'll now zip through a cycle in a week or two. Bet it feels good to not have to do all those water changes huh?!

 

[lana]

good stuff lana, fingers crossed you'll now zip through a cycle in a week or two. Bet it feels good to not have to do all those water changes huh?!

yup it is a nice break

so you think a week or 2 to cycle ?

 

[lana]

day 42
day 2 fishless

ammonia 1 -2
nitrites 5 or more
nitrates 10
ph 7.2
kh 3 drops

temp 33C

tank still a bit cloudy