//stuarts New Tank Cycle

[Joshwainwright]

You're 1 day behind me!

 

[//stuart]

Felt brave and decided to do a water change and also replace the gravel in the tank with sand. What a mess that makes!

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
30   20Mar  7.2   7.4       0.00ppm   180ppm   0.00ppm    Nitrite+Ammonia @ 0.0ppm, added 2.75ml ammonia (1045)
30   20Mar  ---   ---       0.25ppm   ------   5.00ppm    Ammona dropping quickly, Nitrite slowly (1830) 50% Sand+Water change, 2.75ml Ammonia added.
30   20Mar  ---   ---       2.00ppm   ------   1.00ppm    Nitrite lower after water change (2100)

 

[//stuart]

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
31   21Mar  7.2   ---       0.00ppm    80ppm   0.25ppm    3ml ammonia added & 3tsp baking soda (20.30)
32   20Mar  >7.6  8.2       0.00ppm    80ppm   0.50ppm    Added 3ml ammonia (20.00)

Seem to have readings near zero after 24hrs at the moment, so keep the cycle going until its definitely zero after 24hrs.

I've done a small water change as the water is very cloudy (ie. cant see the plants!) which has helped, will the sand particles settle down?

 

[waterdrop]

The sand dust should eventually settle down. You sound like you're passing from phase 2 to phase 3. The goal changes from hoping for double-zeros (both ammonia and nitrite) at the 24 hour mark after dosing to trying to get it down to double-zeros at the 12 hour after dosing mark. The third phase can go by very quickly for some people or take a very long time for others (especially if they have what we call "the sticking problem" where either ammonia or nitrite does not quite clear at 12 hours and seems stuck doing the same thing day after day (usually it's the nitrite(NO2) that gets stuck.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[//stuart]

Phase 3 would be good!

Just to clarify:

1. I need to be testing Nitrite and Ammonia at regular 12 hour intervals (say 8am and 8pm)
2. At 8pm if the readings are zero, spike with Ammonia (to about 2 or 3 ppm - in my case, about 2.75ml of 9.5% ammonia)


Is it also worth testing the PH on a daily basis or every other day? Mine hasn't really changed at all during the whole process.

 

[waterdrop]

As you go into the 3rd phase of fishless cycling, it's time to ease the dosing back up to 4-5ppm (from the 2-3ppm you may have lowered it to during the 2nd phase to reduce overall nitrates.) The idea is that you want to be as close to 5ppm as possible for the finish as this will produce the most robust pair of colonies and reduce the chance of mini-spikes after fish.

You can take your time about this. If you've been doing 2-3ppm then it's nice to ease back up (if you have the patience for it, lol) rather than just hit it with a calculated 5ppm all at once. You're just at the very beginning of the 3rd phase, so you may have some weeks ahead.

If you've hardly had any pH fluctuation then you probably have a high KH reading. That's good as far as the bacteria growing goes. Still, it's in the 3rd phase that you most often see pH drops due to the nitric acid gaining and so it's now that you want to keep a closer eye on it. Despite me saying that, every other day should be just fine for you. It will take a lot more than one day's drop to cause the members to recommend a big water change, which is what you'd do if pH headed for the 6's.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[//stuart]

Hmm, whats going on here then?

Tested Nitrite last night 8pm, and it was massively high (off the chart).
Tested again this morning and still off the chart.

Ammonia was zero on both occasions!

Seem to have gone backwards!

 

[waterdrop]

No, this observation is quite common in my experience. When you are coming down off the nitrite spike mountain and descending into the valley of the 3rd phase it (the nitrite) often bounces around wildly before settling down to where the nitrite is regularly processed down to zero ppm in 24 hours. Don't worry, it is a good sign that it has started to have any 24 hour nitrite zeros at all, soon it will settle down and you will be on your way watching for 12 hour drops. Remember that all interpretations are better done over a weeks data, not what happens in only a couple of days!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[//stuart]

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
33   23Mar  ---   7.8       0.00ppm    -----   >5.0ppm    3ml ammonia added (20:00)
34   24Mar  ---   ---       0.00ppm    -----   >5.0ppm    3ml ammonia added @ 20.00
35   25Mar  7.6   8.0       0.00ppm    -----   5.0ppm     9.00am
35   25Mar  ---   ---       -------    -----   0.0ppm     20.00, 3.5ml ammonia added

Okay, double zero readings at 24hr stage

 

[//stuart]

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
36   26Mar  ---   ---       ----         ---   3.0ppm     09:00
36   26Mar  ---   ---       ----         ---      ---     3.5ml Ammonia added @ 22:00
37   27Mar  ---   ---       0.25         ---   5.0ppm     10:00
37   27Mar  ---   8.0       0.0          >80   0.0ppm     20:30, 4ml ammonia added
38   28Mar  ---   ---       ---          ---   5.0ppm     10:00
39   29Mar  ---   8.0       0.0          ---   0.0ppm     22:00, 4ml ammonia added
40   30Mar  ---   ---       0.0          ---   1.0ppm     10:00
40   30Mar  ---   ---       0.0          >80   0.0ppm     21:30, 4ml ammonia added
41   31Mar  ---   ---       0.0          ---   0.25ppm    18:00 (extra reading to see if zero nitrite @ 21hrs )

So far so good, appears to get to zero Nitrite about 22hrs in, long way off the 12hour mark though!

I've upped the ammonia to 4ml, which is approximately 4.5ppm - is this high enough?

 

[//stuart]

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
42   01Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       ---       No tests done, just 4ml ammonia added @20:30
43   02Apr  ---   8.0       0        ---       0.5       0930am
43   02Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       0.0       20:30, double zeros added 4ml ammonia
44   03Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       ---       No tests done, just 4ml ammonia added @20:10
45   04Apr  7.6   7.4       0        ---       0.25      17:30
45   04Apr  ---   ---       0        ---       0.0       21:30

Well Ammonia and Nitrite are eventually getting to double zeros, however, it very slow and I *think* my PH level has dropped a little to 7.4 from around 8.0.

Nitrite is zero at around 22 hours into the cycle - is this normal for phase 3, seems like the 12 hour cycle is no where near?!

Getting a bit bored with it all now!

 

[//stuart]

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
46   05Apr  ---   ---       0        ---       0.25       21:00 + 4ml ammonia
47   06Apr  ---   ---       0        >80       0.0        17:30 (4ml ammonia @ 21:00)
48   07Apr  ---   ---       ----     ---       >5.0ppm    07:30
48   07Apr  ---   ---       ----     ---       ---        21:00 - 4ml ammonia added
49   08Apr  7.6   7.4       ----     ---       0          20:00 - 4ml ammonia added
50   09Apr  ---   ---       0        ---       2.0ppm     08:30

Nitrite @ 2.0ppm after 12hrs - is this ever going to drop? What can I do to speed it up? Water change?

 

[BIG BAD BARRY]

You have done a water change and dosed with bicarb previously looking at your log.
You are at the stage where you just need the nitrite to settle down. I dont think you are far off.
A 90-100% dechlorinated temp matched water change should be fine without bicarb. I am basing this on fact that your water parameters are the same as mine.

 

[//stuart]

Day  Date   PH    PH(high)  Ammonia  Nitrate   Nitrite
50   09Apr  ---   ---       0        ---       0.0        16:30
51   10Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       2.0ppm     08:45
51   10Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       0.0ppm     13:00
52   11Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       2.0ppm     07:45
52   11Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       0.0ppm     11:50
52   11Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       ---        19:30 +4ml ammonia added
53   12Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       0.5ppm     07:30
53   12Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       ---        20:30 100% water change +4ml ammonia
54   13Apr  ---   ---       ---      ---       1.0ppm     09:00
54   13Apr  7.6   7.4       ---      10ppm     0.0ppm     19:00 +4ml ammonia

 

[//stuart]

Started thinking about stocking the tank!

Wandered round the LFS and wrote down a few names of fish I liked the look of and did some research. So far I'm thinking along the lines of....

4x Sunset Platy (5cm)
1x Zodiac Loach (8cm)
2x Dwarf Gourami (8cm)
6x Neon Tetra (2.5cm)
6x Diamond Tetra (6cm)

Its a 95litre tank, so have I picked too many fish or is this okay? Should one loach be okay or get a couple? I make the above about 37inches of fish (95cm) is this okay?