Warehouses Fishless Cycling Log

[Warehouse]

Day 8:
Ammonia less than 1.0, Nitrite 5+

...and then I swapped my gravel substrate for sand!! See this thread for details and pictures:

Changing from gravel to sand during the cycle

I can't wait for tommorows results

 

[Gazanimal]

It's a great feeling when you start seeing the ammonia getting processed faster & faster.

Good luck with it Warehouse

 

[waterdrop]

Many of the bottled bacteria products will put nitrite(NO2) directly in the water, meaning some part of the nitrite concentration is not coming because A-Bacs (ammonia oxidizing bacteria) have created it from ammonia. In your case that may have made the NO2 readings appear to happen sooner than usual but the fact that your ammonia is continuing to go slowly down should mean that there are indeed some A-Bacs there and that some of the nitrite spike is due to them. So yes, you just carry on. We like to let the ammonia get all the way down to zero if possible but if it seems to get stuck at a low level (0.25ppm etc.) then you can go ahead and dose it back up to something the calculator seems to say and that looks as close as possible to the 4ppm color on your chart.

Its good to establish your "add-hour" such that a second testing time 12 hours away from that will be a time when you can be home. You won't need this "12-hour test" until much later in your fishless cycle but if you establish it now it helps your testing, logging and dosing to be more regularized and logical.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Warehouse]

Its good to establish your "add-hour" such that a second testing time 12 hours away from that will be a time when you can be home. You won't need this "12-hour test" until much later in your fishless cycle but if you establish it now it helps your testing, logging and dosing to be more regularized and logical.

~~waterdrop~~

I've already thought about that WD. I can test at 7pm quite easily, meaning a 7am test when required. However I'm NOT looking forward to testing before work as I have trouble walking in a stright line before the first coffee of the day.

 

[Warehouse]

Day 9: Ammonia between 0.5 and 0.25 ppm, Nitrite +5 ppm, so it seems the change from gravel to sand didn't hurt so much.

Added Ammonia to bring the level back up to about 4ppm. Measured 30 minutes later and it's about right.

 

[Joshwainwright]

I can't believe it's started to drop so quickly without mature media.

 

[Whitey_144]

I can't believe it's started to drop so quickly without mature media.

mine dropped in about 6days without mature media, must just depend on the variables

 

[Warehouse]

I can't believe it's started to drop so quickly without mature media.

Add an extra day, I ran the whole setup for 24 hours without the heater before I found this place. Since then I've followed the instructions to the letter, (apart from adding the cycle mix stuff which I carried on doing for the 3 days it said on the bottle).

Perhaps the local water in some parts of the country is better for encouraging the A-bacs? We'll soon find out with the next few days results.

 

[Joshwainwright]

I started my fishless cycle without mature media 7 days ago and the ammonia still hasn't dropped.

 

[Warehouse]

I started my fishless cycle without mature media 7 days ago and the ammonia still hasn't dropped.

We have the same tank, so same-ish capacity with media etc. The main difference must be water. Mine is in the so called prime zone at PH 8.2, the other thing is I changed the internal filter that came with the Roma 125 to an external filter with a much higher flow rate than the tank requires. I have no idea if this would help the cycle or not, but it's a possible obvious difference between us.

 

[Joshwainwright]

I changed from the U3 last night to my Fluval 205 external. I know there may have been some bacteria in the U3 but I highly doubt it, I still put the media in one of my baskets anyway. Hopefully I will see some progress soon though, it's beginning to get boring!

 

[Warehouse]

Day 10: Re-dosed up to 4ppm Ammonia last night, almost 24 hours later the Ammonia reads 2, so we're definately growing something in that filter! Nitrite 5+.

I have the API freshwater master test kit (liquid), and using 8 drops of Ammonia test liquid from 2 bottles every day is not going to last forever. I'm already wondering where is a good place to buy replacements for them? Anyone have any tips?

 

[Joshwainwright]

I haven't actually come across any replacements or refills yet which is a huge let down. I also use the API master test kit and some bottles sure are running out faster than others.

In fact, scrap what I've just said. I've just been looking on eBay and found something!

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-Ammonia-Test-Kit-REFILL-only-/260722076460?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item3cb43f2b2c

 

[Gazanimal]

At £5-6 a refill it'd work out nearly as cheap to buy another full master kit, especially when you consider needing the ph High & Nitrite too.

 

[Joshwainwright]

Probably, when you think about it that way. It just depends if you're willing to spend another £20 to simply replace one or two bottles.