Fishless Cycling Experts - Help Appreciated!

Hmm, last note before I leave..

While you're not getting 0 readings, it is obvious that there are enough bacteria to deal with quite large quantities of ammonia and you should probably start considering half-stock next weekend.. whatever you decide, remember to do a 100% water change before you go to pick up fish (whenever you do).

Hi All

Latest stats below:

17/12/2010 Ammonia 1, Nitrate 40-80, Nitrite 0.
18/12/2010 Added 2 drops ammonia
19/12/2010 Ammonia 2, Nitrate 40, Nitrite 0
19/12/2010 Added 3 drops ammonia
19/12/2010 Ammonia 4, Ph 7.6
20/12/2010 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrate 40, Nitrite 0
20/12/2010 Added 5 drops ammonia
20/12/2010 Ammonia 4
21/12/2010 Ammonia 2 - 4, Nitrate 40-80, Nitrite 0, Ph 7.6
21/12/2010 Ammonia 1, Nitrate 40-80, Nitrite 0
21/12/2010 Added 3 drops ammonia
21/12/2010 Ammonia 4
23/12/2010 Ammonia .5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40-80
23/12/2010 Accidentally added too much ammonia. Test beyond 8ppm ammonia.
23/12/2010 Performed water change to bring down ammonia.
23/12/2010 Ammonia 2 - 4.
24/12/2010 Added 1 drop ammonia
24/12/2010 Ammonia 4, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20-40.
25/12/2010 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20-40.
25/12/2010 Added 5 drops ammonia
25/12/2010 Ammonia 4
26/12/2010 Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40
26/12/2010 Added 9 drops ammonia
26/12/2010 Ammonia between 4 and 8.
28/12/2010 Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80
28/12/2010 Added 8 drops ammonia
28/12/2010 Ammonia 4
29/12/2010 Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80
29/12/2010 Added 8 drops ammonia
29/12/2010 1900 Ammonia between 4 and 8
30/12/2010 0630 Ammonia between 2 and 4
30/12/2010 2320 Ammonia 0.25 - 0.50, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80-160
30/12/2010 2321 Added 6 drops ammonia
30/12/2010 2335 Ammonia 4
31/12/2010 1130 Ammonia 1, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160
31/12/2010 1830 Ammonia .5
31/12/2010 1830 Added 6 drops ammonia
31/12/2010 1845 Ammonia 4, Ph 7.6, High Range Ph 7.4
01/01/2011 1830 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160
01/01/2011 1845 Added 6 drops ammonia
01/01/2011 1915 Ammonia 4

Cheers,

Keith.

Have we ever worked the dose back up to 5ppm after the nitrite spike subsided? I forget. WD

waterdrop said:

Have we ever worked the dose back up to 5ppm after the nitrite spike subsided? I forget. WD

Click to expand...

Hi there

On the basis that the bacteria were processing a lot of ammonia in 12 hours (admittedly not the full 4ppm), I have added 3 fish. They are 2 lemon tetras and a honey gourami.

My log, and a few photos, are below.

17/12/2010 Ammonia 1, Nitrate 40-80, Nitrite 0.
18/12/2010 Added 2 drops ammonia
19/12/2010 Ammonia 2, Nitrate 40, Nitrite 0
19/12/2010 Added 3 drops ammonia
19/12/2010 Ammonia 4, Ph 7.6
20/12/2010 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrate 40, Nitrite 0
20/12/2010 Added 5 drops ammonia
20/12/2010 Ammonia 4
21/12/2010 Ammonia 2 - 4, Nitrate 40-80, Nitrite 0, Ph 7.6
21/12/2010 Ammonia 1, Nitrate 40-80, Nitrite 0
21/12/2010 Added 3 drops ammonia
21/12/2010 Ammonia 4
23/12/2010 Ammonia .5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40-80
23/12/2010 Accidentally added too much ammonia. Test beyond 8ppm ammonia.
23/12/2010 Performed water change to bring down ammonia.
23/12/2010 Ammonia 2 - 4.
24/12/2010 Added 1 drop ammonia
24/12/2010 Ammonia 4, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20-40.
25/12/2010 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20-40.
25/12/2010 Added 5 drops ammonia
25/12/2010 Ammonia 4
26/12/2010 Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40
26/12/2010 Added 9 drops ammonia
26/12/2010 Ammonia between 4 and 8.
28/12/2010 Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80
28/12/2010 Added 8 drops ammonia
28/12/2010 Ammonia 4
29/12/2010 Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80
29/12/2010 Added 8 drops ammonia
29/12/2010 1900 Ammonia between 4 and 8
30/12/2010 0630 Ammonia between 2 and 4
30/12/2010 2320 Ammonia 0.25 - 0.50, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80-160
30/12/2010 2321 Added 6 drops ammonia
30/12/2010 2335 Ammonia 4
31/12/2010 1130 Ammonia 1, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160
31/12/2010 1830 Ammonia .5
31/12/2010 1830 Added 6 drops ammonia
31/12/2010 1845 Ammonia 4, Ph 7.6, High Range Ph 7.4
01/01/2011 1830 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160
01/01/2011 1845 Added 6 drops ammonia
01/01/2011 1915 Ammonia 4
02/01/2011 1015 Ammonia 0.5 - 1
02/01/2011 1800 Ammonia 0.5 - 1
02/01/2011 1805 Added 6 drops ammonia
02/01/2010 1832 Ammonia 4
03/01/2010 1030 Ammonia 1
3/1/2010 1100 100% water change
3/1/2010 1600 Added 1 Honey Gourami, 2 Lemon Tetra
7/1/2010 1030 Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5





Cheers,

Keith.

OK, good luck, nice pictures. Be sure to test twice a day if you can for traces and just do water changes if you see anything show up, but hopefully you'll be just fine. WD

I'll keep an eye on the water parameters. Thanks to all who have helped me, particularly to Kitty Kat.

keithbrown53 said:

I'll keep an eye on the water parameters. Thanks to all who have helped me, particularly to Kitty Kat.

Click to expand...

Greetings All,

Things appear to be going well:

29/12/2010 1900 Ammonia between 4 and 8
30/12/2010 0630 Ammonia between 2 and 4
30/12/2010 2320 Ammonia 0.25 - 0.50, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80-160
30/12/2010 2321 Added 6 drops ammonia
30/12/2010 2335 Ammonia 4
31/12/2010 1130 Ammonia 1, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160
31/12/2010 1830 Ammonia .5
31/12/2010 1830 Added 6 drops ammonia
31/12/2010 1845 Ammonia 4, Ph 7.6, High Range Ph 7.4
01/01/2011 1830 Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160
01/01/2011 1845 Added 6 drops ammonia
01/01/2011 1915 Ammonia 4
02/01/2011 1015 Ammonia 0.5 - 1
02/01/2011 1800 Ammonia 0.5 - 1
02/01/2011 1805 Added 6 drops ammonia
02/01/2010 1832 Ammonia 4
03/01/2010 1030 Ammonia 1
3/1/2010 1100 100% water change
3/1/2010 1600 Added 1 Honey Gourami, 2 Lemon Tetra
7/1/2010 1030 Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5
14/1/2010 1200 Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10-20
14/1/2010 1300 20% water change

My 2 lemon tetras (which are quite shy, and seem to like hiding in the plants at the bottom of the tank) and 1 honey gourami look happy.

As it has been 11 days with no issues, I am thinking about adding another few fish tomorrow, perhaps 3 or 4 espei rasporas.

Would it be acceptable to add this many at once? Espei's are pretty small....

A few weeks after this, I'll probably add another couple of lemon tetras, and will call it a day at that. I'm hoping that increasing the lemon tetras to 4 will made them a bit less shy.

Thoughts welcome.

Cheers,

Keith.

I'd be shy too with a cat that size staring at me.

Yes, those little rasboras added in that number should be fine for an additional stocking. And likewise, an addition of 2 lemons at a time is appropriate. (I'm not looking at your overall water volume to eventual mature fish volume, assume you've already worked all that out.)

WD

Hi, glad to see everything went well.

Please remember that tetras are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 6+ (which is why they are so shy right now). I would advise you to have only one school of 6 shoaling fish. I would personally just have 6 espei, but now that you have the lemons already...

There should be no problem adding that many fish at the same time, take a week or more to increase feeding through.

waterdrop said:

I'd be shy too with a cat that size staring at me.
WD

Click to expand...

Very good!

The cat does seem quite interested in the fish....but only when she's hungry....

Kitty Kat said:

Hi, glad to see everything went well.

Please remember that tetras are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 6+ (which is why they are so shy right now). I would advise you to have only one school of 6 shoaling fish. I would personally just have 6 espei, but now that you have the lemons already...

There should be no problem adding that many fish at the same time, take a week or more to increase feeding through.

Click to expand...

Hi there

I'm now up to the gourami, 2 lemons, and 4 raspboras. The lemons are a lot more visible since I added the raspboras....maybe they like the company.

You are right though, I shouldn't have bought the lemons. Went to the fish shop to get a gourami, and liked the look of the lemons, and bought those too. Oops.

Thanks very much for all the assistance.

Cheers,

Keith.