1st water test

[uk28scots]

been doing a fishless cycle for 3 days now and done my 1st test, results are

PH 7.4 - 7.6

Ammonia 0 - 0.25

Nitrite - 0.50

Nitrate - 10

how does this look and do i need to be doing anything or just leave it also water is still slightly cloudy and dont know if ammonia has spiked as this was the 1st test.

 

[breezer40]

For three days it looks as it should but it will take quite a bit longer before you start to add the fish. Ammonia and nitrite will need to be 0. The cloudy water is a bacterial bloom..again quite normal and show that the cycle is going in the right direction. Just leave the tank as it is and continue to test.

 

[uk28scots]

thanx, is it also true i have to add ammonia to the tank to help the cycle as there are no fish in there to produce the ammonia? im not sure if this is true?

 

[yvez9]

adding ammonia is the basic part of a fishless cycle

 

[StarOrbs]

If you don't have any plants I would suggest some type of blackout so not much light gets into the tank this should help to prevent an algae bloom. If I remember correctly the beneficial bacteria doesn't need light. Just ignore whatever you water looks like and just test the water everyday or every few days. Of course you may not get an algae bloom if you don't have plants I wouldn't know because I've never done one without plants. Good Luck.

 

[yvez9]

green algea will form if there is too much light
brown algea will form if there is not enough light

algea is inevitable usually. You can get algea eating fish or invertebrates to control it though. Plants will absorb nutrients though, so there is less left for the algea.

 

[daza]

thanx, is it also true i have to add ammonia to the tank to help the cycle as there are no fish in there to produce the ammonia? im not sure if this is true?

yeah you do. How did you get the cycle started if you haven't been adding ammonia? like yvez9 said, adding ammonia is what fishless cycling is all about.

the readings looks fine for day 3 though.

 

[uk28scots]

well me being a newbie didn't know you had to add ammonia for a fishless cycle so nothing had been added but have deceided to use zebra danio to cycle the tank, also kept the light off today and that has helped to clear the water now so its starting to look good.
How many danio should i add for 126litre to help the cycle?

 

[SarahBravo]

you don't need ammonia, you can do it with fish food as this rots down and produces ammonia, just add a pinch of crumbled flake a day - that's how I did mine. Or apparently you can pee in the tank, but some people seem to be strangely against this method!!

Sarah

 

[uk28scots]

tried to attempt to pee in the tank but my wife walked in and said "you wont catch anything with that" she has now made an appointment with a councillor to talk about my sexual fetish's

 

[keane]

tried to attempt to pee in the tank but my wife walked in and said "you wont catch anything with that" she has now made an appointment with a councillor to talk about my sexual fetish's

you have just cheered me up no end!!

thanks!!

tbr

 

[TESS]

well me being a newbie didn't know you had to add ammonia for a fishless cycle so nothing had been added but have deceided to use zebra danio to cycle the tank, also kept the light off today and that has helped to clear the water now so its starting to look good.
How many danio should i add for 126litre to help the cycle?

UK28scots
If you are doing a FISHLESS cycle you will need to add ammonia or fish food or prawns (ive been told)
If you are doing a cycle WITH FISH you DO NOT need to add any amonnia or fish food to cycle the tank as the fish will cycle the tank.