37g Cycling Journal: Advice Welcome!

[Essjay]

A lot of fish keepers are unwilling to have live plants in their tanks and in this case fishless cycling is better than fish-in cycling. For many new starters, it is complicated enough without having to worry about keeping plants alive as well, so they prefer artificial plants. For many years every plant I put in my tank died so I gave up trying. I even killed duckweed! It was a long time before I found I could manage to keep Java fern alive.

 

[itiwhetu]

A lot of fish keepers are unwilling to have live plants in their tanks and in this case fishless cycling is better than fish-in cycling. For many new starters, it is complicated enough without having to worry about keeping plants alive as well, so they prefer artificial plants. For many years every plant I put in my tank died so I gave up trying. I even killed duckweed! It was a long time before I found I could manage to keep Java fern alive.

That's a shame as the plant part of fish keeping is actually the easy bit.

 

[Slaphppy7]

This method of cycling tanks just seems way to complicated to me.

A wise fishkeeper on another forum, long time fish keeper, had this quote (among others) in his sig...and I couldn't agree more:

"Cycling a tank is easy, PEOPLE make it hard!"

 

[Slaphppy7]

A lot of fish keepers are unwilling to have live plants in their tanks and in this case fishless cycling is better than fish-in cycling. For many new starters, it is complicated enough without having to worry about keeping plants alive as well, so they prefer artificial plants. For many years every plant I put in my tank died so I gave up trying. I even killed duckweed! It was a long time before I found I could manage to keep Java fern alive.

+1 to this, from my own beginnings in fishkeeping, as well

 

[Slaphppy7]

Day 13 Parameters: (No ammonia hydroxide added):

Ammonia: .25ppm
Nitrites: 5ppm
Nitrates: 20ppm
pH: 7.0
Temp: 85F

Nitrite spike?
@Slaphppy7
@Essjay

Steady as she goes, never forget that patience is key in this hobby

Test again 24 hours after this one, and post your results

 

[carligraceee]

Steady as she goes, never forget that patience is key in this hobby

Test again 24 hours after this one, and post your results

Alrighty!

Day 15 Parameters: (No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 5ppm
Nitrates: 30ppm
pH: 6.7
Temp: 84F

Another day of 0 ammonia and I add my 1/3 dose, correct?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Alrighty!

Day 15 Parameters: (No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 5ppm
Nitrates: 30ppm
pH: 6.7
Temp: 84F

Another day of 0 ammonia and I add my 1/3 dose, correct?

Affirmative

 

[carligraceee]

Affirmative

Day 15 Parameters: (No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: .1ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
pH: 7.0
Temp: 84F

 

[carligraceee]

Day 15 Parameters:

Ammonia: .1ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
pH: 7.0
Temp: 84F

Day 17 Parameters: (No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: .25ppm
Nitrites: 1ppm
Nitrates: 10ppm
pH: 7.4
Temp: 84F

 

[carligraceee]

Day 17 Parameters:

Ammonia: .25ppm
Nitrites: 1ppm
Nitrates: 10ppm
pH: 7.4
Temp: 84F

Day 21 Parameters: (I missed one test day because I was at a softball tournament out of state)
(No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 5ppm
pH: 7.4
Temp: 84F

I am going to be safe and wait for another zero ammonia test day!

 

[carligraceee]

Day 21 Parameters: (I missed one test day because I was at a softball tournament out of state)
(No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 5ppm
pH: 7.4
Temp: 84F

I am going to be safe and wait for another zero ammonia test day!

Day 23 Parameters: (2/3 of one cap full of ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 5ppm
pH: 7.2
Temp: 84F

Yay! I get to add my 1/3 of original dose now! Do I test daily now? I know I test daily after Dose #4 but I don't know about this maintenance feeding.

 

[Essjay]

It doesn't actually say in the method on here. Up to dose #3 you test every second day, after dose #4 you test every 24 hours.

But it does say later that if after adding dose #4 there readings are not zero then to test every day till the readings are right for dose #5 so it would go with testing every day now you've added dose #3

 

[carligraceee]

It doesn't actually say in the method on here. Up to dose #3 you test every second day, after dose #4 you test every 24 hours.

But it does say later that if after adding dose #4 there readings are not zero then to test every day till the readings are right for dose #5 so it would go with testing every day now you've added dose #3

Okay perfect. I'll test today then. Thanks so much! I think we are in the final stretch!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Okay perfect. I'll test today then. Thanks so much! I think we are in the final stretch!

Won't be long now...

 

[carligraceee]

Won't be long now...

It doesn't actually say in the method on here. Up to dose #3 you test every second day, after dose #4 you test every 24 hours.

But it does say later that if after adding dose #4 there readings are not zero then to test every day till the readings are right for dose #5 so it would go with testing every day now you've added dose #3

Day 24 Parameters: (No ammonia hydroxide added)

Ammonia: .5ppm
Nitrites: .25ppm
Nitrates: 13ppm
pH: 7.2
Temp: 84F

Not today! I'll test again tomorrow- I am looking for a 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites reading after 24 hours of adding a full dose (which you put in after your first 0 and 0 reading), correct? Then a water change and its good!