55 Gallon Tank Started Cycling Today :)

[redtailshark34]

Today’s Test Results:
ammonia: around 1.5 ppm (it was in between 1 and 2ppm)
nitrite: around 5ppm (may be higher)
nitrate: 10-15 ppm
pH: 8.2
Plants should be here tomorrow, I’ll post pictures once I get them in.
Background should be here sometime this weekend or early next week.

 

[redtailshark34]

Plants are in! Background still will be here sometime this weekend early next week.

 

[redtailshark34]

Tested tank again today:
ammonia: .5ppm
nitrate: 5ppm
nitrite: 5-10ppm
pH: 8
Do I dose more ammonia or do I leave it as is?

 

[Essjay]

It's a tricky one.

You have put plants in the tank and some plants can't cope with 3 ppm ammonia being added all at once. That causes the level to shoot up to 3 ppm then gradually drop; when there are fish in a tank, they may make a lot of ammonia but in tiny amounts 24/7 so the level in the water is not detectable. It's the sudden huge amount that can harm plants.
Plants take up ammonia as fertiliser and they don't turn it into nitrite, so that interferes with the usual progress of a fishless cycle.

I would be inclined to add just 1 ppm ammonia. This will feed the plants without getting high enough to harm them, and should reduce the amount of nitrite being made. But you'll still need to wait until bacteria have grown to remove the nitrite already there - plants only use nitrite as a last resort.



Do you have names for these plants? The green and white stripey one in the back left corner looks a lot like a dracena which is a house plant not an aquarium plant even though a lot of places sell them for fish tanks.

 

[redtailshark34]

It's a tricky one.

You have put plants in the tank and some plants can't cope with 3 ppm ammonia being added all at once. That causes the level to shoot up to 3 ppm then gradually drop; when there are fish in a tank, they may make a lot of ammonia but in tiny amounts 24/7 so the level in the water is not detectable. It's the sudden huge amount that can harm plants.
Plants take up ammonia as fertiliser and they don't turn it into nitrite, so that interferes with the usual progress of a fishless cycle.

I would be inclined to add just 1 ppm ammonia. This will feed the plants without getting high enough to harm them, and should reduce the amount of nitrite being made. But you'll still need to wait until bacteria have grown to remove the nitrite already there - plants only use nitrite as a last resort.



Do you have names for these plants? The green and white stripey one in the back left corner looks a lot like a dracena which is a house plant not an aquarium plant even though a lot of places sell them for fish tanks.

Yes, I have removed that plant it was a white ribbon. I have 4 bacopa plants, 4 hornwart, 2 amazon sword, 3 annubius nana, and some duckweed along the top.

 

[Essjay]

Hornwort and amazon swords are fast growing plants and I think bacopa is as well. Anubias are slow growers.

Have you planted the anubias in the gravel (front left corner, front right corner)? These plants have a rhizome - the thick stem like thing which has leaves growing out of one side and roots from the opposite side. The rhizome must not be buried or it will rot. The usual way to grow anubias plants (and java fern which also has a rhizome) is attached to decor to keep the rhizome well above the substrate where it can't accidentally get covered.



The fast growers will take up ammonia quite fast once they establish themselves, but the amount in your tank is not enough for a silent cycle. I would keep on with the fishless cycle.

 

[redtailshark34]

Hornwort and amazon swords are fast growing plants and I think bacopa is as well. Anubias are slow growers.

Have you planted the anubias in the gravel (front left corner, front right corner)? These plants have a rhizome - the thick stem like thing which has leaves growing out of one side and roots from the opposite side. The rhizome must not be buried or it will rot. The usual way to grow anubias plants (and java fern which also has a rhizome) is attached to decor to keep the rhizome well above the substrate where it can't accidentally get covered.



The fast growers will take up ammonia quite fast once they establish themselves, but the amount in your tank is not enough for a silent cycle. I would keep on with the fishless cycle.

Yes I will fix annubius. They are the ones on the corners. Do you think I should raise ammonia to 1ppm or higher?

 

[Essjay]

You could try 3ppm and watch the plants closely. If they start to look iffy, it could be the ammonia or it could be they are not establishing well. Watch the hornwort in particular as it has a tendency to drop its leaves if the water isn't to its liking. If they do start to look unhappy, a water change will lower the ammonia level.
The plants will take up ammonia as well as the bacteria so it should drop pretty quickly.

 

[redtailshark34]

You could try 3ppm and watch the plants closely. If they start to look iffy, it could be the ammonia or it could be they are not establishing well. Watch the hornwort in particular as it has a tendency to drop its leaves if the water isn't to its liking. If they do start to look unhappy, a water change will lower the ammonia level.
The plants will take up ammonia as well as the bacteria so it should drop pretty quickly.

Okay thank you. Will do.

 

[redtailshark34]

Today’s Results
ammonia: 3ppm (redosed)
nitrate: 5ppm
nitrite: around 30ppm (between 20 and 40)
pH: 7.9-8.0

 

[Essjay]

I assume nitrite and nitrate are the wrong way round

Now you just need to wait. Don't be tempted to add ammonia before the next targets are reached or nitrite will get too high.

 

[snailowner]

I love new tank setups, can’t wait to see where yours goes

 

[redtailshark34]

I love new tank setups, can’t wait to see where yours goes

Me too!

 

[redtailshark34]

I assume nitrite and nitrate are the wrong way round

Now you just need to wait. Don't be tempted to add ammonia before the next targets are reached or nitrite will get too high.

Yes I mixed them up ?
Thank you!

 

[redtailshark34]

Today’s Results:
ammonia: 0.5ppm - 1ppm (closer to 0.5)
nitrite: 3ish ppm
nitrate: 5-10ppm
pH: 7.4 (Note I added a piece of driftwood in yesterday to the tank).