Cycle Complete!

[Birdie]

You said that the pH has come up slightly - has it come up enough? I had a v similar problem to you - huge pH crash stalling mycycle just after I finally got to the point where the nitrite was 0 24 hours after adding ammonia .

I did a massive water change of around 80% - but found that the pH was still considerably below my tap pH. Goodness only knows how far it had dropped originally as my test kit doesn't go lower than 6, but it must have been virtually hydrocholric acid . I did another water change straight away, of about 50%, and it was still below my tap pH, but much better. Not that there is anything magically fantastic about my tap pH I just wanted to put a bit of space between me and another pH crash

I was similarly tearing my hair out at the prospect of al that cycling being completely undone, bacteria dead as dodos etc - but as soon as I got the pH sorted out, the cycle was right back on track, within 24 hours. :insert wiping brow smilie: Today ( 36 hours after the water changes) my nitrite is *almost* 0 twelve hours after adding ammonia. Hopefully tomorrow it *will* be 0 twelve hours after ammonia - and will be Fish Day.

(I have not mentioned this to my family, as they are sick to death of it always being fish tomorrow and never fish today . They'd just roll their eyes and ignore me )

Edited - I've just read that your pH is 6.2, so in fact you can ignore what I've written, I should think. Going by other posters here and elsewhere on the forum, I don't think that pH stalls the cycle until it is rather lower than that

 

[Amy86]

Well its raised from around 6.2 to about 6.6. i only had time to do a 15% water change as i didnt get in until gone midnight and was up doing water change until 1am as it is my family think im crazy. so if no ammonia has been processed by the time i get home tonite you think i should do a massive water change?? ive got quite hard tap water, well above 7ph so it should still be much higher than it is

 

[Miss Wiggle]

6.6 is fine to support your bacteria, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get home and it may have started again. if it doesn't then do a nice big water change. if your pH keeps dropping you may find doing small changes every couple of days for the rest of your cycle keeps it up a bit higher.

 

[Amy86]

ok thanks guys, im really freaking out, ive been looking forward to a lovely bank holiday weekend when i can go out and buy fish and watch them settle in and don't like the thought of putting 3 weeks growing down the drain

hopefully all will be well *crosses fingers*

 

[Amy86]

Well Miss Wiggle you was right. i came home and found ammonia 0ppm & nitrite 0ppm so looks like its finally complete!!!!

2 and a half weeks isn't bad going, although im gonna leave it until the weekend to get any fish just to be sure

what do i have to do now?? water change? how big? when ? do i add ammonia after the water change up until i get fish??

gonna take a trip to the lfs this saturday if all goes well

 

[Miss Wiggle]

keep adding ammonia daily to keep your filter colony alive, if you don't feed them they'll die off and all your hard work will go down the pan

then the day you want to add fish do your big water change (70-90%) in the morning, go get your fish while the waters comign back up to temp, acclimitise them and you're good to go.

 

[Amy86]

ok thats great. up early for a big water change saturday morning then

What is a good community tank temp- i was thinking 26 degrees ?? As the tank has been running at 32 degrees through cycling to get it to hurry along nicely

 

[Miss Wiggle]

sounds ok to me, what fish are you planning on getting?

i'd be up early anyway, the excitement of new fish is enough to wake me up nice and early at the weekend anyway! i'm like a kid at xmas

 

[Amy86]

yep me too i cant wait!!

Eventually id like 3 platies, 5 panda corys, 3 Polka dot loach, a gourami, a queen arabesque plec & some threadfin rainbowfish. i'm not sure how many or which ones to get this weekend, although i dont think im gonna get the plec or corys until the tank is mature as ive been told they prefer mature tanks better. i think i will def get the platies, gourami and loaches. possible the threadfins too.

im really excited. just soaking the last of my bogwood and then the tank will be complete. i couldn't of done it without all the help ive received on here, its been an endless source of information for some1 starting out with no knowledge at all

Thanks every1

 

[Miss Wiggle]

no problem, now you've one thing you need to do for us in return

pictures!!!

get your camera charged and ready to show off the new arrivals

 

[Amy86]

yep i will try to take some and see what they come out like. i best go off and read the topic on taking pics of your fish now !!

what would i have ever done without this site

 

[Barb82]

Nice one!
Hope mine goes as quick as yours, I've done a week so far.

 

[Amy86]

yep all i can recommend is turning the temp up. mine has been running at 30- 32 degress the whole time and it seems to have really sped it up. i don't think 2 and a half weeks is bad at all and has saved alot of stress for my potential fish

 

[Ahmed]

yep all i can recommend is turning the temp up. mine has been running at 30- 32 degress the whole time and it seems to have really sped it up. i don't think 2 and a half weeks is bad at all and has saved alot of stress for my potential fish

Congratulations Amy...I just found this topic and can't believe how close this to my case. Just like you PH crashed and cycle stalled. I just did 70% water change. Added Ammonia to up to 4ppm, and can't wait till the morning to see if the cycle gets back on track or not.

 

[scorphonic]

Well done amy, just to point out, for the best results...add ammonia as mentioned above until fish are ready to go in. Try to get to the stage where (for example) 10 drops of ammonia bring the levels to 2 - 4 ppm and the bacteria are able to consume it in 12 hours (including the nitrite level) then the day the fish are to go in (in the evening lets say) just add 2 drops of ammonia in the morning to keep the bacteria happy (should bring the levels to 0.5ppm which should be consumed in about 2 hours giving you enough time to pick your fish and when you get home with the little critters check your water again to make sure it is spot on and then introduce the fish slowly. (kept in their bags with the top untied, add some of your aquarium water to the bag and leave them suspended in your aquarium for about 20 minutes after which you can turn the bag sideways and let them swim out in their own time!)