Cycle Journal Part 2

[HayzH]

yayyyyyy...have fun! Hope your dreams do come true x

 

[CezzaXV]

Me too, I've been waiting far too long now!

I did a 50% water change tonight which got my nitrite down to 0.5ppm, then I redosed ammonia. I think my filter is currently processing around 3ppm nitrite between my AM and PM tests based on test results from the last few days (I redose ammonia in the evenings, so it's difficult to tell how much nitrite is actually processing between the PM and AM tests), so surely I've gotta get a 0 soon. Then the plan is to keep going with half doses til it clears them in 12 hours, then back up to full doses.

I like it now I can actually see what's going on with my test results. The end is in sight!

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Fingers crossed for you.

 

[CezzaXV]

Ammonia was still at 0.25-0.5ppm when I tested this morning, but the pH had dropped which is almost definitely the reason. I can see a long fight ahead to keep my bacteria processing even after I get fish.

Roll on my zero nitrite tonight though. Come on, I've earnt this!

I dreamt last night that I got my fish but I didn't acclimatise the cories properly and it was a big disaster

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Ammonia was still at 0.25-0.5ppm when I tested this morning, but the pH had dropped which is almost definitely the reason. I can see a long fight ahead to keep my bacteria processing even after I get fish.

Roll on my zero nitrite tonight though. Come on, I've earnt this!

I dreamt last night that I got my fish but I didn't acclimatise the cories properly and it was a big disaster

Out of curiosity, do you have a KH/GH water hardness test? If your PH has dropped you may live in a soft water area and will have to take future measures to avoid it going so low... i have some crushed coral in both my tank and the filter itself.

Terry.

 

[CezzaXV]

I live in south Devon so yeah, I live in a very soft water area. I plan on keeping soft water fish so that's not a problem, but it'll be a problem if it messes with my bacteria. Been considering putting something in my filter and getting a test, but not done any research into it yet, so feel free to throw suggestions my way.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

I lived in Plymouth for a while and know for a fact it is soft water. Maybe you could confirm with a KH/GH kit (had mine off Ebay, about £12 i think), then see if you have to take measures... as i said earlier, i know it slowed down my bacterial growth in a fishless cycle, but i am not sure what effect a low PH (and mine went to 6.2 regulary) would have on a cycled tank.


Terry.

 

[lucasluke]

HMM spotted something going on here. You and HayzH live in Devon and your cycles are weird. I think there is a correlation between the 2.

 

[CezzaXV]

My pH does keep dropping, presumably because my water is so soft. My tapwater has a pH of 6.4 which won't be a problem for the fish I intend to keep, but it might be a problem for my bacteria. My cycle is weird because I've had pH crashes, which was likely due to the softness and it's inability to hold a pH. My tank water seems to hang around the 7.8 area, but every now and then it will just plummet.

So far, I've seen two options: adding crushed shells (something like this?) or adding a water hardener of some description directly to the water. Does anyone have anything to say on either of these methods?

I'm going to order the API GH/KH kit methinks.

 

[lucasluke]

The crushed shell/coral idea is better as it keeps it stable. The water hardeners tend to work for a day then the PH drops again.

 

[CezzaXV]

Journal has been updated. I am SO close to that 0, I can feel it! Come on!

Okie doke, cheers for that. I've ordered the GH/KH testing kit now, so I'll wait for that to come and in the meantime do some more research.

 

[HayzH]

HMM spotted something going on here. You and HayzH live in Devon and your cycles are weird. I think there is a correlation between the 2.

i'd agree...my other 2 tanks ph's are dropping all but slowly...very annoying.
Tank 2 is still spiking on Nitrites after 40 odd days!

 

[CezzaXV]

HMM spotted something going on here. You and HayzH live in Devon and your cycles are weird. I think there is a correlation between the 2.

i'd agree...my other 2 tanks ph's are dropping all but slowly...very annoying.
Tank 2 is still spiking on Nitrites after 40 odd days!

I kinda wish my pH would drop slowly. Mine will stay at 7.8 for the longest time, then I'll wake up one morning to find it's dropped drastically.

Debating whether to do a water change tonight, but I'm really tired and my legs are aching. It's not something I need to do, just something I'd like to do. Unfortunately, a water change means putting pH 6.4 water in the tank, so doing a water change is both a good and a bad thing around here.

 

[CezzaXV]

The pH had dropped to 7 this morning but the ammonia was zero so either it dropped later than it did yesterday or it didn't make a difference. Nitrite was around 5ppm. Come on!

 

[CezzaXV]

Just done a nitrite test and got 0-0.25! My actual test time is 8.15PM, so I'm gonna retest everything then, and hopefully by then I'll have a 0!