Cycled Already ?

[alan3513]

Hi, Looking for some advice. Just been doing a fishless cycle on my new Fluval Roma 125. I started cycling on the 17th Nov and just done my first water checks as i've been on holiday for a week. I used the API freshwater master kit and got readings as follows, PH 7.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 0. I have followed the instructions to the letter and double checked the results. Surely after only sixteen days of cycling the tank it can't be ready for the first fish. Your thoughts and advice would be appreciated, thanks, Alan

 

[Schmill]

I'm presuming that if you've been on holiday for week someone else has been dosing the ammonia into the tank for you?
If not then rather than being cycled, you are quite likely totally uncycled.
That timeframe would be very short for a cycle, but I guess it might be possible, were you filter cloning, using donor media, or anything like that?

To be sure you just need to carry on 'as if' you are in your qualifying week. Add enough ammonia to raise the level to 5ppm. Then 12 hours later do your water tests, if the results are 0 ammonia, and 0 nitrIte then it will seem promising, if not then you are not cycled.
If the results come back as 0 after 12 hours, then wait until 24 hours after you added the ammonia, and add it again to raise the tank to 5ppm ammonia.

You should repeat this for a week of adding the ammonia, and it dropping both ammonia and nitrIte to 0 within 12 hours.

If it turns out you have managed to cycle in that length of time, well done you, and PLEASE tell us your secret

 

[JenCliBee]

if u have been dosing with ammonia and its depleated in 12 hrs and the nitrites have depleated in 12 hrs then u would have a high nitrate reading u havent so basically from them readings ur tank hasnt cycled ..... u say this is the first test uve done Y??? u should be checking 2 she how the ammonia was actually dropping over the period of time the cycle was started reason beens is if ur ammonia drops to 0 then u have 2 redosed with ammonia 2 keep feeding the bacteria the ammonia gets broken down then turns into nitrites then then nitrites into nitrate if u dont keep topping up the ammonia when droped to 0 the the bacteria that had started 2 grow would have nothink 2 feast on with no ammonia source in the tank and basically will die off casuing the cycle 2 stall

you need 2 re-add ammonia and see wot the tanks doing with it if it drops to 0 in 12 hrs and the nitrites also do the same you are basically cycled but would have at least some sort of nitrate reading after all the nitrite has 2 be converted 2 somethink if the ammonia and nitrite have droped in 12hrs redose dont wait 24 hrs just redose but make sure the readings were 0 before hand

hope this makes sense lol

jen

 

[Schmill]

Having just re-read this thread I realised YOU actually made no mention of adding ammonia to the tank, only of performing a test.
Then it suddenly hit me that you are perhaps doing a "Local Fish Shop" (LFS) idea of cycling a tank, eg. set it up, run it for a week or so, and as if by magic it will all be ok, rather than an ACTUAL fishless cycle that Jen and I have initially presumed.
Thinking over it I think that this is almost certainly the case so sorry for the confusion. When you said you had "followed it to the letter" I presumed you meant the fishless cycling method, but now realise you could just mean the test instructions.
If what I have written here is correct then I am afraid you are certainly not cycled, quite the opposite, you haven't actually started anything worthwhile yet, (other than letting the water warm up and the dust settle).

Please have a read of the Fishless Cycling thread, and then if you have anymore questions on it feel free to post back here

FISHLESS CYCLING

 

[alan3513]

Hi, thanks for the advice, looks like i'm starting again as the LFS didn't mention adding ammonia,where's the best place to buy it ?, Cheers

 

[TopChip7]

If you're in the UK you can get it from Boots Chemist - In a very small cleaning section - Its a white plastic bottle with a red cap - About same size and shape as a can of WD40 - Labelled Household Ammonia, Household cleaner and laundry aid - 500ml bottle cost about £1.75 if I remember correctly.

The thread on cycling is very helpful - don't make the same mistakes as I did though, read it thoroughly.... amazing how easy it is to miss information such as "turn heater up to mid 80's".

Good luck

 

[alan3513]

Back again, Forgot to say i had used Nutrafin Cycle that came with the tank, would that make a difference or do i still need to start over again with ammonia ? Thanks again

 

[TopChip7]

The Nutrafin Cycle bacteria still needs to be fed with ammonia - it cant survive without food. Did you put anything in to feed the cycle such as food flakes?

 

[alan3513]

No didn't use flakes as it didn't mention using flakes. So is it better to just start again using the ammonia ?, thanks again

 

[Schmill]

Yup, best to start with some ammonia
If your in the UK you can also get ammonia from Homebase's cleaning section, again called HouseHold Ammonia, and in a white bottle. Make sure you check the 'ingrediants' it should say just ammonia, and water, or "9.5% ammonia solution w/w".

As the calculator is offline at the moment, as a guide to reach the 5ppm mentioned in the fishless cycle thread you will want to be adding 6.6ml of ammonia to your 125 litre tank (presuming you get the 9.5% solution).

 

[TopChip7]

Yes. It's likely that all your bacteria is dead now anyway as they haven't been fed. It seems the concensess is that cycling bottles are a waste of money on this site however, I have used one - for the sake of a couple of quid I would spend it and put another dose in incase it could give your filter a kick-start and save you a few days

New to this myself and having lots of questions answered on this forum really does help. It's amazing how much info you can get from these threads. Make sure your temp is mid 80's and leave the filter running 24/7 - The bacteria needs the warmth and oxygen to breed faster.

 

[alan3513]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice, Just been out and managed to get some Ammonia from Homebase (9.5%), as Schmill suggested, £1.95 for 500mls. Tried Boots first, as suggested also and closer to home but they apparently don't stock it now. Now to start my cycle again, thanks again, Alan

 

[OldMan47]

The details of fishless cycling with ammonia are in a thread that you can link to from my signature area. If you choose to spend money on a cycling bacterial product in the UK, look for a bacteria additive called bactinettes. It is the only one that most folks believe may actually do some good.

 

[waterdrop]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice, Just been out and managed to get some Ammonia from Homebase (9.5%), as Schmill suggested, £1.95 for 500mls. Tried Boots first, as suggested also and closer to home but they apparently don't stock it now. Now to start my cycle again, thanks again, Alan

Interesting Alan, do you happen to remember if you went in to the Boots and asked, or whether you searched the mops and brooms section? A number of people have reported that some of the stores will -say- they don't have it but its there when you look and its been suggested that this is a policy in some places.

The important thing though is that you found your pure ammonia and you now have something to feed the bacteria with. Be sure to include pH in your regular morning and evening tests of the tank. Be sure to post up the test results on your tap water so the members can know where you're starting from.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[alan3513]

Checked the shelves first before asking a member of staff, I live in Scotland so their stocking policies might be different from other countries.