diary of a fishless cycle

[Airli]

i have a 3 foot 35 gallon tank that i have started my first fishless cycle on. I thought id write up my diary of it to date so people can see how i did it, and if its right be able to follow it and if its wrong know what not to do.

Day One - added 3 ml ammonia. AM 2 NitrITE 0 NitrATE 0 pH 7.2

Day Two - added 3ml AM 2 NitrITE 0 NitrATE - pH 7.6
added small amount of gravel from cycled tank

Day Three- added 3ml AM 4 ITE - ATE - pH -

Day Four - added 3ml Am 4 ITE 0 ATE - pH 7.6

Day Five - added 1.5 ml AM 4 ITE 0 ATE - pH -
added water used to rinse filter material from cycled tank

Day Six - added 1.5 ml AM 4 ITE .25 ATE 0 pH 7.6
added heater, turn up to 30celsius

Day Seven - added 1.5 ml Am 4 ITE .25 - .5 ATE 0 pH -
turned heater down to 26celsuis added
2 live plants

Day Eight - added 1.5 ml Am 3 ITE 5 ATE 5 pH -

Day Nine - added 1.5 ml Am 3 ITE 5 ATE 5 - 10 pH 7


before i put the heater in the tank was at between 20 - 28 anyway (celsuis)
im pretty sure the ph readings are due to the wood i have in the tank.
so this looks right, right?

 

[Airli]

Day Ten - added 1.5 ml ammonia. AM 2 ITE 5 + ATE - pH -

Day Evelen - added 1.5 ml. AM - ITE 2 ATE 5 pH -


noone has any comments?
i assume its all happening as its supposed to.

 

[OohFeeshy]

should be OK. Just wondering- Why rinse the filter media?

 

[Airli]

to try and get some bacteria out of it, besides it was due for it.
i have um, filter catridges made out of black plastic and foam with noodles sealed in between. there are two of these under a holey bar the runs water through them. they were all gunked up after 2 1/2 months and i didnt want to replace them and loose my bacteria, so i rinsed them in water i took from the tank in the water change. only rinsed one 'just in case' cos i hadnt done this before and im not sure how im supposed to go about cleaning the filter media anyway.

 

[yvez9]

if you're doing a fishless, there should be nothing to clog up the filter?
I've had my tank running for over 5 months now and have never rinsed the sponges, i'Ve unclogged the intake tube of my aquaclears but that's it

 

[Airli]

Oh sorry. i meant they were rinsings from the filter on my other tank..

 

[Gunny]

I am on day eleven also in my 5FT 55 gallon tank, my nitrites spiked a bit on day 9, to 0.3mg/l I am now adding half the AM and hopefully it should settle back down.

cant wait to move my 4 silver dollars, parot fish,plec and pictus in too the new tank, They outgrew my 20 gallon in about 7 months.

 

[Airli]

i think Im nearly done!!!!!
im getting really excited.

Day 12 - added 1.5 ml. only tested nitItie which was 2

Day 13 - added 1.5 ml.. AM 0 ATE 5 ITE 0.25 pH 7

im getting close right???

 

[pica_nuttalli]

sounds like it! nice progress!

 

[Airli]

OMG OMG!!
look!!
AM 0 ITE 0 ATE 5

well??
im done right? pleease say yes...

 

[Aylana]

Sounds like you might be. I would say keep adding ammonia and monitoring for a couple of days to make sure the readings stay where they are supposed to be. Then if you do I reckon you might be due a shopping spree at the LFS!

Congratulations, I know it feels great to have your cycle done!