Doodleing Fishless Cycle

[doodleing]

Day 28 Amm .50, Temp 29, NI 0, 7 ml of Ammonia added
Day 29 Amm 2/4, Temp 29, Ph Crashed, NI 0, NA 20

Good news is my Nitrite has finally hat a ZERO.
Bad news is my Ammonia has not dropped, my PH has crashed and my Nitrate is rising.

Plan A:
Buy some Bi-carb to top up my PH. Don't add any Ammonia to night and sit back and wait.

Plan B:
Do a water change, but wont have time till saturday and hope it want ruin things.

Which plan would you recommend our do you have a Plan C.

 

[OldMan47]

Go to your kitchen cabinet. If anyone in your house cooks on a regular basis, you will find baking soda in the cabinet (in the US it is most likely packaged by Arm and Hammer). That stuff is the bicarb that most of us use. Then go back to plan A today. A few teaspoons will never be missed.

 

[doodleing]

How long after adding the Bicarbonate soda does it take for the PH to rise??

 

[doodleing]

40 Ml of Bicarbonate soda added, tested 10 mins after adding each 5 ml.
PH is now back up to 7.4.

 

[doodleing]

Day 30 Amm o, Temp 28, Ph 7.8, NI 0, 10 ml of Ammonia added

Finally after a little panic with the PH i've reached Double Zero's.
I know it not the end but it is nearer.
Come on 12 hour double zero's.

 

[OldMan47]

I'm glad the bicarb worked out for you. Double zeros at 12 hours can be surprisingly fast to arrive once you are processing both in 24 hours. In theory, it could happen in less than 2 days but that theory never does seem to prove right.

 

[doodleing]

Day 31 Amm 0, Temp 28, Ph 7.4, NI 0.25, 9 ml of Ammonia added

So the wait begins again for the double zeros.
Thanks Oldman47 the Bicab worked a treat.
Might even do a 12 hour test tomorrow.

 

[doodleing]

Day 32 Amm 0, Temp 29, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added, NA 40/80
Day 33 12 Hour test, Amm 1, Temp 28, NI 0.25,
Day 33 Amm 0, Temp 28, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added

Still no Zero's on the 12 hour mark, but my Nitrates are slowly climbing.

 

[doodleing]

Day 33 Amm 0, Temp 28, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 34 Amm 0, Temp 28, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 35 Amm 0, Temp 28, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
3 Days of Double 00's
Going for another 12 hour test tomorrow.( Place your bets now)

 

[doodleing]

Day 36 Amm 0, Temp 28, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 37 Amm 0, Temp 29, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 38 12 Hour test, Amm 0.25, NI 0.25
Day 38 Amm 0, Temp 29, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 39 12 Hour test, Amm 0, Temp 29, Ph 7.4, NI 1, Added sand substrate with 10% water change
Day 39 Amm 0, Temp 29, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 40 12 Hour test, Amm 0.25, NI 0.25
Day 40 Amm 0, Temp 29, Ph 7.4, NI 0, NA 40, 9 ml of Ammonia added
Day 41 12 Hour test Amm 0.25, NI 0.25
Day 41 Amm 0.25, Temp 29, Ph 7.4, NI 0, 8 ml of Ammonia added

I'm getting fairly consistent 24 hour zero's but i'm still waiting for the 12 hour zero's to appear.
I have now added some (black) sand substrate as looking at a bare tank got the better of me, hopefully with no effect on the readings.
How long do i have to wait!!!

 

[OldMan47]

You are getting close now Doodling. Keep up the good work.