Fishless Cycle Logs

[timbotoo]

Hi everyone - I'm really pleased to have found you!
I had a Bi-Orb for about 4 year, not really knowing anything about how to keep fish, and how difficult I was making it by using a Bi-Orb. We vowed that next time round we's do it properly - so hopefully here I am now.

I didn't know anything about fishless cycles but found this forum just in time. I've bought a River Reef RR50 (94 litre) and am currently on day 16 with no sign of s drop in my ammonia just yet. I keep coming back to the forum for reassurance - I shall probably start to worry more after day 21 if there is no drop.

Two point:

For people like me, I think we'd appreciate a particular Topic to which everyone can submit their completed fishless-cycle logs - I'll post mine when I hopefully complete. Then others can be reassured especially those of us on longer cycles. Then rather than involving discussion, newbies can look to see if anyone else has a similar setup, including startup info like tap water pH, temp, volume, etc.

Secondly - how well, or badly have I chosen with my new tank - it comes with a filter balls, course foam block, bio-media tubes, carbon and fine foam pad?

Excellent forum

Tks

 

[waterdrop]

Hi timbotoo and welcome to TFF

A 94L is a nice size! The filter sounds fine and its great that you've been reading other threads to get familiarized. Go ahead and post up your tap and tank readings - I assume you haven't got a low pH slowing your bacteria, right?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[timbotoo]

Hi timbotoo and welcome to TFF

A 94L is a nice size! The filter sounds fine and its great that you've been reading other threads to get familiarized. Go ahead and post up your tap and tank readings - I assume you haven't got a low pH slowing your bacteria, right?

~~waterdrop~~

Hi!

No - fairly standard 7.8 on the pH (checked at the tap, and subsequently double checked in the tank a few days ago.)

Day 18 today and no change - brown algae on tank sides and green on wood root are the only signs of anything happening from about Day 14.

My idea is that only COMPLETED logs will be posted in a thread, and ones without subsequent replies, so that it is purely a data source - there are plenty of other threads where people are discussing their cycles - no doubt I'll be adding to them1

Is it possible to setup such a thread, like the guide for newbies?

Tks

T

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, Hi there T, my request for your tap and tank pH was just to try and help you with your indivudual fishless cycle case, didn't mean to ignore your idea, just didn't have time to reply about it.

Actually, I think its quite a good idea, one of the few new ones I've heard in a while and I can see how it might help newbies and make it more efficient for them to "graze for quick answers." It is quite time consuming to try and wade through all the verbiage of a thread in search of simple information like how long it took and what the graph of its data would look like. It also obscures the accumulating results from all the the most dedicated and potentially bored "data divers" lol.

Not to dilute or ignore your idea, but as a side note to you I will say that when I first got started with the fishless cycling topic I assumed everything must be pretty much completely covered by our article and a few extra things. I've found over time that there are quite a few extra topics and complications and they help to explain the lively exchange about fishless cycling that has gone on for some years (certainly the two that I've been here.) I've come to realize that the process of taking feedback in a thread as your cycle proceeds is in many ways quite superior to going it alone on just the instruction set. I'm sure that's rather like the difference between learning something on your own from books versus being actively in classes at school - there are pros and cons to both.

Anyway, back to your tank, its not at all uncommon for us to not see the first 4-5ppm dosing of ammonia completely drop to zero until 3 or even four weeks from the point of putting it in. We usually chalk it up to a "cleaner" water supply that just happens to be quite low on "starter cells" of the 2 species of bacteria (Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira) that we need to have in there and mulitplying into millions prior to our tests being able to detect their presence.

Also be aware that you can "bare-tank" cycle if you don't want the inevitable algae growing its way into all your decorations and gravel prior to starting up the tank. Light plus ammonia equals algae, so fishless cycling in a tank that gets just about any light at all will get ammonia (and lots more of it if you turn on the tank light a lot!)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[timbotoo]

Tks Waterdrop,

Sorry - I didn't think you were ignoring my suggestion - it was difficult to word the thread in such a way as to just make the suggestion - I assumed such a data-only type Topic would need to be started elsewhere - is there a way people can post their data but for it then not to get clogged up with discussion? - this topic we are in now is the place for that I guess - and I can see me needing to come here a lot!

My tank contains gravel and a piece of wood - should I fish it all back out until the cycle is complete do you think - the wood and gravel is turning green!?

Whilst still waiting for the ammonia to drop, should I avoid any cleaning/water changes? I've also been turning on the light every day - should I leave it off for the mo do you think?

Tks

Timbotoo