Fishless Cycle, my journal

[DivaSkyChick]

We have lift off! wooohoooo!

Wasn't going to check today after my numbers yesterday... but just
before bed tonight I decided to just check the nitrites and got...
ZERO! So I checked the ammonia and got Zero and the nitrates - and got

ZERO!!!

I don't know how that's possible since yesterday when No2 and No3 were
off the charts, but there you have it. I have a beautifully green
water, algae up the glass growing, cycled tank! Twenty days of
fishless cycling...Yay!

Of course I have to work tomorrow, tomorrow night, the next day and
night... So Friday is the first chance I'll have to even make that huge
water change I'm supposed to do. Have to work Saturday, too, but I'll
make time for a trip to pick up my furcatus. Start with five if they
have 'em. That's about five inches of fish for 37 gallons to start.
Give them a week to work it out. Think that's enough? Of course I'll
continue to test all the while.

Question - do I add ammonia until Friday when I can do the water change?

 

[ioNightShade]

Something just doesn't look right.

NH3 0 -----> 0 ...sure...sounds right.

NO2 5.0---> 0 ....um, doesn't sound right to me. I'll accept this with a grain of salt. Very unlikely, but okay...possible.

NO3 160 ---> 0 ...um, no. I don't think that is even possible. Unless you had an anaerobic chamber just for specific denitrifying bacteria, I think it is impossible to go from 160 to 0. Plants help a lot, but not that much.

Please check your strips/solutions/whatever you're using.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

JT

P.S. Once cycled, you should continue to add ammonia (if it is going to be awhile before you get fish) to keep the bacteria alive.

JT

 

[DivaSkyChick]

JT,

You're right. I realized this morning that I did NOT read the directions for the Nitrate test. OOPS!

I'm reading 40 ppm.

So what next?

 

[ioNightShade]

You'll have to get "expert" opinions from those who have planted tanks, but I don't believe 40 ppm nitrates is too high for plants. I believe it is ideal.

What about nitrites? Are they really at zero?

If so, you can consider your tank cycled. If it's going to be awhile before you get fish, you'll want to continue adding ammonia so that the bacteria will not die.

Right before you get the fish, you want to do a massive water change to bring the nitrates down, but if yours is ~40 ppm, you might not have to do that. See what others say.

Just trying to help,

JT

 

[PaintballFan07]

you could just forget the fishless cycle n go out to ur lfs n buy a product called "Cycle." I bought n tried this product when i added my first discus to my tank n havent had a problem. You add the product when u put the fish into ur tank. It is basically bacteria in a bottle.

 

[DivaSkyChick]

So this is day 22.

I didn't test at all today, just did a massive water change and added about a tlbs of ammonia to feed the bacteria.

I did double check all my tests yesterday - well, last night.... ammonia was zero, nitrite (yes for real) was zero. NitrAte was 40 ppm...

I'll look tomorrow morning and report.

That's 22 days. Not so bad in the big picture but jeez it took a long time in fishy years... lol

 

[DivaSkyChick]

DISASTER - Day 23

I added ammonia this morning - maybe a tad more than usual but not
double. This is after last night's 50% water change.

Tonight my ammonia is back to zero but my nitrites are thru the roof
again. Nitrates are up around 40 or maybe a tad higher.

My Ph is down to 7.0 and I'm having a hard time figuring out my Co2.
KH is 125. I think. The directions first say, "The test is completed
when the water in the test tube, after having been shaken, turns from
blue to yellow." But in the next paragraph, it says "bright yellow."
Now if we're just talking yellow as opposed to blue, my KH might be as
low as 71 or 89. None of these numbers correspond with the numbers on
the chart, altho somehow I figured out how to use it before I seem to
have forgotten or am too panicked to think straight now.
What the f$#% have I done? I was soooo meant to get fish tomorrow!

 

[dirtydogg]

check again in the morning, it could be from using more ammonia, taking the bacteria a little longer to "digest" it.

 

[DivaSkyChick]

Thanks. You're right, nitrites back to zero now, nitrates between 20 and 40 ppm. I'm so relieved!

 

[DivaSkyChick]

FINALLY got some fish! Bought 5 little otos and three baby angelfish. Less than 8 inches of fish to start with. Checked my water today (24 hours later):

NH3 - 0
N02 - 0
No3 - 40

unfortunately my PH is 7.6! My KH is 6 degrees so that means my CO2 has conked out. Got to get that moving again. Hope the Ph change doesn't bug the fish too much. I need to have a back up bottle next time.

 

[DivaSkyChick]

Lost one of my angels today. I noticed this morning that it spent its time alone in back while its two siblings were starting to swim around more. I don't have a magnifying glass or time to visit the lfs until Saturday but my water parameters have not changed and there were no white spots or any visible problems on its little corpse.

So sad.

Getting all the plants I ordered from www.freshwateraquariumplants.com on Saturday, I believe. I'll do a 50% water change so I can reach the bottom of tank to plant and use some of the water for my quarantine / hospital tank. Also taking my hood in to a lfs to get a retrofit 65 watt compact florescent. Between that, the Co2 and the plants all being particularly suited to low light, I should do okay.

Still haven't decided what kind of schooling fish I should get. Definitely want something with color - my angels and my ottos are all pretty much black / silver /white. I'd like something bright red or yellow.

I guess if I going to try cardinals, I should do it while my remaining two angels are so tiny? Just not sure if the tank is dependably stable enough to risk it yet.

 

[DivaSkyChick]

Got a ton of low light plants from freshwateraquariumplants.com yesterday, got totally overwhelmed with decorating decisions and swore never to do that again!

Having said that, the shipment was great. I would love to get more anubias nana - they're gorgeous. stapled the roots right onto the driftwood. same with the java ferns.

Also got my light retrofit - 1-65 compact, so I've got about 2 watts per gallon now and with the Co2 going strong, I should do okay.

Also bought two of the most beautiful German Rams ever. They've got so much personality and they're amazingly gorgeous. I am totally broke, of course, but I've got my fish... lol

 

[Aylana]

Congrats on your new fish! My cycle has just finished and it is such a relief to have the waiting over with isnt' it! I hope all goes well with the fish in the future.

Aylana

 

[DivaSkyChick]

Thanks! good luck with yours, too!

Thought I would post some pix if I can manage it... Anyone know how?