Fishless Cycle Progress

[rowdyates]

Started my fishless cycle last week, so I'm 7 days in. I added ammonia to get @ 5ppm and have been monitoring it since, I've also monitored the nitrites and tonight I've got a nitrate kit so tried that for the first time, these are my results so far from a daily check:
01/09 - Ammonia 5ppm
02/09 - Ammonia 5ppm, Nitrite <0.3mg/l
03/09 - Ammonia 5ppm, Nitrite <0.3mg/l
04/09 - Ammonia 5ppm, Nitrite <0.3mg/l
05/09 - Ammonia 5ppm, Nitrite <0.3mg/l
06/09 - Ammonia 2.4 - 5ppm, Nitrite 0.3mg/l
07/09 - Ammonia 1.2 - 2.4ppm, Nitrite 0.8mg/l
08/09 - Ammonia 1.2 - 2.4ppm, Nitrite 1.6mg/l, nitrate 20

So I'm thinking this is looking ok, the ammonia is coming down, I'll add more when it gets near 0, the nitrite seems to be increasing I'm waiting for a peak, but now I've measured the nitrate I'm surprised to find any, as from what I've read it should take at least a week before it appears.

The only thing I have added was 5ml of liquid plant fertiliser.

Do these readings look ok, just want some reassurance things are going ok.

Cheers,

Keith

 

[Durbkat]

The ammonia and nirites are alittle high. They need to be at .0. And just to let you know you don't have to wait to add fish for 2 weeks. Because I have succesfully cycled several tanks in just two days. And only once I had to wait two weeks for a tank to cycle.

 

[rdd1952]

The ammonia and nirites are alittle high. They need to be at .0. And just to let you know you don't have to wait to add fish for 2 weeks. Because I have succesfully cycled several tanks in just two days. And only once I had to wait two weeks for a tank to cycle.

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He is doing a fishless cycle so his reading should be high. Also, you may have had tanks that you thought were cycled in 2 days but unless you are using a product like Bio Spira, it is physically impossible to cycle a tank in 2 days. The bacteria simply can develop that fast.

Rowdy, it looks as if things are gong well. It generally takes about a week for the ammonia to drap and then another 10 to 14 days for the nitrite to drop. When the nitrite does peek, it will be off your chart. Near the end, the nitrate will be off the chart too. Not a problem on either since you don't have fish. Once the nitrite drops and you do the big water change to lower the nitrates, you will be ready for your fish. You should be able to add pretty much your full fish load, at least 75 to 80 perccent of it anyway.

 

[Durbkat]

Well it is possible because on all the tanks that was ready for fish in 2 days they are still alive today and that was about 3 years ago. And I have a cat shaped fish bowl the nitrites were .1 I think I added a betta and that was about 5 to 6 months ago.

 

[rowdyates]

The ammonia and nirites are alittle high. They need to be at .0. And just to let you know you don't have to wait to add fish for 2 weeks. Because I have succesfully cycled several tanks in just two days. And only once I had to wait two weeks for a tank to cycle.

[snapback]900990[/snapback]​

He is doing a fishless cycle so his reading should be high. Also, you may have had tanks that you thought were cycled in 2 days but unless you are using a product like Bio Spira, it is physically impossible to cycle a tank in 2 days. The bacteria simply can develop that fast.

Rowdy, it looks as if things are gong well. It generally takes about a week for the ammonia to drap and then another 10 to 14 days for the nitrite to drop. When the nitrite does peek, it will be off your chart. Near the end, the nitrate will be off the chart too. Not a problem on either since you don't have fish. Once the nitrite drops and you do the big water change to lower the nitrates, you will be ready for your fish. You should be able to add pretty much your full fish load, at least 75 to 80 perccent of it anyway.

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Thanks, good to know things are on track, probably won't go too wild stocking when it's ready, start with either cherry barbs or danios and see how they go then I'll probably add fish weekly till I get to my full compliment.

Cheers,

Keith

 

[rdd1952]

Thanks, good to know things are on track, probably won't go too wild stocking when it's ready, start with either cherry barbs or danios and see how they go then I'll probably add fish weekly till I get to my full compliment.

Cheers,

Keith

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If you do a full fishless cycle, you will need to add as many fish as possible once it is finished. Your tank will be cycled for a full fish load or very close to it. If you only add half the stock, the extra bacteria will die off meaning that when you do add more fish, you will get the mini cycle just as if you didn't cycle at all to start with. You will only have enough bacteria to support the fish load you have.

 

[rowdyates]

Interesting, this is the list I have which I'm going to put in there:
Otocinclus 2
Dalmation Molly 3
Harlequin Rasbora 6
Corydoras 5
Rams 2
Zebra Danios 6
Cherry Barb 4

I think the otos and rams would come later once the tank has matured a bit, otherwise once my tank has cycled, how quickly after that should I add my stock, would I be able to add all the fish in my list (excluding the otos and rams) and if I couldn't add the fish quickly, to keep the bacteria alive I can add ammonia would something like a teaspoon daily (5ml) in a 180 litre tank be enough?

I don't know all these questions

 

[modernhamlet]

Interesting, this is the list I have which I'm going to put in there:
Otocinclus 2
Dalmation Molly 3
Harlequin Rasbora 6
Corydoras 5
Rams 2
Zebra Danios 6
Cherry Barb 4

I think the otos and rams would come later once the tank has matured a bit, otherwise once my tank has cycled, how quickly after that should I add my stock, would I be able to add all the fish in my list (excluding the otos and rams) and if I couldn't add the fish quickly, to keep the bacteria alive I can add ammonia would something like a teaspoon daily (5ml) in a 180 litre tank be enough?

I don't know all these questions

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What size is your tank rowdy?

That sounds like a workable stocking scheme as far as compatibility. Your plan to stock everything but the rams and otos is a sound one, as long as the tank is big enough. Don't add ammonia (that very bad for the fish). When the time comes to add the rams, monitor the parameters a little more carefully for a couple of weeks and start throwing in extra water changes. Rams like very clean water anyway, so you might as well keep them up permanently. You shouldn't notice a mini-cycle just adding 2 rams into a stable tank with those inhabitants. Otos should probably come last. Same procedure.

Good luck!

 

[rdd1952]

I haven't figured the inches of fish but assuming you have calculated the stocking level to be ok, you should be able to add everything other than the otos and rams as soon as you finish cycling. If you later add the 2 otos and 2 rams, that won't create much of a mini cycle so you should be ok, expecially if you add them a week apart.

Once you add fish, you definitely don't want to add any ammonia. That can cause serious problems. The ammonia created by fish waste is gradual so there is never actually any ammonia in the water. Adding ammonia would put ammonia directly in the water and probably take 10 to 12 hours to clear out.

 

[rowdyates]

Ooops, think I've caused a bit of confusion, once I've cycled I would only add ammonia to the water if I couldn't get any fish for a couple of days, the only reason I thought I would need to do this would be to make sure any bacteria doesn't die.

The tank is 180 litres and is ok stockwise, I had already researched this via another thread, so I'm comfortable with what i want to put in there. What is even better news is that I can stock up quickly!

Cheers,

Keith

 

[modernhamlet]

Ooops, think I've caused a bit of confusion, once I've cycled I would only add ammonia to the water if I couldn't get any fish for a couple of days, the only reason I thought I would need to do this would be to make sure any bacteria doesn't die.

Ah, that makes sense. Yes, it's good to do this anyway, to verify the cycle. Plus it's just cool to see all that ammonia being converted everyday. Ok, mabye not "cool"... but I'm a geek, what can I say? )

The tank is 180 litres and is ok stockwise, I had already researched this via another thread, so I'm comfortable with what i want to put in there. What is even better news is that I can stock up quickly!

Sounds great! Let us know how everything progresses.

 

[rdd1952]

Ooops, think I've caused a bit of confusion, once I've cycled I would only add ammonia to the water if I couldn't get any fish for a couple of days, the only reason I thought I would need to do this would be to make sure any bacteria doesn't die.

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You are right. I did the same thing with my 75 gallon as it was about a week before I could get my fish so I added about 2 ppm of ammonia a day (was processing back out in about 12 hours) to keep the bacteria fed. Add it right up to the day before you get your fish.

 

[Durbkat]

WAIT!!! You can't put those mollies in with those other fish because mollies are brackish fish and that means that they need marine salt in their water and those other fish are freshwater not brackish fish. But you can put the mollies in if you only want then to live for a very, very short time (ehich will be about 2 to 3 months at the max).

 

[modernhamlet]

WAIT!!! You can't put those mollies in with those other fish because mollies are brackish fish and that means that they need marine salt in their water and those other fish are freshwater not brackish fish. But you can put the mollies in if you only want then to live for a very, very short time (ehich will be about 2 to 3 months at the max).

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Do you have a citation for that claim?

 

[rdd1952]

Mollies do prefer a little salt but a lot of people have them in community tanks. I don't think it will be that detrimental to them but you would be better off leaving out either the mollies or the corys and otos. The other fish could handle a little salt but corys and otos can't. I would skip the mollies if it were me. Besides needing the salt, you will end up with lots of fry to contend with.