Fishless Cycle - Results So Far

[LionessN3cubs]

I am SOOO envious of your speeding cycling! Day 13 for me with NO changes. No drop in ammonia, no nitrites NOTHING. PH is right, temp is right, dechlorinator added. I added mature media yesterday so hoping I see a drop today when I test ::::sigh:::: Congrats on your cycling !

 

[stormy78]

Day 7 (Saturday 19th April)

Tested Ammonia at 6pm
Ammonia: 2ppm
NitrIte: 5ppm
PH: 7.2

I am SOOO envious of your speeding cycling! Day 13 for me with NO changes. No drop in ammonia, no nitrites NOTHING. PH is right, temp is right, dechlorinator added. I added mature media yesterday so hoping I see a drop today when I test ::::sigh:::: Congrats on your cycling !

I was a bit worried about the NitrItes as they were up at 5ppm almost straight away! Hopefully tomorrow the Ammonia will be back down to around 1ppm and I can bump it back up. It would be nice to see the drop in NitrItes at some point !! How did your test come back? Was there any movement?

 

[LionessN3cubs]

Day 7 (Saturday 19th April)

Tested Ammonia at 6pm
Ammonia: 2ppm
NitrIte: 5ppm
PH: 7.2

I am SOOO envious of your speeding cycling! Day 13 for me with NO changes. No drop in ammonia, no nitrites NOTHING. PH is right, temp is right, dechlorinator added. I added mature media yesterday so hoping I see a drop today when I test ::::sigh:::: Congrats on your cycling !

I was a bit worried about the NitrItes as they were up at 5ppm almost straight away! Hopefully tomorrow the Ammonia will be back down to around 1ppm and I can bump it back up. It would be nice to see the drop in NitrItes at some point !! How did your test come back? Was there any movement?

no unfortunately. Im giving it until Monday and then Im scrapping the fishless thing and gonna water change and add fish. I'd stick with it if I could even get my ammonia to drop at all but since I can't even get a start...

 

[stormy78]

Day 8 (Sunday 20th April)

Tested Ammonia at 7.30pm
Ammonia: 2ppm
NitrIte: Did not test
PH: Did not test

 

[stormy78]

Day 9 (Monday 21st April)

Tested Ammonia at 5.00pm
Ammonia: 2ppm
NitrIte: Suddenly dropped to 0.50 ppm
PH: 7.2

When I got home from the dentist (OUCH) my tank seemed to have a sudden explosion of algea on the rocks, plants and back ground. Also there seemed to be a few more snails doing the rounds. I have removed the snails, got as much of the algea off the tank as possible. I think the sudden drop in NitrItes was down the algea. Can anyone let me know if I'm correct in this assumption please?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

no unfortunately. Im giving it until Monday and then Im scrapping the fishless thing and gonna water change and add fish. I'd stick with it if I could even get my ammonia to drop at all but since I can't even get a start...

Lioness sometimes it happens that way. do a 90% water change and then top the ammonia back up to 5ppm and see what happens. might just need a kick start.

 

[stormy78]

Day 10 (Tuesday 22nd April)

Tested Ammonia at 6.00pm
Ammonia: 2ppm
NitrIte: 0.25 ppm
PH: 7.6

The NitrIte has contiued to drop while the PH has risen. Does anybody have any feedback on this? Should the PH be rising?

 

[stormy78]

Day 11 (Wednesday 23rd April)

Tested Ammonia at 6.00pm
Ammonia: 1.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.25 ppm
PH: 7.6

Add Ammonia to take it back to 4.00ppm

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Stormy,

Your cycle seems to be going well with both ammonia and nitrite processing to some degree.

I am intrigued by your sudden dip in nitrite and subsequent algae explosion. It is probable that the cause of the algae explosion was excess ammonia / nitrite. With the plants and the algae both feeding, this may explain the sudden disappearance of nitrite.

How many live plants do you have? I ask because they can hinder your cycle somewhat by feeding on the ammonia / nitrite which obviously makes results difficult to interpret accurately. They can do this to such an extent that a heavily planted tank can be set up without a filter as the plants will oxidise the ammonia and nitrite. To have such an effect requires lots of plants, so if you only have a few, theres nothing to worry about.

With regard to the pH, ammonia will raise the pH of the water, and the acids produced by the nitrification of the ammonia will lower the pH. As such, it is common for the pH to bounce around during the fishless cycle, and you should only really worry if it drops below 6.0.

Keep topping up that ammonia, you seem to be doing fine.

Cheers

BTT

 

[stormy78]

Thanks BTT. I have about 13 plants (by 13 I mean 13 'bunches' as they come from the LFS) in there including Jave Fern, Lilaeposis Carolinensis, Lilaeposis Brasiliensis, Anunbias Nana, Alternanthera Rosafolia, Vallisneria Spiralis and a plant I cant indentify. I wouldnt say the tank is heavily planted as an awful lot of the substrate is still showing. Whats your opinion?

 

[backtotropical]

I agree. Its not heavily planted.

Your plants will use some ammonia / nitrite (primarily ammonia, contrary to popular belief that nitrate is the preferred food), but not enough to have any real impact.

Stick at the fishless cycling and keep us updated.

P.S. Got any pics?

BTT

 

[stormy78]

P.S. Got any pics?

BTT

Here you go BTT..... ideally I want to add CO2 and more plants in the near future but I will wait until the tank has cycled now!

 

[stormy78]

Day 12 (Thursday 24th April)

Tested Ammonia at 8.20am
Ammonia: 2.00ppm
NitrIte: Did not test
PH: Did not test

I will test again tonight

Tested Ammonia at 6.00pm
Ammonia: 2.00ppm
NitrIte: 0.25ppm
PH: Did not test

So no real change!

 

[waterdrop]

Very nice aquascape stormy! Nice background!

(know you are not asking, but..)
From reading the pointers the judges give in the aquatic gardeners competitions, I would guess they might say to "unbalance" some of your plant and/or rock placements. They often seem to say or imply that you want to get away from anything that is too symmetrical and in your case the plant and rock placement is both highly balanced and quite symmetrical.. Really pretty stuff you are working with though, both plants and rocks. ('course nothin says you can't want symmetrical, and tanks are all about doing whatever makes you happy!)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[stormy78]

Thanks Waterdrop, at the moment I'm just trying to find out what plants will happily live in the set up without CO2 (I may add this when cash allows). I do intend to move a few things around, maybe move the bog wood off to one side. If the Vallisineria Gigantea and Natans both grow they will stay where they are but I'm thinking of adding more Java Fern and more Anubias Nana as they are low light plants.