Fishless Cycle Starting Today

[JDs4me]

Ammonia disappears practically before I've finished putting it in - 4 hours to 0. Nitrites 0.1 which I think would probably class as sorted but I would like to get a clear colour rather than pink tinge. Am I being ridiculous??

I don't think I am well enough qualified to judge - I'd love to say you are done but I don't know your cycle history or method, and there are far better judges than me here! All my knowledge here comes from what I've read and been told, and an honours degree in molecular science! I'd say I've learned far more here than I learned in the books...I do find it surprising that you have such a super bacterial colony there that you can shift 13ml of NH3 in such a short time, with its associated build-up of NO2 also clearing so effectively, but maybe some tanks go that way!

As I understand it, if you are shifting NH3 at 2-3ppm and its associated NO2 in 12 hours or less, you are cycled.

I strongly recommend that you get a more informed opinion off the folks in the know here...just open up a thread (if you haven't already; apologies if you have as I haven't seen it) and ask them, they are super-helpful here!

 

[gforce17]

I'm gutted! I can't tell you. Just did a nitrite test. Bright magenta. Massive spike! Why oh why after all this time???

 

[JDs4me]

I'm gutted! I can't tell you. Just did a nitrite test. Bright magenta. Massive spike! Why oh why after all this time???

Perhaps that test kit is unreliable if you are getting such a huge swing? What kit do you use? I am using API master liquid test for all parameters, and Salifert for extra NO2 testing due to my colour-blind restrictions ...

When are you normally doing your test for nitrites? I might be stating the obvious so forgive me if so, but you don't do your nitrite test when you add the NH3...it takes time for that NH3 to convert to nitrite, which you then hope will clear in 12 hours. At the moment I wait for NH3 and NO2 to show clear, then add NH3 and test it after a good stir and about one hour has passed to see what level it reads, and then test for both NH3 and NO2 12 hours later.

I didn't allow a huge spike in NO2 to build up, but kept it at readable levels with water changes every day, until it dropped by itself which it now does over about 16 hours...hopefully less than that soon!

 

[JDs4me]

So yesterday 3ppm NH3 converted to 0.25ppm NO2 in 15 hours.

Today I have dosed to 2ppm NH3 looking for a 12 hour cycle at that dosage...after 6 hours today the NH3 is 0-0.25 (probably zero but leaning towards pessimistic reading) and NO2 between 2-3ppm (not warranting 4 on the Salifert kit)...I'm hoping IF the NO2 zeroes at 6.30pm this evening I can call the tank cycled, subject to continued running tests up to sunday when the first fish are planned to go in??!?!?

I must remember to turn the heater down beforehand...

 

[TheJ0kerrr]

I'm gutted! I can't tell you. Just did a nitrite test. Bright magenta. Massive spike! Why oh why after all this time???

I have read that the nitrites API test sometimes looks similar to 0ppm when the nitrites are actually way off the chart. The test liquid drops that you put in the tube will first have a pink/red tint, but then as you shake it, it turns to blue. If they are at 0ppm for real, the drops will turn blue immediatly when you put them in.

What you could do is make a massive water change to try and lower the nitrites back into readable range and there you can see if the nitrites are clearing effectively.

The fact that your test just turned magenta could mean that the bacterias are finally starting to cope with the huge amount of nitrites you accumulated while redosing. So in a sense, it's a good sign!

 

[JDs4me]

OK, 2ppm NH3 added this morning (0ppm 6 hours later). 12 hours later the NO2 is frustratingly not 0, but its not 0.25 either...a little bluer than 0, yet paler than 0.25 (verified by 3 pairs of eyes!)

Just a little longer...checking hourly for the 0 reading

 

[Welshweeks]

 

[JDs4me]

There's Klingons on the starboard bow cap'n!... but no NO2 after 14 hours....!!

Now in Star Wars you need to get rid of R2D2 and C3PN or whatever that gratingly annoying robot was called...give me NO2 any day

I'm thinking maybe I might be OK with this situation for the planned weekend addition of Ilyodons, they ain't going to wee 2ppm NH3 all at once unless they are into synchronised weeing as well as swimming?? and have enormous bladders to boot?

Hopefully by sunday the zero is there anyway...

May the force be with you and all that!

 

[JDs4me]

for the last two days, 2ppm ammonia added; NO2 taking 14 hours to zero out; pH 8.0, NO3 80+ppm...

 

[pdludbrooke]

for the last two days, 2ppm ammonia added; NO2 taking 14 hours to zero out; pH 8.0, NO3 80+ppm...

Hi I have been keeping an eye on your thread, what method did you use to do your fishless cycle ? You seem to have well over taken me in the time scale your cycle has taken.
I started my cycle back in March 17th I think and am just now starting to get a drop in nitrites, did you use a donation from a mature filter ?
Cheers Mate!

 

[gforce17]

for the last two days, 2ppm ammonia added; NO2 taking 14 hours to zero out; pH 8.0, NO3 80+ppm...

Hi I have been keeping an eye on your thread, what method did you use to do your fishless cycle ? You seem to have well over taken me in the time scale your cycle has taken.
I started my cycle back in March 17th I think and am just now starting to get a drop in nitrites, did you use a donation from a mature filter ?
Cheers Mate!

This is a good question - I don't mean that critically JDs4me, but when following your thread, you have done things quite differently from the original instruction on the forum - particularly the number of water changes. Good luck to you if it works!!!!

 

[JDs4me]

yes I had a donation of gunk from a gravel bed in the LFS on day 10, which sent my ammonia on a downward spiral two days later...I then did daily water changes to keep nitrite down to readable levels, and that started to move down independantly of the water changes on day 22, zeroing from 24 hours after 2-3ppm ammonia addition on day 25, to 14 hours now.

The tank has had no lights and very low ambient light throughout, with high oxygenation, no plants, 30C, pH very stable at 8.0-8.2throughout, dgH 18-22 as measured throughout...

Hope that helps...I've kept a log with a day by day account of what I've done but thats basically it above!

 

[pdludbrooke]

yes I had a donation of gung from a gravel bed in the LFS on day 10, which sent my ammonia on a downward spiral two days later...I then did daily water changes to keep nitrite down to readable levels, and that started to move down independantlyof the water changes on day 22, zeroing from 24 hours after 2-3ppm ammonia addition on day 25, to 14 hours now.

The tank has had no lights and very low ambient light throughout, with high oxygenation, no plants, 30C, pH very stable at 8.0-8.2throughout, dgH 18-22 as measured throughout...

Hope that helps...I've kept a log with a day by day account of what I've done but thats basically it above!

Thanks, I was interested because near the beginning of your post another person posted a method aboat adding a little fish food and keeping the nitrites down with water changes etc
They said the cycle would would take 3 weeks max ???

I was going to try it, but then saw oldman47 comment, so I decided to stick to the method recommended by him and this site.
I didn't have any donation of media, I just started from scratch took about 10 days for ammonia to drop and a total of 33 days after that to see any drop in NirIte, I did 2 water changes when my water test for the NitrIte went purple straight away and when left 5 mins turned blue, I did this to avoid a ph crash I have learned can happen.

Anyway you must be chuffed and looking forward to getting your fish, I have found this fishless cycle frustrating, but necessary and I have learned so much.

 

[JDs4me]

yes sorry pdludbrooke I have added a pinch of flake each week from day 21...I have based my cycle on parts of PrimeOrdeals method as it made sense to me, and parts on other peoples... There's no right or wrong method as long as it works, and everyone naturally defends the method they find works for them...so after plenty of reading I picked out what I wanted to do and got on with it. I consider that I am now cycled sufficiently after 33 days...but of course, just because it worked for me this way, doesn't mean its going to work for others - too many variables involved!


There are folks on other sites saying that the cycle is complete when ammonia and nitrites clear in 24 hours, not the 12 hours recommended here; again others say that once you manage to zero ammonia and nitrite, with an observable increase in nitrate, then you are cycled. The important thing as I see it is to cycle out according to how heavily you are going to load the bacteria when you are done; if maxing out your stock level immediately then perhaps go for 12 hours to ensure your fish won't be stressed...I am not maxing out my tank stock level, I can't even get some of the fish I want immediately as I am waiting for particular species, so am happy to go ahead with my results which will not be pushing the bacteria at the levels I am going to initially stock. Hope that makes sense! It makes sense to me anyway! Then surely as you increase your stock level gradually, the existing bacteria will respond to the increased availability of nutrient by increasing the size of the colony therein.

First fish go in sunday! A small school of Ilyodon xantusi. I will be closely monitoring levels in the water after their addition of course and will let you know how the filter bacs cope if you like!

 

[pdludbrooke]

yes sorry pdludbrooke I have added a pinch of flake each week from day 21...I have based my cycle on parts of PrimeOrdeals method as it made sense to me, and parts on other peoples... There's no right or wrong method as long as it works, and everyone naturally defends the method they find works for them...so after plenty of reading I picked out what I wanted to do and got on with it. I consider that I am now cycled sufficiently after 33 days...but of course, just because it worked for me this way, doesn't mean its going to work for others - too many variables involved!


There are folks on other sites saying that the cycle is complete when ammonia and nitrites clear in 24 hours, not the 12 hours recommended here; again others say that once you manage to zero ammonia and nitrite, with an observable increase in nitrate, then you are cycled. The important thing as I see it is to cycle out according to how heavily you are going to load the bacteria when you are done; if maxing out your stock level immediately then perhaps go for 12 hours to ensure your fish won't be stressed...I am not maxing out my tank stock level, I can't even get some of the fish I want immediately as I am waiting for particular species, so am happy to go ahead with my results which will not be pushing the bacteria at the levels I am going to initially stock. Hope that makes sense! It makes sense to me anyway! Then surely as you increase your stock level gradually, the existing bacteria will respond to the increased availability of nutrient by increasing the size of the colony therein.

First fish go in sunday! A small school of Ilyodon xantusi. I will be closely monitoring levels in the water after their addition of course and will let you know how the filter bacs cope if you like!

Yes, please let me know how you get on, and Congrats!!!

yes sorry pdludbrooke I have added a pinch of flake each week from day 21...I have based my cycle on parts of PrimeOrdeals method as it made sense to me, and parts on other peoples... There's no right or wrong method as long as it works, and everyone naturally defends the method they find works for them...so after plenty of reading I picked out what I wanted to do and got on with it. I consider that I am now cycled sufficiently after 33 days...but of course, just because it worked for me this way, doesn't mean its going to work for others - too many variables involved!


There are folks on other sites saying that the cycle is complete when ammonia and nitrites clear in 24 hours, not the 12 hours recommended here; again others say that once you manage to zero ammonia and nitrite, with an observable increase in nitrate, then you are cycled. The important thing as I see it is to cycle out according to how heavily you are going to load the bacteria when you are done; if maxing out your stock level immediately then perhaps go for 12 hours to ensure your fish won't be stressed...I am not maxing out my tank stock level, I can't even get some of the fish I want immediately as I am waiting for particular species, so am happy to go ahead with my results which will not be pushing the bacteria at the levels I am going to initially stock. Hope that makes sense! It makes sense to me anyway! Then surely as you increase your stock level gradually, the existing bacteria will respond to the increased availability of nutrient by increasing the size of the colony therein.

First fish go in sunday! A small school of Ilyodon xantusi. I will be closely monitoring levels in the water after their addition of course and will let you know how the filter bacs cope if you like!

Oh, and don't forget to lower the temperature of your heater