Fishless Cycle- Water Query

[eaglesaquarium]

Not worth doing until the ammonia starts dropping.  When the ammonia drops to 1ppm or lower, then measuring the nitrite would be necessary.

 

[bretty1984]

Just to keep you updated on this, I have just taken another reading and it is pretty much the same as what it was this time yesterday.
 
Should I do anything at all or just leave it? 

 

[bretty1984]

I had also read that a low PH reading can cause the cycle to stall so I just took a reading and it came back at around 7.2-7.6

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nope, you are fine, now the waiting really begins. Bumping your temp up a bit ~84F, and a bit more surface agitation will help. If your pH drops off suddenly, then you have stalled. Your cycle hasn't stalled, but you see that the stuff you were adding before didn't help you though.

 

[bretty1984]

yes I can see what you mean when you say that stuff I was adding didn't help!
 
When you say surface agitation what do you mean exactly? Also I have bumped my temp up to 28 degrees which is around 82 degrees farenheit but I will increase it a little more if that will help.
I will test the water again tomorrow. 
 
I am sorry to keep coming in here asking for info and posting every time I do something but if I do that at each stage at least someone can tell me whether I am doing something right or wrong!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

  No worries.  We're here to help.
 
 
Surface agitation just means more 'waves' on the surface.  More waves means more surface area which allows more oxygen into the water.  More oxygen encourages more bacterial growth.  Higher temps help them too.
 
Just increasing the 'splashing' of the water into the tank will help with that.

 

[bretty1984]

other than my filter causing the splashing, which is already on the fastest flow setting what else could I do?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Lower the water level to allow the water to 'splash' more.
 
If you have a return spray bar - turn it to send the water vertically or raise it out of the water to let the water splash.

 

[bretty1984]

Just to give another update on this.
I have taken another ammonia reading and it looks to have slightly dropped to somewhere between 2 and 3 I think,although the change in colour is almost negligible so it is quite hard to tell!
 
Anyway, as this is the third day I have taken a reading, should I have noticed a big change in the colour of the test liquid?
 
I also have a bottle of Fluval Cycle biological enhancer, which I guess is probably similar to the aquacare stuff I have added. This bottle claims to have super concentrated live bacteria, Is it worth me using any of this at all to help things along?
 
Thanks once again!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The amount of time it takes is really a function of how bacteria is present at the beginning. There's no way to know how much is there and it's highly variable. The fact it hasn't dropped much just means you didn't have much to start with despite the additions. Personally I wouldn't use that other stuff as even if it does lower your ammonia, it's not the bacteria that have been clinically proven to be those found in aquaria.

 

[bretty1984]

yeah I see exactly what you are saying. 
 
So this may seem like a stupid question but........from when I first filled the tank with tap water, then added the de-chlorinator, then added the ammonia, what will actually cause the bacteria to eventually begin to grow? I suppose I am saying where does it come from in the beginning?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Its in the tap water, and any of the decor you added.  Nothing kills ALL the bacteria, some always manage to survive...  So, that's where they actually come from.  Its just a matter of getting them to grow.
 
 
Imagine that they double in number every 24 hours.  Having a single cell to start means that it would take 8 days before you end up with 256 cells (which is a minute number really).  Meanwhile, if you have 20 to start, it would take only 4 days to get to 320 cells.  The key is that the starting number more than anything else, will really determine the amount of time it takes.
 
You can adjust their growth rate by tweaking the temp, the oxygen level, the pH, etc.  But, ultimately, it all comes back to what you start with.

 

[bretty1984]

its me again! (oh no I hear everyone groan!)
 
I have taken another reading again this morning and I think things are heading in the right direction! to my eye the reading looks like it is somewhere between 0.25 and 1.0ppm,so something is happening!
 
I hope this picture will give you rough idea of what I am looking at!
 

 
I have a couple of questions to ask now if I may
 
1- should I test for anything else at this stage?
2- Is there anything I should do to the water at this stage?
 
I am getting pretty excited with all of this!
 
Thanks once again!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Test for nitrite.

Add another 2ppm ammonia.

 

[bretty1984]

brilliant, I really do appreciate your help.
 
I will test the nitrate later and report my results.
 
Thanks.