Fishless Cycle

[waterdrop]

Yeah, we imported the thing of "boy scouts" from you and then they added on "cub scouts" for the younger boys under 11 years old and whereas the boy scouts are divided into "patrols" within the "troop", the cubs are divided into "dens" within the "pack" and when the moms can't drag the dads into all the leadership positions for this stuff, they end up being "den mothers" for a group of 7 or 8 little kids, usually including theirs of course. (is that enough USA cultural suburbs for you for a night? )

(Poor 190, can't figure out where his thread wound off to... )

~~waterdrop~~

I'm sure that my problem was misinterpretting the dosing of ammonia. I was doing this EVERY time it dropped to zero, which was basically twice a day 12 hrs apart, instead of once a day . I checked my records and saw that I did it for 4 days, no wonder the nitrite was off the chart ! Since then, just 2-3ppm once a day. I'm assuming that is enough, correct? More updates to come.

Yes, 2-3ppm during the nitrite spike is just fine, best way to do it! Don't worry about the misinterpretation, happens a lot, won't matter! Just from now on wait for the 24 hour mark before adding ammonia, no matter how quickly it got processed in the previous 24.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[190MPH]

Thanks WD. No worries on the hijack. Right now between the cycle and trying to get a car for racing season, I sometimes wonder what direction I'M going !

 

[Miss Wiggle]

what do you race in?

my other half daydreams about being able to enter a race series....... i'm just content if I get to watch my lovely F1 cars once a year

 

[190MPH]

Drag racing here in the states. The car in the pic was wrecked recently(got run into by a car with no brakes)

 

[OldMan47]

Nice looking car 190. Fuel or gas?

 

[ranjohns]

Earlier in this cycle, when my nitrite levels were even higher, the nitrite drops turned purple immediately and 5 minutes later were a pale clear blue. I interpreted this to mean that the nitrite was off the chart. Now, the drops turn purple immediately; but, after 5 minutes, the color indicates 2.0ppm nitrite. How would you interpret this? Off the chart? Or, 2ppm?

After reading Ms. Wiggle's comments to 190mph, it seems that I should double the amount of ammonia I've been adding from 3ml to 5 or 6ml and that I should wait 24 hours from one dose of ammonia to the next.

All comments are welcome.
Thanks, Randy

Most recent days from my 30 gal fishless cycle:

Readings made with API Master Test Kit

Day 16
10am 50% water change to reduce nitrites as per Ms. Wiggle
2pm ammon = 0ppm nitrite = 1 nitrate = 5
5pm 2ml ammonia added

Day 17
10am ammon = 0 nitrite = off chart nitrate = 5
10pm ammon = 0 nitrite = off chart

Day 18
9am ammon = 0 nitrite = off chart
9:15am 10% water change
11am ammon = 0 nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2 to 5
11:15am 3ml ammonia added
2:30pm ammon = 1 nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2 to 5 pH =8.2
7:30pm ammon = 1 nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2

 

[190MPH]

Thank you OM, hope to have my new one soon.

RJ, your cycle sounds very similar to mine. I had nitrite off the chart too. I did a 50% change over the weekend and the tests now do the same as yours. I am interpreting mine as 2ppm because it definately develops different than when they were high. Nitrate is still 5-10 ppm, so the waiting continues.

Sorry OM, forgot to add the car runs on race gas. 340 CI, ~900 HP, 1/4 mile best 6.87 seconds @195 MPH

 

[waterdrop]

So are we talking to both a nitrite and and a "nitro" spiker here? ( am sure I don't know my "fueler" terms here, lol) Interesting, I sometimes see glimpses of an active drag strip off I77 when going through the West Virginia mountains...

~~waterdrop~~

 

[190MPH]

WD, no nitro here(especially at $35+/gallon!). Here's a vid for your vieweing pleasure.
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N2tnE_vDOc

 

[waterdrop]

wow, is that thing really yours? amazing!

 

[190MPH]

Yes it is. The costs are getting/have gotten out of control though. Fishkeeping and many other hobbies may seem expensive, but I can give you #'s that would make your head spin !

 

[waterdrop]

Yes it is. The costs are getting/have gotten out of control though. Fishkeeping and many other hobbies may seem expensive, but I can give you #'s that would make your head spin !

Yeah, we need to get smart enough to have robots do all the work so we can just explore the world through our "hobbies."

 

[190MPH]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I'll ask. We have an 8g BiOrb with 4 danios in it. If you are familiar with it, it has a ceramic media that sits in the bottom of the bowl. I was wondering if it would be OK to take several of these pieces and put them in the bottom of the cycling tank to help, or is it a waste at this point in the cycle. Would I need alot or just a handful of pieces?

 

[ranjohns]

190mph, how's your tank? As you can see I added 5ml of ammon. on day 19 and 3ml the next today (today). I think I'll stay with 3ml, just to be more consistent. Nitrates are climbing a bit and nitrite, while not gone, is lower today than the last several days.

Comments and observations are welcome.

Randy

Day 18
9am ammon = 0 nitrite = off chart
9:15am 10% water change
11am ammon = 0 nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2 to 5
11:15am 3ml ammonia added
2:30pm ammon = 1 nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2 to 5 pH =8.2
7:30pm ammon = 1 nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2

Day 19
10AM ammon = 0; nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = 2
11AM 5ml ammonia added
7PM ammonia = 2-3; nitrite = purple rt away; 5 min = ~3; nitrate = 40

Day 20
9:15AM ammonia = 0; nitrite = 2; nitrate = 40
9:30AM 3ml ammonia added
11PM ammonia = 0; nirtrite = 1; nitrate = 40-80 note that water was NOT purple rt away!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I'll ask. We have an 8g BiOrb with 4 danios in it. If you are familiar with it, it has a ceramic media that sits in the bottom of the bowl. I was wondering if it would be OK to take several of these pieces and put them in the bottom of the cycling tank to help, or is it a waste at this point in the cycle. Would I need alot or just a handful of pieces?

any that you add will have some bacteria on so may kick start things, never take more than one third of the media from an existing set up so don't go robbing too much!