Fishless Cycle

[sjolliff]

You can also add baking soda to raise the PH, instead of doin water changes

 

[OldMan47]

That is true Sjolliff. The water change has he added benefit of removing some of the nitrites and nitrates so that we may be able to measure the nitrites sooner. The baking soda won't do that for us so, as long as the tap water works for us, the water change is a bit better approach.

 

[julsifer]

Day 30
Temp 29 celcius/84 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph 7.4
Nitrite high still
Nitrate 10ppm

Day 31
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph not tested
Nitrite high still
Nitrate 10ppm

 

[OldMan47]

You are moving the ammonia nicely now. It is only a matter of time before the nitrites go just as fast and we will be done with this one.

 

[julsifer]

Day 32
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 0ml ammonia
Ph 6
Nitrite high still
Nitrate not tested

Don't suppose its worth mentioning that i added a big bit of bogwood this day, turns my water a little orangey... but does it effect my ph??? that is the question.

WATER CHANGE
Day 32
Temp 28-29 celcius/82-84 farenheit
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result 4 (2hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result 0 (12hrs)
Ph 7.4 then to 7.2
Nitrite high still
Nitrate not tested

 

[julsifer]

Day 33
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph 7.6
Nitrite high still
Nitrate not tested

Day 34
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result not tested
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph not tested
Nitrite high then not tested second time
Nitrate not tested

Day 35
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result 0 (11hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph 7.2
Nitrite high
Nitrate not tested

Day 36
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph not tested
Nitrite high
Nitrate not tested

Day 37
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Result 0.5 (12hrs)
Dosage 4ml ammonia
Ph 6.6 then to 6.4
Nitrite high
Nitrate not tested

Day 38
Ph 6
WATER CHANGE
Result 0 (9hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph 7.4
Nitrite high

Day 36
Temp 30 celcius/86 farenheit
Result 0 (12hrs)
Dosage 5ml ammonia
Ph 7.4
Nitrite high
Nitrate 5ppm-10ppm

 

[OldMan47]

It looks like you are processing the ammonia very nicely and are doing a good job of dealing with the pH drops that are being caused by nitrate build ups. I wish we could start to see some nitrite movement. I am becoming frustrated by it and I don't even need to deal with it myself, just watch your numbers.

 

[julsifer]

tell me aout it ll the nitrite thing looks never-ending, when i see those drops fall to the bottom dark purple...

PS/ "boring" mollys thats what he said not me hope you didnt take offence.

 

[OldMan47]

The frequency that you are doing water changes makes me suspect that your water may be a bit too soft for those boring mollies, not matter how much you like them.

 

[julsifer]

Had to do another 90% water change today, apart from that everything still the same pretty much

Ammonia processes in 12hrs, nitrite is HIGH will probably have to buy more nitrite drops if it doesnt start pulling itself together, ha. Will check stats tonight managed to get my water changing time down to 15 mins in total, not bad considering i do it with two buckets and a siphon

 

[waterdrop]

Good, I see OM47's been helping. I've been traveling and haven't seen this thread in a long time. I guess the low pH and probably really low KH may be extending the nitrite spike time some. Perhaps we'll think about baking soda in the next week or two if we don't finally get the drop. You're only ever adding ammonia once in any 24 hour period, right??

~~waterdrop~~

 

[julsifer]

You're only ever adding ammonia once in any 24 hour period, right??

~~waterdrop~~

erm...well i check every 12hours and if ammonia is at 0 i add ammonia then, is this wrong?

 

[waterdrop]

You're only ever adding ammonia once in any 24 hour period, right??

~~waterdrop~~

erm...well i check every 12hours and if ammonia is at 0 i add ammonia then, is this wrong?

You want to add ammonia only once, at your "add hour" or whatever you want to call it, within any 24 hour period, otherwise you get way too much build-up of nitrite in the tank. The usual habit is to have a specific time, like 8am or 7pm or whatever, and even if you test earlier, say at the 12 hour mark, you still *wait* until your same time within the 24 hour day to add ammonia.

Listen, its not too big a deal, don't worry about it. Just begin doing that from now on and the excess nitrite you've built up will come on down. It'll come down even faster if we end up having to do some of those water changes for adding of baking soda.. but we can get to that in the next few days.. gotta run bye

~~waterdrop~~

 

[julsifer]

OMG!!! i cant believe i've been doing that all this time....

So today and yesterday and the day before that, i added ammonia only once a day and the nitrite was 2 the first day then 0 the rest of the days

Dosage 5ml
Ammonia Results 0 (12hrs)
Ph 7.6<

 

[OldMan47]

That is really encouraging news Julsifer. It may show that you are almost done on the cycle for this tank. Have your nitrate readings been marching up about 15 ppm daily?