Gvilleguy's Fishless Cycle Log

[Gvilleguy]

I will post my fishless cycle testing results every few days here until I get my first ammonia drop, and then I will update it more often. I appreciate any feedback if you see anything out of whack!

Thanks!
Greenville Guy

SETUP:
1. 26 Gallon (100 Liter) bow front tank
2. Tank dimensions: 24 in wide x 21 in tall x 15 in deep (depth from center of bow front)
3. HOB carbon power filter with bio-ceramic-pellets added to it
EDIT May 4th: Fluval 205 canister filter added to tank. Still running HOB filter at same time.
4. Two air stones running full blast
5. Tank temperature set to 84 F (give or take)
6. API Master test kit
7. No live plants

TAP WATER STATS: (tested directly from the faucet)
Ammonia = 0.50 ppm (verified this two times)
Nitrite = 0.00
Nitrate = 0.00
pH..... = 7.2

AQUARIUM WATER STATS: (water was dechlorinated)
The tank was running 3 days with no measurements, and the water turned cloudy white.

A = Ammonia
NO2 = Nitrite
NO3 = Nitrate

Day..Date.....Time.....A.......NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
1....Apr19....19:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.0...............Added 3ML of ammonia
2....Apr20....19:45....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.0...............Water 40% white cloudy
3....Apr21....21:15....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....85.7F......
4....Apr22....22:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....6.8...............90% water swap to move tank; added 3ML ammonia
5....Apr23 No measurements
6....Apr24....20:45....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....85.2F......Water crystal clear
7....Apr25....18:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....86.4F......
8....Apr26....20:45....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....86.1F......
9....Apr27....20:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....85.7F......
10...Apr28....21:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.0....83.7F......Lowered thermometer temp slightly

Day..Date.....Time.....A.......NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
11...Apr29....20:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....83.8F......
12...Apr30....21:15....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.0....84.2F......Added 1 gallon water (evaporation)
13...May01....22:00....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....84.5F......No visible algae anywhere in tank
14...May02....21:30....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.2....84.0F......Water is still crystal clear
15...May03....23:00....4.00....0.00....0.00....6.8....83.9F......Filter water overflowing to bypass; replaced carbon filter
16...May04....23:00....4.00....0.00....0.00....7.6....83.5F......Fluval 205 canister filter added to tank; 2 1/2 TSP baking soda added to tank to raise pH and KH (KH=7)
17...May05....20:00....2.00....0.00....0.00....8.2....83.4F......Added 1 1/4 tsp of baking soda to get pH up; KH=10
18...May06....18:00....2.00....0.00....0.00....8.2....83.7F......Water very clear; no algae
19...May07....22:00....2.00....0.00....0.00....8.2....83.6F......Looks like definite ammonia drop!
20...May08....22:45....2.00....0.00....0.00....8.2....83.9F......

Day..Date.....Time.....A.......NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
21...May09....22:00....1.00....0.00....0.00....8.2....83.2F......
22...May10....21:30....1.00....0.00....0.00....8.2....83.6F......
23...May11....22:00....1.00....0.50....0.00....8.2....83.3F......First nitrite hit!
24...May12....21:30....0.50....5.00....0.00....8.0....83.1F......Nitrite spike; added 2.5 ml ammonia to bring it to 4.00 ppm
25...May13....22:00....0.25....5.00....5.00....8.0....83.5F......Ammonia consumed in 24 hrs; added 3 ml ammonia; A = 4.00
26...May14....22:00....0.00....5.00....5.00....8.2....83.5F......A=4.00; +1 gallon water

Ammonia now being consumed in 12 hours or less: adding 4 ML ammonia every 24 hours now
Day..Date.....Time....A/AM....A/PM....NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
27...May15....22:00...0.00....4.00....5.00....5.00....8.4....83.0F......
28...May16....No tests performed........................................
29...May17....22:30...0.00....4.00....5.00....5.00....7.6....83.5F......+1 1/4 tsp baking soda
30...May18....24:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.2....83.9F......NO2 too high to read
31...May19....22:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....84.4F......
32...May20....22:45...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....84.2F......
33...May21....No tests performed........................................
34...May22....No tests performed........................................
35...May23....21:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....84.6F......water 25% cloudy
36...May24....21:45...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....82.2F......

Day..Date.....Time....A/AM....A/PM....NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
37...May25....21:30...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.4...............+1/2 tsp baking soda
38...May26....22:45...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....83.7F......
39...May27....20:45...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.4....83.9F......water 30% cloudy
40...May28....No tests
41...May29....No tests
42...May30....21:00...........4.00....2.00....5.00....8.0....90% water change; +3 tsp baking soda
43...May31....22:45...0.00....4.00....0.50....5.00....8.2....
44...Jun01....21:45...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.4....83.2F
45...Jun02....21:45...........4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.2....83.1F
46...Jun03....No tests

Day..Date.....Time....A/AM....A/PM....NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
47...Jun04....No tests
48...Jun05....No tests
49...Jun06....No tests
50...Jun07....22:30...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5-10....7.8/8.4...83.6F; +1/4 tsp baking soda
51...Jun08....22:30...........4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.2....83.2F
52...Jun09....22:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....83.5F
53...Jun10....21:00...........4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.2....83.1F
54...Jun11....22:30...0.00............HIGH............7.4....83.8F; +1/2 tsp baking soda
55...Jun12....No tests
56...Jun13....21:30...........4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.0....83.2F

Day..Date.....Time....A/AM....A/PM....NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
57...Jun14....No tests
58...Jun15....23:00...........4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.4....83.7F
59...Jun16....23:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.4....83.9F
60...Jun17....No tests
61...Jun18....20:00...4.00....1.00....HIGH....5.00....6.0....PH Crash! +baking soda to jump start process again; ammonia dropped to 1.00 by the evening
62...Jun19....22:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH............8.0....83.8F
63...Jun20....No tests
64...Jun21....22:00...0.00....4.00....HIGH............8.0....
65...Jun22....22:30...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.4....83.4F
66...Jun23............0.00............HIGH...................

Day..Date.....Time....A/AM....A/PM....NO2.....NO3.....pH.....Temp(F)....NOTES
67...Jun24....21:30...0.00....4.00....HIGH....5.00....8.2....83.8F
68...Jun25....21:00...0.00....4.00....1.00....5.00....7.4....80.1F; 90% water change to shake things up; lowered temp slightly
69...Jun26....22:00...0.00....2.00....1.00....5.00....6.8....80.9F
70...Jun27....21:00...0.00....4.00....1.00...40.00....8.2....80.0F; pH crash to 6.0 again, added 2 tsp baking soda
71...Jun28....09:30...0.00............0.00...40-80....7.8

Final note, July 1st: THIS TANK IS CYCLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[waterdrop]

Nice log Greenville Guy! Its hard on some heater knobs but try to tweek the setting the tinyest bit down to see if you can help it head down to 84F/29C as I do worry about the N-Bacs stumbling a little if it gets too warm.

I live not that far north of you and its possible you may have similar water problems to mine. The pH starts very neutral like that and it might be an indicator of low KH (might not be, but its a distinct possibility.) If its low KH then the cycling process may easily cause a pH crash that would stall the cycling process. Its up to you but you might want to think about investing in a GH/KH kit (or a pure KH test if you ran across one. I have a Tetratest KH kit that I got earlier and a GH/KH API kit I got later, the KH kits test out the same. For people with KH down near zero or one, it can really help to go ahead and get the mineral content up via bicarb dosing. The bacteria grow fastest in higher mineral content that causes a pH of between 8.0 and 8.4. The speedup is generally linear from the stall point (pH=6.2) up through the optimal range just above 8 and then it falls off above 8.4 or so.

Its also an ok choice to not be this detailed about it but to just keep a close eye on the pH and be ready to water change to have your tap water bring the mineral content and pH back up again.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Gvilleguy]

Thanks, Waterdrop! I'll try to lower the temp slightly. I'm not familiar with KH, but I just did a Google search on it and got a little more educated. I might go ahead and get a KH test kit and check it out. From what you are saying, though, it might not hurt the process for me to artificially raise the pH closer to 8? And one way to do that would be with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, yes?

 

[waterdrop]

That's correct. Simple baking soda (not baking powder since it might have extra ingredients) and Arm & Hammer is by far the most common brand in the USA (not UK.)

You could dose at 1 tablespoon per 50 liters (you'd have to calculate that out) but it would be more fun and educational for you if you wait until you have your KH kit and can do before and after tests and see further what change the bicarb actually makes.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Gvilleguy]

[sigh] Two weeks in and still awaiting the first ammonia drop. This is worse than waiting for Santa Claus...

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, the fact that we've seen virtually no drop at all in ammonia makes me even more suspicious of your KH & pH and I think the GH/KH kit and the baking soda could not hurt at all and could significantly help in this case if used earlier rather than later. Nothing is a "for sure" thing in fishless cycling but this is my best guess for what I'm seeing of yours currently.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Gvilleguy]

I should receive the GH/KH kit in the mail any day now. I was waiting to test that before adding the baking soda. So hopefully in the next day or two I'll make the change.

 

[Gvilleguy]

I'm also leaning toward getting a canister filter, such as a Fluval 205, and get it running at the same time as the Aqueon HOB power filter. I don't have a good feeling about this Aqueon filter. I'd rather get something bigger that gives me more flexible bio & mechanical filtering options. Once we manage to get the tank up and running I can use the Aqueon in a smaller quarantine/hospital tank.

 

[waterdrop]

I use an Eheim Pro 2222 on a 28G/106L with a Hydor Inline heater spliced in to the Eheim output line. There's an american version of the Tetratec that is so popular with our UK members - these are priced really nicely. Somebody will think of the name or I will later. WD

 

[Gvilleguy]

I made some fairly big changes today:
1. Fluval 205 filter added to the tank, running in addition to the Aqueon Power Filter. I moved the bio-ceramic pellet bags from the Aqueon to the baskets in the Fluval canister to help get it jump started. Tank cleared up even more dramatically than it already was.

2. Tested KH/GH: KH=2; GH=2

3. Added 2 1/2 tsp baking soda, waited 30 minutes: KH=7; GH=4: pH went from 6.8 to 7.6.

Going to let tank settle tonight without more changes. Will try to tweak pH up to the 8 range tomorrow. Ammonia still 4.0.

 

[waterdrop]

OK, look at this! I think you've made some pretty good moves! You will not regret having an external cannister - there is a reason they are becoming more and more popular despite their higher cost.

I also congratulate you on easing in to the bicarb, so you can see the extent of its actions. I do recommend that you attempt to ease it on up in to the 8.0 to 8.4 range but I'm quite curious to see if you can figure out a "number of teaspoons per US gallon" that seems to do this.

[Based on an old (and good I believe) website some years back I found that 1 teaspoon per 50 liters would raise KH as high as possible -without- raising pH. Some of us then extrapolated that 3 teaspoons (equals 1 tablespoon) would be a good amount when you want to go ahead a raise pH. Actually, a couple of people just randomly tried that and it seemed not too much. I always felt like it could be done in less but wasn't very important.]

So! ...will be curious to see how it goes.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Gvilleguy]

Many thanks for your continued advice, Waterdrop!

 

[Gvilleguy]

After two days of baking soda experimenting, I settled on 1 TSP of baking soda = +0.35 of pH level. (this is for my 26 gallon tank) So I got the tank settled in at pH = 8.2, KH = 10. It could be our imagination, but my daughter and I both think the ammonia test today was closer to 2.00 rather than 4.00 on the green scale, so hopefully we are starting to get a drop now. We'll see in another day or two.

 

[waterdrop]

Interesting, so for that tank its a little more than a full pH number for a tablespoon. Very interesting and useful. Let's hope the ammonia looks a little lighter as the week progresses!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Gvilleguy]

Guardedly optimistic, but it appears that we've had our first ammonia drop after 16 days. Ammonia reading 2.0 three days in a row now. Nitrite still zero.