Hungrydoug's Fishless Cycle

[Hungrydoug]

Day 1 - pH 6.8 Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all 0, temperature in tank 28.5oC - 4ppm ammonia added. (19/12/09)
Day 2 - pH 6.8 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC
Day 3 - pH 7.0 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC 1.2 tablespoons bicarb added, mature filter media added.
Day 4 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC nitrite 0ppm
Day 5 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm temperature 28.5oC nitrite 0ppm
Day 6 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm temperature 28.5oC nitrite 0ppm
Day 7 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm temperature 28.5oC nitrite 0ppm
Day 8 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm temperature 28.5oC nitrite 0.5ppm |(ran this twice and got the same results both times)

Must ask the guy from work how he got the filter media to me, doesn't seem to be doing much.

 

[OldMan47]

It looks more like a traditional fishless cycle without any donated media. You have just started to see some ammonia being processed to nitrites.

 

[Hungrydoug]

It looks more like a traditional fishless cycle without any donated media. You have just started to see some ammonia being processed to nitrites.

That's what I was thinking, I can only assume that he didn't keep the media in tnk water between taking it from his filter and putting it into the bag. Ah well, will wait and see how we get on!

 

[Hungrydoug]

Day 1 - pH 6.8 Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all 0, temperature in tank 28.5oC - 4ppm ammonia added. (19/12/09)
Day 2 - pH 6.8 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC
Day 3 - pH 7.0 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC 1.2 tablespoons bicarb added, mature filter media added.
Day 4 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28oC
Day 5 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 6 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 7 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 8 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0.5ppm, temperature 28.5oC (ran this twice and got the same results both times)
Day 9 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 2ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 10 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 3 ppm, nitrite 3ppm, temperature 28.5oC (28/12/09)

 

[waterdrop]

 

[Hungrydoug]

Day 1 - pH 6.8 Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all 0, temperature in tank 28.5oC - 4ppm ammonia added. (19/12/09)
Day 2 - pH 6.8 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC
Day 3 - pH 7.0 Ammonia 4ppm, temperature 28oC 1.2 tablespoons bicarb added, mature filter media added.
Day 4 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28oC
Day 5 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 6 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 7 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 8 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 0.5ppm, temperature 28.5oC (ran this twice and got the same results both times)
Day 9 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 4 ppm, nitrite 2ppm, temperature 28.5oC
Day 10 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 3 ppm, nitrite 3ppm, temperature 28.5oC (28/12/09)
Day 11 - pH 7.9 Ammonia 3ppm, nitrite 3ppm, temperature 28oC Mature (!) filter media removed as it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I'll let the bacteria build up on the media I got with the filter.

Any idea how I can edit my posts, (I might just be dense and can't see the button!) so I can edit the original post each time to save copying the whole lot each day?

 

[OldMan47]

On the skin that I use, (Board Classic Blue) there is a button at the bottom right side of each post to "edit" the post and there is a "save changes" button in the bottom center after I am done editing. Each skin is laid out a little different because we got them from different vendors.

 

[Hungrydoug]

Ah, tried all the skins but can;t seem to find it. I can't edit my profile either, could these be related? (Sorry for going a bit OT, should this be moved?)

On the skin that I use, (Board Classic Blue) there is a button at the bottom right side of each post to "edit" the post and there is a "save changes" button in the bottom center after I am done editing. Each skin is laid out a little different because we got them from different vendors.

Ah, tried all the skins but can't seem to find it. I can't edit my profile either, could these be related? (Sorry for going a bit OT, should this be moved?)

 

[OldMan47]

On my skin, it has a button at the top right side of the page that says "My Settings". It is on a line right below the calculator but a little left of it. I just went and looked at some of the other skins and do not find all of the buttons on all of the skins. They almost all have an "edit" button near the bottom of each post but many do not have a "My Settings" button that I could find easily. Please try out the skin called "IP.Board classic Blue(Import)" and let me know if you can't find the edit or the My Settings buttons. I may be seeing something that you can't see because I am a MOD. We do have some dummy accounts so that we can be "regular members" to make sure that things are working for everyone, but we thought we had most of the bugs out that way. If there is still a bug, we need to hear about it so that it can be fixed. Just a By-the-way, I am using Mozilla Firefox as my interface but when I use Internet Explorer 8.0 it looks about the same.

 

[Hungrydoug]

Thanks OM47.

Tried all the skins and the only buttons I can see on my posts are <back to top> and <report> in the bottom left and <reply> and <multiquote> in the bottom right.

screen grab

I can change my basic setting in the <my settings> area but when I try to change my profile information I get the following error message:

[#1026] You are not permitted to modify all or some of your profile information.

FYI using Firefox 3.5.6

 

[OldMan47]

Mine is version 3.5.5 so should be about the same. I will report this on the MOD forum and see if there is something you and I are missing. It certainly is not right in my mind.

That was fast, one of the others recognized the pattern. Check your e-mail for a letter from us. It will contain a link that you must follow to properly activate your account. Once you have done that, you should find it much easier to edit posts and your profile.

 

[Hungrydoug]

Ah. Something has happened and I've got the edit button and can update my profile now, thanks to whoever updated something!

First post has been updated to record daily results.

 

[OldMan47]

One of the admins turned on your registration as if you had used that e-mail link. We MODs do not have that same ability, and it is not really needed if you had used the e-mail that is probably in your spam storage.

 

[robbo1987]

just a quick one as im currently cycling a tank myself, when will it be ready? when the readings for ammonia and nitrite drops to zero? or have a got that wrong?

 

[fishyfeet]

no thats right, whats actually happening, is colonys of bacteria are growing on the waste matter in your filter media, two different types, one type lives on ammonia and they produce a waste product called nitrite, so to start with you will have just ammonia readings, (if you add something to create the ammonia, like fish food) as the bacteria grows the amount of nitrite will grow too, in addition different type of bacteria will start to grow, must slower than the other, that feeds on nitrites and produces nitrates as its waste, so there you have it, first you will ammonia, then ammonia and nitrite, then ammonia nitrite and nitrate, then nitrite and nitrates and finally just nitrates which is your tank cycled.

Both ammonia and nitrite will burn your fish and damage internal organs, you cant see it either, so people who say their tank is fine the water is lovely and clear are talking c*** i would add ammonia and test every other day, nitrite will rise and fall thats the one to watch and test for. Also test at the beginning if you do it after a week you wont know if its on its way up or on its way down, as i rough guess most tanks take about 3 weeks from scratch, if you use fish or seeded filter media from some ones tank prob a week tops. di

just reading above your post, you can see from hungrydogs post, ammonia was 4 as nitrite rises ammonia is dropping, then as nitrates rise nitrites drop, his took 15 days, so not a bad guess 3 weeks, di