I Was Once A Marine Tank....

[Morpheus1972]

Thanks Oldman47 for that info.
I have an API Ammonia test kit, thats what i used yesterday. The other kits are salifert.
Is 500g of the Biomax rings enough they sit at the very bottom of my sump right ?
Morph

 

[Morpheus1972]

Day 2 of my cycle and my ammonia level is still at 4. Should it have started to drop yet ?

Morph

 

[Xraymark]

Usually takes 2 weeks. Can be less, can be longer.
It's a waiting game.

 

[littlenemo]

mine took 10 days to drop from 5 to 0 ppm added ammonia again yesterday and its alread back dwn to 2 ppm in just one day.
morph. i was the same i bought all my stuff to set my tank up as marine but looking into cost i decided on freshwater. i just converted my sump to fresh water. first compartment is filter pads and wool 2nd to are bio balls and hundreds of the buggers. the last one with return pump has wool and carbon.
plus a canister filter in the sump

 

[Morpheus1972]

Thanks folks,
Ill play the waiting game now then

 

[Morpheus1972]

Im considering half play sand half gravel, from reading the forum i understand i cant put sand on top of the gravel, but could i do half and half...ie...back of tank gravel, front sand ?

Morph

 

[Westwood]

You can do half and half, but it may still will mix.

Westwood

 

[Morpheus1972]

Update 23/01/12
Removed all the gravel, and replaced with playsand from Argos...What a steal that was, under £3 for a 15kg bag.
Added sand but water still looks really cloudy...Hope it clears up soon

Temp 72
Ammonia 4ppm

Morph

 

[Xraymark]

Yeah cycling sucks.

 

[littlenemo]

hey morpheus hows the sump tank project coming on???

 

[Morpheus1972]

Hi Littlenemo,

Im getting there buddy, ordered more bioballs and sponges, Still hopefull that i dont need to put another filter in my sump, I have access to a fluval 405 but think that will be a bit exessive !

Cycle process is slow...Ammonia still sitting at 4ppm

 

[littlenemo]

yer it is slow mate took 12 days for mine to get to 0. i then added plants and driftwood and took 5 days now its taking aroun 3 days so just waiting for nitrites to drop which takes twice as long

 

[Morpheus1972]

yer it is slow mate took 12 days for mine to get to 0. i then added plants and driftwood and took 5 days now its taking aroun 3 days so just waiting for nitrites to drop which takes twice as long

Ahhhh, was wondering how long i had to wait before adding plants ?

Morph

 

[littlenemo]

just put them in mate it will help with the cycle. as plants will absorb ammonia

 

[Xraymark]

Hmm. I would problably leave the plants to the end of the cycle. You want the bacteria to chew on the ammonia not the plants. Keeps it simple.
I would put them in when you do that large water change at he end of the cycle. Easy to plant. Just my two pence.