Jen's Forgotten Forest

[NickAu]

Its some Hornwort I got from LFS

 

[Jen]

This was my jungle in my old 90.

I'm a big fan of the style. I was hoping to keep this one more clean, but we'll see what it turns into.

 

[NickAu]

I like that.

 

[thrujenseyes]

This was my jungle in my old 90.

(hmmm. image links don't work right now. Strange)

I'm a big fan of the style. I was hoping to keep this one more clean, but we'll see what it turns into.

For the time being http://imgur.com/jHm8TBP

OMG that was beautiful! What was that carpeting plant in the front center?!

 

[Jen]

OMG that was beautiful! What was that carpeting plant in the front center?!

That is Hydrocotyle verticillata, one of my favourites. Once it is happy it never stops spreading.

 

[thrujenseyes]

That is Hydrocotyle verticillata, one of my favourites. Once it is happy it never stops spreading.

OMG I love it! I've never seen that before!

 

[Jen]

I'm stumped. My nitrates seem to be dropping, but my nitrites are going back up. Ammonia has been 0 for 4 days. I fed my snack dose yesterday, ammonia is back to 0 but the nitrites went back up after a small drop. Nitrates made a huge drop from 15 to 10 two days ago. Should I worry?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nitrates can't go down, unless you do a water change or have some sort of denitrification process happening in your tank...

More likely is that the nitrate reading is a bit unreliable.

The nitrite... how high is it? I'd wait three days before adding any more ammonia and see where the nitrite is.



When in doubt... a water change is always an option. Probably unnecessary, but won't do much harm, and put back any of the micronutrients needed for a cycle back into the tank... and might kick start it again.

 

[Jen]

it's so hard to read. The difference between 2 and 5 nitrite is so minute and/or my eyes don't see a difference. Today nitrate looks closer to 5 and the other day it was definitely darker.

I just added all those plants in... could they effect it?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Plants will use ammonium and nitrate, but won't use nitrite.

 

[thrujenseyes]

a little trick I learned here is to always view the test kit colors in daylight against white paper with your back to the sun. I stand with my back to my sliding glass door in my kitchen.
It's helped me tons! Those darn shades in the API kits are so similar.

 

[Jen]

Plants will use ammonium and nitrate, but won't use nitrite.

Ok. I then I'm not concerned anymore. NitrAte drop is accounted for and nirtItes have probably been misreads. Thanks!!

 

[Jen]

Woot woot!! I do believe I'm cycled!

What a change from 2 days ago!

Edit: reread the rules and added my dose 4 tonight and fingers crossed for 0s tomorrow!!

 

[thrujenseyes]

NICE!!!! Congrats!!!!

 

[Jen]

OMG hubbs is so excited that we are officially cycled. Its been a looong 23 days for him (even though he was gone for half of that) and reminding him that this was quite a fast cycle comparatively did nothing to make the wait worth it for him. I half expect him to come home tonight with a bag full of fish lol