Kporteo's Fishless Cycles.....taaaake 3!

[kporteo]

Right, ive cleaned my tank down, bought new gravel, filters and backing, filled the water, brought it up to temperature and added ammonia to get 5ppm, added my filters that have been quite happy sitting amongst my biorb filter media for the past week and ive chucked some biorb ceramic media in for luck!!!

There is NADA i could have done more to help this cycling work, so fingers crossed this is a lucky post!!!
Il get hubby to upload some pics of my new tank design, cos I dont know how!!!

K

 

[Gvilleguy]

K - good luck with everything! Sounds like you've made a good start. The important thing is patience. Depending on your local water quality, it can take a long time to cycle, even with a little established media help.

 

[kporteo]

Here are the photos, hope you all like!

Was as patient as I could be on my first go, after 6 weeks of still getting 4ppm reading on ammonia we realised something wasn't right!

 

[Gvilleguy]

Interesting backdrop - is that inside or outside the tank?

 

[kporteo]

Inside, its a Juwel decor, theres loads of different types you can get.
K

 

[anon02]

Are those lights on your decor K ?

 

[kporteo]

The little glass stones? Theyre from pets at home, think they were 6 quid for a box of them, all they are are sparkly glass stones, but they pick up the light fantastic, and anything that sparkles makes me happy!!!
K

 

[Gvilleguy]

They do look like lights...

 

[anon02]

The little glass stones? Theyre from pets at home, think they were 6 quid for a box of them, all they are are sparkly glass stones, but they pick up the light fantastic, and anything that sparkles makes me happy!!!
K

It`s all very Zen, I can just picture a wizened old Shaolin monk sitting in the lotus position contemplating it

(I`ve only been off the meds 2 days LoL)

 

[kporteo]

I think id go back on them, if being off the meds is causing you to see Shaolin Monks!!!!!!
I love the look of the tank, want some long grass type plants around the back, behind the tall slate stack and a few smaller plants in the middle, but i dont want to add my plants till its cycled.

K

 

[anon02]

I also love the look,

I would like to see a few patches of a moss type plant at the base of the stones and maybe a few strands of vallis right at the back to give it some depth and keep everything in perspective

 

[kporteo]

Yeah, Vallis is the type of plant i mean when i say long grass!!!
I love moss balls too so may have a couple of them on the bottom somewhere. But as i say, plants are my treats once the beast has cycled!!
K

 

[anon02]

Yeah, Vallis is the type of plant i mean when i say long grass!!!
I love moss balls too so may have a couple of them on the bottom somewhere. But as i say, plants are my treats once the beast has cycled!!
K

Yeah I`m cycling too, both tanks

I`ve cheated, after reading the plants section I decided to go with artificials, I couldn`t be bothered with handling all the stuff that goes with live plants, it`s a whole hobby in itself

I have an added disadvantage, my tanks will be designed by committee (until the better half loses interest). I prefer the natural look like your tank and she has suggested things like a treasure chest and a ceramic frog holding a no fishing sign (now where did I put that vallium)

 

[kporteo]

hmmmmm, may end up with artificial still yet! My tank's in my living room, so its been decorated to work as an ornament as well as a functional fishy house!
My hubby has said its my baby and he doesnt want anything to do with the tank...... until we walk into a pet shop, and hes all "we should get one of those" "i dont think that would go in our tank" !!!
So long as i get final say on the inhabitants!
K

 

[kporteo]

My ammonia levels are verrrry slowly dropping, last night they were down to 1.5ppm ish and this morning i tested Nitrite and id say that the level was 0.125ppm - I am soooo chuffed!!!

K