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My Cycling Journal

today's results....

29/09/2007 (20:00)
pH 7.8
Ammonia 0 8) 8) 8) - added 4ppm
Nitrite 2 - think still off the scale.

So now that 4ppm of Ammonia are being processed within 24 hours, I'm just waiting for the Nitrite to drop.

I checked with my test strips and that shows the Nitrite to be 10+ rather than the 2 on the API liquid tests.
 
Just diluted 5mls of tank water with 1000 mls (1 litre of tap water) and got a reading of 0.5ppm of Nitrite.

As my tap water has 0 Nitrite (tested) then that should work out to be 100ppm of Nitrite wow
 
Nick Sw said:
rabbut said:
Nitrate can also act to lower GH, further adding to problems. OP, GH holds your pH on a stable fixed value, so as the large amount of nitrates build up, the GH lowers, and the pH closely follows. To prevent a pH crash and cycle stall, you need to add hardness to the water, to keep the pH above 6, preferable above 7. The easyest way I have found to do this is to add Bicarbonate of soda. Waterchanges are an option, but they can slow a cycle due to the fact that ammonia and nitrite are reduced. Ammonia is not a problem, as you can add more, but nirtite cannot be "topped up".
HTH
rabbut
Click to expand...

Hi Rabbut , I think your getting your KH and GH mixed up.
This might help. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/water_chemistry.php
Click to expand...

So I have :blush: It was clear in my head, must have posted in a rush without proof-reading :rolleyes: Please read KH in place of GH :good:
Appologies
rabbut
 
Today's readings...

01/10/2007 (20:00)
Ammonia 0 - now topped back upto 4ppm
pH 7.8
Nitrite on my calculations has dropped a bit and is between 50 & 100ppm. So that's going down. 8)

Hopefully, fishies this weekend :)
 
Today's results

Ammonia 0 - back upto 4ppm
pH 7.8
Nitrite ~25 on my calculations. 250mls with 5mls of tank water with ~0.5ppm showing up

At this rate my plain tank water should be down to low levels tomorrow if not 0!

Fishies this weekend i think 8)
 
SexyFishKeeper said:
At this rate my plain tank water should be down to low levels tomorrow if not 0!

Fishies this weekend i think 8)
Click to expand...

from my experience, never get your hopes up like that!

mine was running like yours then it all stalled and 3 full water changes down the line it still hasn't finnised! :(
 
Cool, so just keep feeding your new family of bacteria then, get fishies, massive water change & in they gooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. :good:

But I guess you knew that!

Well done!

Andy
 
SexyFishKeeper said:
OH YES, **DANCING**

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
pH 7.8

OH YES, FISHIES TIME

FISHLESS CYCLING ROCKS!

:good: :yahoo: :thanks: :drinks: :cool: :cake: 8) :hooray: :band: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: B) B) B) B)
Click to expand...


Wow!!!! Congratulation …How many days it took you to cycle your tank? I think it would be better if you just summarize for us who are still struggling with this fishless cycling thing. I would like to read your practical experience. What obstacles you faced along the way?

I would like to know
1. The actual number of days?
2. The size of the tank
3. The temperature kept all the time
4. Amount of ammonia used
5. The kind of filter used.
6. The kind of filter media
7. The max level of nitrite reached before it went to 0
 
Good idea LynnJ.

My top tip would be to get some mature filter media from the off. Don't bother with filter squeezes as that doesn't work (or didn't for me) and use Ammonia in a bottle like from Boots in the UK.

I started using Prawns and that worked to bring up the Ammonia but felt that it was better to use Ammonia in a bottle as the injection of Ammonia would be instantaneous.

I got my tank in August, first signs of Ammonia was present on 01/09/2007 for when I started to record and daily test. So on that basis it took about about 33 days once Ammonia showed up. Although, that was speeded up by the addition of mature filter media.
The size of my tank is 180 ltrs and is a Juwel Vision 180, with a temp of 32C kept.

When the pH dropped low I added bicarb of soda to raise it back up again - a few tea spoons full did the trick.

The full results of my testing is...

----DATE--------pH------Ammonia--------Nitrite--------Nitrate------Notes
01/09/2007-----6.6---------1----------------0--------------0----------Previously added about 4 frozen prawns
02/09/2007-----6.6---------1----------------0--------------0----------None
03/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------None
05/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------None
06/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------None
07/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------Added 3 more prawns
08/09/2007=================NO TEST================
09/09/2007-----6.8---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
10/09/2007=================NO TEST================
11/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
12/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
13/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
14/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------Added filter squeeze around this time from LFS
15/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
16/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
17/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
18/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
19/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
20/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
21/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0.5-----------10----------Inserted mature filter sponge the day before
22/09/2007-----7.0---------2----------------0.5-----------20----------Added 2ppm of Ammonia
23/09/2007-----7.0---------2----------------2.0-----------40----------Added 2ppm of Ammonia
24/09/2007-----6.8---------1----------------2.0-----------40----------Added 3ppm of Ammonia
25/09/2007-----6.4---------1------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 3ppm of Ammonia
26/09/2007-----6.2---------1------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 3ppm of Ammonia
27/09/2007-----6.2---------3------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------None
28/09/2007-----7.4---------2------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added BiCarb of Sode to raise pH
29/09/2007-----7.8---------0------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
30/09/2007-----7.8---------0------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
01/10/2007-----7.8---------0---------------100-------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
02/10/2007-----7.8---------0----------------25--------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
03/10/2007-----7.8---------0---------------20---------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
04/10/2007-----7.8---------0----------------0----------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
 
SexyFishKeeper said:
Good idea LynnJ.

My top tip would be to get some mature filter media from the off. Don't bother with filter squeezes as that doesn't work (or didn't for me) and use Ammonia in a bottle like from Boots in the UK.

I started using Prawns and that worked to bring up the Ammonia but felt that it was better to use Ammonia in a bottle as the injection of Ammonia would be instantaneous.

I got my tank in August, first signs of Ammonia was present on 01/09/2007 for when I started to record and daily test. So on that basis it took about about 33 days once Ammonia showed up. Although, that was speeded up by the addition of mature filter media.
The size of my tank is 180 ltrs and is a Juwel Vision 180, with a temp of 32C kept.

When the pH dropped low I added bicarb of soda to raise it back up again - a few tea spoons full did the trick.

The full results of my testing is...

----DATE--------pH------Ammonia--------Nitrite--------Nitrate------Notes
01/09/2007-----6.6---------1----------------0--------------0----------Previously added about 4 frozen prawns
02/09/2007-----6.6---------1----------------0--------------0----------None
03/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------None
05/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------None
06/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------None
07/09/2007-----6.6---------2----------------0--------------0----------Added 3 more prawns
08/09/2007=================NO TEST================
09/09/2007-----6.8---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
10/09/2007=================NO TEST================
11/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
12/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
13/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
14/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------Added filter squeeze around this time from LFS
15/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
16/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
17/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
18/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
19/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
20/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0--------------0----------None
21/09/2007-----7.0---------4----------------0.5-----------10----------Inserted mature filter sponge the day before
22/09/2007-----7.0---------2----------------0.5-----------20----------Added 2ppm of Ammonia
23/09/2007-----7.0---------2----------------2.0-----------40----------Added 2ppm of Ammonia
24/09/2007-----6.8---------1----------------2.0-----------40----------Added 3ppm of Ammonia
25/09/2007-----6.4---------1------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 3ppm of Ammonia
26/09/2007-----6.2---------1------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 3ppm of Ammonia
27/09/2007-----6.2---------3------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------None
28/09/2007-----7.4---------2------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added BiCarb of Sode to raise pH
29/09/2007-----7.8---------0------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
30/09/2007-----7.8---------0------------Off Scale----Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
01/10/2007-----7.8---------0---------------100-------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
02/10/2007-----7.8---------0----------------25--------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
03/10/2007-----7.8---------0---------------20---------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
04/10/2007-----7.8---------0----------------0----------Off Scale-------Added 4ppm of Ammonia
Click to expand...


Thanks ...This is good and from your chart I have learn few new things.
 
A picture speaks a million words:

CyclingGraph.gif



Note: where things have gone off the scale, I have used a bit of, shall we say, artisitc licence. Naughty I know :blush:

Also worthy of note is that Nitrites appear at the same time as Nitrates. Unusual that.

Andy
 
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