My Fishless Cycle Log

[lee.barros]

Almost a week now since I started cycling the tank and the Ammonia readings seems to be staying put. I am aware that it does take a while but roughly how long would it be before I see any drops in the Ammonia? The temperature has been at 29-30c since day 1 and air bubbles are present from the Interpet PF2 filter to help water surface agitation.

I will continue to add stats every few days if possible

Cycle Stats ***UPDATED 21/09/2010***

 

[Gvilleguy]

No worries - you are doing great so far. I usually chime in on cycle threads as a "worst case" scenario - it took my tank 26 days for the first ammonia to drop to zero, and 70 days to completely cycle. Most likely you won't run across that - but it can take a few weeks for ammonia to drop off, so don't lose hope yet.

 

[OldMan47]

It is not at all unusual to see it take 2 to 3 weeks for that first drop in ammonia. After that things usually speed up quite a bit.

 

[lee.barros]

Tank is still cycling with the Ammonia around the same level (4ppm) but the tank is starting to smell really bad. Ive turned the heat down a bit. What can be done about the smell or is it just gona have to wait till the water changes?

 

[waterdrop]

A fishless cycling tank should not smell bad at all. Once the aqueous ammonia is dosed, there should be no ammonia smell because the concentration is too small for that. As the nitrogen cycle gets underway there should begin to be a faint smell of fresh garden soil (because the process going on is similar.) A bad smell may indicate something else is wrong, but I don't know what.

Its good that you've mentioned having your temperature up at the warmer setting (I recommend 29C as the best fishless cycling temp) but its better if this is an item in your log data, so we know you are checking it regularly (doesn't have to be every day.) The other piece of data missing is pH and that should be a regular one too. Remind me, your test kits are liquid based, right?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lee.barros]

Thanks waterdrop, the tests are indeed liquid based, API Master Test Kit. The Ammonia is getting lighter on the chart, between 2 and 4 but there are no signs of Nitrite as of yet. Is this normal.

I will adjust the temperature back to around 29 but keep the aeriation off at the moment. I will start to test the PH every day or 2 from now onwards, what should the PH ideally be at?

 

[OldMan47]

You are right on track with your cycle. You have a tank at less than 2 weeks that is showing a small drop in ammonia concentration but not much else yet. Since most cycles take a full 2 weeks to get to zero the first time on ammonia, you are right on track. After the first time, each subsequent drop to zero will take far less time. The second time may take as little as 2 days and the next one only a day. Things move fast once the bacteria start to become established.

 

[waterdrop]

If you chart speed of bacterial growth across pH its a curve. As you go upward of a pH of 7 it gets better and peaks at 8.0 to 8.4 and then drops back off. As you pass downward from pH 6.6 it gets much slower, stalling at 6.2 at which point and below we call it a crash. A crash is actually supposed to be a reaction by the bacteria to the rapidity of the ph drop, if given many weeks they would recover and function slowly, even down in the 6.0 range.

As a new fishless cycler its important to be aware that adjusting pH is not something we particularly like to do. When things get bad we first try some large water changes, hoping that the higher pH and some mineral content will be enough help. If it doesn't then there are some things we can do.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lee.barros]

Updated the cycle stats (Link in the first post).

Regarding the tank decorations, I seen some bogwood in the local pet shop, is it a simple case of just adding it to the tank or does it affect the water quality?

 

[waterdrop]

Normal practice is to submerge the bogwood in a large container of tap water for a few weeks, observing the degree of yellow/brown tea colored tannins are released. With some wood you can get it so that you know a weekly water change will keep the yellow away. Some wood will quickly go down to almost no tannin release while others will continue to release throughout the time you have them. Its best to try and get the worst of it out before you put it in the tank.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lee.barros]

Thanks again waterdrop for your advice

I am having an issue with the tank, there is a lot of condensation gathering at the top of the tank (In the hood) and everytime I lift it up all the water drips down the back of the tank and onto the floor, is there anyway to reduce this to stop water going down the back?

The cycle itself has now been going on for nearly 3 weeks and the ammonia is not lowering, from what I can distinguish on the charts that came with the test kit. Am I doing anything wrong?

 

[waterdrop]

Tanks can have very different setups at the top. There are condensation lids that can be placed between the lighting lid and the water surface. In one of our tanks the upper rim of the tank has a lip that runs along the inside of the tank. On that lip I have a glass lid that is divided in to two pieces and has a hinge so that I can raise it up to feed the fish. The lights are then up above this and not connected to the glass lid. The condensation on the glass lid just drips in to the tank and if you lift the hinged part the water just runs in to the tank because the whole lid is below the rim-line.

There are other tanks I remember where a plastic condensation lid would be suspended from the frong and back rim of the tank but would drop down and be lower than the rim-line, meanwhile the lighting would sit suspended on the side rims of the tank.

The members may know about some condensation trays that would work for you...

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lee.barros]

The tank temperature is around 29c, so once the cycle has finished this can be turned down which might result in a decrease in condensation. The tank does have a plastic tray that separates the water from the hood from splashes, but its only have the size of the tank itself from front to back. Maybe a full sized one would help.

The cycling itself, doesnt seem to be doing anything, Ammonia is still around 3-4ppm, no sign of Nitrites and the pH is around the 8 mark on the test card (Blue colour). Is it case of waiting for the filter to work its magic? Ohh, should the filter still have the carbon foam pad in it? Ive read some where that people take it out and replace it with another normal foam pad?

Cheers again!

 

[waterdrop]

Does anybody else think maybe we should review all the components here? Lee, what type of filter and what other media besides the carbon foam pad (which you can leave for now and change much later after the cycle is over at some point.) What is the flow rate of the filter and the aquarium volume? Are you getting good circulaton? What was the exact brand of ammonia and did you observe any foaming when shaken?

WD

 

[lee.barros]

The filter is an Interpet PF2, it came with the tank which has a 64l capacity. The filter contains 1 normal foam pad, 1 carbon foam pad and what looks like a small basket of ceramic biomedia just before the impeller. If you Google Interpet PF2 then u can get the exact details of the media in the filter. I can't get full access to the net just now so sorry for making you search for it

The flow rate should be sufficient as it is for tanks up to 90l (i think).

Ohh, before I forget, I have ordered plants for the tank, should I remove some water when putting the plants in then replace with treated tap water? Or will this mess up the readings?

Cheers!