My Fishless Cycle

[PDSimon]

Unfortunately I have to dose even earlier tonight as i'm working tomorrow morning. Thanks though... May try that on wednesday

I would say 5 days is enough, plant on saturday and put fish on sunday? that would be 6 days. Plants will take some of the bioload away too...

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah I was thinking that. Ok cool, I'll see how it goes. My big water change will be actually a full one (prob same day I add my plants) coz I have to change to sand. That's alright is it?

 

[PDSimon]

I don't see why not, as long as your nitrates aren't too high atm? I've already done 1 full waterchange in this 'third stage' just to clean the water and get rid of 80 ppm of nitrates. Although its not needed until they are ~160 really...

I would advise a 150% water change but seeing as your tanking the substrate out i don't see much point

Just wash the sand quite a bit make sure you really get rid of all the dust and it should settle very quickly (10 mins..)

 

[Twinklecaz]

Cheers. I just need to get a couple of my own buckets so I can start washing. Such a stupid simple thing but I jjst haven't done it yet.

 

[PDSimon]

b&q/homebase £1 per bucket

I used this massive bucket to put all the sand in before I put it in the tank too, but I didn't buy that I just stole it from my dad

 

[JoshuaA]

b&q/homebase £1 per bucket

I used this massive bucket to put all the sand in before I put it in the tank too, but I didn't buy that I just stole it from my dad

If they're removing all the water and changing the substrate just make sure you do the bowl technique so you minimise the amount of sand that gets stirred up.

If you're not familiar put a bowl in the middle of your tank and when you're adding water add it into the bowl and it will slowly over flow, you best of doing this till you'r about 60/75% full of water. Just make sure when you're pouring it it pours on top of the bowl in the water it will defelect the force back up and prevent the sand going everywhere and having a messy tank for an hour or so

 

[Twinklecaz]

Both Ammonia and Nitrite were 0.25 this morning . I dunno if it's coz I messed with my dose hour by too much or what. But anyway, Im gonna see what happens in a few days again.

 

[PDSimon]

Atleast you've had 0! Mine is just going backwards

 

[Twinklecaz]

Lol yeah. It has at least made me more optimistic that it will happen.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Guys I'm thinking of doing something.

As I am nearly there, I'm thinking of doing my large water change, changing to sand and adding my plants now. Is this a good or a bad idea? I mean, I'm thinking that maybe the plants will help the last part of the cycle but is that so? My other concern is that obviously I'll have to keep adding the Ammonia but will this harm the plants? and obviously I'll need to have the light on so will that cause problems?

Finally, obviously 29 degrees is too hot for the plants so would it be ok at this point in the cycle to turn it down to my "fish" temperature or will that hinder things?

 

[Twinklecaz]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!

 

[PDSimon]

Quote from WD "Likewise, there are certainly no rules about when to put plants in. That's totally up for grabs for you to apply any good ideas to. Personally I see somewhere very close to the end of the fishless cycle (even the stage where you've technically qualified but can just "vamp" by adding ammonia for a few days) as minimizing the exposure of the plants to the high ammonia and yet getting the plants in there prior to the fish introduction, since the fish benefit greatly from having hiding places in a new tank, to lower their stress. Moving fish is very stressful to them and as a fishkeeper you will get used to seeing their moving stress drop in a kind of log scale (higher stress first minutes, hours, lowering over the first day or two.. and it varies a lot with species but they all have it to some extent.)"

 

[Twinklecaz]

Ah so really I should just stick to plan a and get the plants one day and fish the next.

Cheers Simon

 

[PDSimon]

Pretty much....

 

[waterdrop]

Plan sounds ok - plants have a wider temperature tolerance -- (sorry not to talk more, must run) WD