My Fishless Cycle

[Twinklecaz]

Actually no scrap that, the nitrite is 1.00 I think.

 

[Macro]

Hi Twinklecaz,
Are you using the API test kit? If so is Nitrate of 8 a close guess since the card goes 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160. I remember reading a thread about the API Nitrate bottle #2 and it said you need to make sure this is very well shaken. Tap the bottle on the counter firmly a few times and then shake it for at least minute (seriously). I'm not suggesting this is the problem with your ammonia sticking just a different thing that I noticed.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hi yeah, it's just a guess. It looks almost 10 but not quite so I say 8 lol.

Yeah what a pain is that test, Ive only done it a few times. Figure I don't need to do it much yet anyway.

 

[Twinklecaz]

I've put it as 1.00 in my log coz I think it probably is.

Does that mean I'm getting somewhere even though the Ammonia hasn't significantly gone down?

Any suggestions as to why it's slow would still be appreciated. I know I've asked this before but do you think my filter is working properly? I don't know how you'd defnitely tell

 

[Twinklecaz]

Also just ordered some Prime which hopefully will help?

 

[Twinklecaz]

DAY 19:

A - 2.00 PPM............But I definitely think it looks lighter so hopefully it's getting there.


Feeling properly ignored by the way

 

[PDSimon]

has your ammonia been 2 for 10 days?

 

[waterdrop]

DAY 19:

A - 2.00 PPM............But I definitely think it looks lighter so hopefully it's getting there.


Feeling properly ignored by the way

Awww Twinkie, we never ignore you, we just don't always have anything intelligent to say.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Lol I never have anything any intelligent to say

So no-one can shed any light on this? What about the filter thing?

Simon, yeah about that. Though I think it might be shifting overso slightly now.

 

[waterdrop]

Well, I can't figure out what your question is. I confess I looked back through your thread and all looks fairly normal to me. Perhaps the A-Bacs are being a little slow to develop but they're not yet out of line with other cases we've seen.

Wasn't sure if you were maybe referring to sponge or other material from the previous (stingray?) filter and were worried it was clogging the flow?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Twinklecaz]

Oh nooooooo, sorry. No the sponges from the Stingray are floating in the tank but mainly coz I haven't been bothered to take them out again. I don't think they're helping.

No I was worried my new filter wasn't working properly, coz it was almost as if it wasn't processing anything. I thought maybe it was just giving out air and not actually sucking any water to be cleaned in. But I guess it must be working? The water is crystal clear now but would it be anyway at this stage? Nothing to make it dirty!

 

[waterdrop]

OK, I'm going to guess that by "processing" you are referring to the fact that your test results for the nitrogen cycle do not seem to be moving very quickly. Is that what you meant?

If so, then maybe I'm getting the hang of your question better, not sure... Part of the whole reason we have these threads and break things down to discuss process is that it is indeed hard to "see" various results in the traditional "visual" way we instinctively turn to. Biological processing and clear water are different things. Except for bacterial blooms, most fishless cycling tanks will appear to be crystal clear for weeks on end.

Flow rate, "Leak-through" and biological processing are all different things. We do want our filter to be funtioning properly. We don't want it to be clogged and we want its flow rate to be sufficient but usally if you can feel a fairly strong flow at the outlet with your hand, you can feel assured that flow rate is ok. We don't want leak-through (water cheating and getting by the media without being forced to flow closely to it) but we're pretty much at the mercy of the designer and manufacturer for that. Your fluval internal is thought to be quite a good design and most all our members that have commented have really liked them and of course for some of them that's referring to "over a long time," so they're telling us that it all "works" for them over time, which is good! The third thing in my mention here is biological processing and for that we just have to go by the long string of ammonia, nitrite, pH and nitrate test results we build up over time. These numbers tell us the most about how our biological filtration picture is shaping up.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks! Yeah that's what I meant.

Hopefully I'll see some proper results soon.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Day 21:

Ammonia 2.00 ppm

Nitrite 5.00 ppm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is good yeah? Even though my Ammonia is still 2.00 ppm?

I'm surprised at how it shot up like that, I only did the Nitrite a couple of days ago and it was barely 1.00 ppm.

Pearls of wisdom always loved!

 

[waterdrop]

Well there ya go! Since each time one of those bacterial cell splits, you get two that can then split and so on, you get one of those exponential growth charts I'm sure you've seen. Those kind of doublings finally produced enough A-Bacs that their ammonia processing passed in to the test range and right on through and out the top! Now they are producing too much for the test kit to read and to much for the N-Bacs to process into nitrate.

~~waterdrop~~