Salam
Fish Herder
Wait until it is close to 0 and then re-dose. Have you read the fish-less cycling thread?
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Alm0stAwesome
Fish Aficionado
Just do nothing.
You just wait until it goes fully back down to 0, then dose back up to 3ppm and keep redosing when it goes back to 0. Eventually you will start to see nitrite (this will take a while) and your ammonia will go back to 0 in 12 hours time. Just keep dosing back to 3ppm until you find that your nirite and ammonia readings are both going to 0 in 12 hours for a few days in a row. Then you're done! The day before (or the day of, if you have time) you get your fish do a very big water change (as close to 100% as you can get) and refill with dechlorinated water. Be sure to turn your filter and heater off until you have refilled the tank, you don't want any chlorinated water to get into your filter and kill your bacteria! Make sure the water is at the temperature you want and then you're ready to add fish
This process will take about 6 weeks on average but it can often take more and sometimes less. So stay patient! You'll think that nothing is happening and then all of the sudden your test results will totally change overnight You'll think that you're nitrites are never going to drop, but they will! Nitrite usually takes twice as long to drop as it took for your ammonia to drop.
Edit: and yes, you do REALLY need to read the fishless cycling thread so that you understand what's going on in your tank.
You just wait until it goes fully back down to 0, then dose back up to 3ppm and keep redosing when it goes back to 0. Eventually you will start to see nitrite (this will take a while) and your ammonia will go back to 0 in 12 hours time. Just keep dosing back to 3ppm until you find that your nirite and ammonia readings are both going to 0 in 12 hours for a few days in a row. Then you're done! The day before (or the day of, if you have time) you get your fish do a very big water change (as close to 100% as you can get) and refill with dechlorinated water. Be sure to turn your filter and heater off until you have refilled the tank, you don't want any chlorinated water to get into your filter and kill your bacteria! Make sure the water is at the temperature you want and then you're ready to add fish
This process will take about 6 weeks on average but it can often take more and sometimes less. So stay patient! You'll think that nothing is happening and then all of the sudden your test results will totally change overnight
You'll think that you're nitrites are never going to drop, but they will! Nitrite usually takes twice as long to drop as it took for your ammonia to drop. Edit: and yes, you do REALLY need to read the fishless cycling thread so that you understand what's going on in your tank.
thanks chaps i will have another read and try to understand further. in the meantime i best get some bits ready for when i need to do a big water swap. so i need somthing to treat tap water and someway of getting over 200 litres out my house without any mess.
maybe a long hose and syphon it all out??
maybe a long hose and syphon it all out??
Alm0stAwesome
Fish Aficionado
Yep, a popular water treatment is called Seachem Prime. It's extremely concentrated so it lasts forever. The bottle is more expensive than other brands but it will last you longer so works out cheaper. You'll probably want to get a syringe for dosing it. I use a 5ml syringe to dose my 180L tank and that's more than enough.
As for emptying your tank. Where is it? I've got a "no-buckets" python system that I made myself. It cost me about £35 to get all of the parts for it but it's worth it in my opinion. If you don't want to go that route then a big bucket and a gravel cleaner/syphon kit is all you need (just make sure it comes with a long enough hose for you)! Even if you do decide to make a no-buckets system you should still have a gravel cleaner as you will find you occasionally still need it.
I'll try and find the link to how to make it.
As for emptying your tank. Where is it? I've got a "no-buckets" python system that I made myself. It cost me about £35 to get all of the parts for it but it's worth it in my opinion. If you don't want to go that route then a big bucket and a gravel cleaner/syphon kit is all you need (just make sure it comes with a long enough hose for you)! Even if you do decide to make a no-buckets system you should still have a gravel cleaner as you will find you occasionally still need it.
I'll try and find the link to how to make it.
Salam
Fish Herder
I just wrote a long message and then my internet connection went. Yes, basically what AA said
Alm0stAwesome
Fish Aficionado
[Tutorial] Diy Python System - this one is is probably technically a better system than the one I used (below) but it's a bit more "technical" and I wanted to keep it simple.
How To Make A Diy Python - this is what I use, I really like it but the suction isn't super strong so not much good for cleaning the substrate. This will be different depending on where you are draining to water to, because I'm draining mine into a sink that is quite high, the suction is weaker. I've recently invested in a battery operated gravel cleaner that can "power" the suction OR just suck the dirt into a little mesh bag and not remove any water. I haven't tested it out yet but I'm hoping it will sort out the only "snag" with the system I am using.
Sorry for the information overload...I have a bad habit of doing that haha.
You can just ignore everything above and get yourself one of these and you'll be fine!!
Pets at Home - Large Gravel Cleaner (you can get them cheaper off ebay I imagine)
How To Make A Diy Python - this is what I use, I really like it but the suction isn't super strong so not much good for cleaning the substrate. This will be different depending on where you are draining to water to, because I'm draining mine into a sink that is quite high, the suction is weaker. I've recently invested in a battery operated gravel cleaner that can "power" the suction OR just suck the dirt into a little mesh bag and not remove any water. I haven't tested it out yet but I'm hoping it will sort out the only "snag" with the system I am using.
Sorry for the information overload...I have a bad habit of doing that haha.
You can just ignore everything above and get yourself one of these and you'll be fine!!
Pets at Home - Large Gravel Cleaner (you can get them cheaper off ebay I imagine)
thanks for the links, i have ordered one of the gravel syphons for when i need to do partial changes but for when i drop all the water i will use one of these for ease as i cant be bothered making one
http
/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270963596121
http
/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270963596121
Alm0stAwesome
Fish Aficionado
Hmmm...you have to hook it to an electric drill? Every time you do a weekly water change?
Whatever floats your boat!
Edit: Sorry read that wrong you're going to use the syphon for regular changes. It was getting the 180L tank that made me set up the python system because I do a of minimum of 60L weekly water changes and I didn't fancy hauling 120L of water before I was done!
Whatever floats your boat!
Edit: Sorry read that wrong you're going to use the syphon for regular changes. It was getting the 180L tank that made me set up the python system because I do a of minimum of 60L weekly water changes and I didn't fancy hauling 120L of water before I was done!
Alm0stAwesome
Fish Aficionado
Nice! Good luck
Alm0stAwesome
Fish Aficionado
Looks like you're on the right track, it can take a while for the ammonia to get to 0 that first time but it does look like it's gone down a bit so there is something happening!
7.8 is a good pH for cycling so good news there What temperature do you have you tank at just now? Setting it to 30 will help to speed things along
One more thing, you can save on doing your nitrite tests until your ammonia is dropping to 0, it's similar for nitrate because it won't start appearing until your nitrite is being processed. Just may save you a few pennies on test kits
7.8 is a good pH for cycling so good news there
What temperature do you have you tank at just now? Setting it to 30 will help to speed things along
One more thing, you can save on doing your nitrite tests until your ammonia is dropping to 0, it's similar for nitrate because it won't start appearing until your nitrite is being processed. Just may save you a few pennies on test kits
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