Newbie

[buddha1972]

Great forum folks, especially the part on fishless cycling which i knew nothing about and has been a godsend, tank is starting to cycle now. pic attached.

 

[Uriel]

If you don't have any live plants. Which by the picture I'm guessing you don't. Don't run lights during fishless cycle to avoid getting algea. Nice tank

 

[buddha1972]

If you don't have any live plants. Which by the picture I'm guessing you don't. Don't run lights during fishless cycle to avoid getting algea. Nice tank

All plastic plants, thanks for the tip, i'll keep them off.

 

[Skins]

If you don't have any live plants. Which by the picture I'm guessing you don't. Don't run lights during fishless cycle to avoid getting algea. Nice tank

All plastic plants, thanks for the tip, i'll keep them off.

Your tank looks very nice, what are your stocking plans?

Keith.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Cool looking tank.

What are your stats now?

 

[buddha1972]

Skins, i haven't really planned my stocks too much yet, any recommendations?

Aqua Tom, i've only tested ph and ammonia so far with ph 7.6 and ammonia dropping from 5ppm to 2-3ppm in 3 days.

 

[waterdrop]

Sometimes the very initial ammonia drop is not due to the bacteria but instead to some absorbsion in the tank, gravel and filter I believe. Often in those cases it will drop a few ppm and then seem to get stuck. In general though we see the first drop of ammonia to zero ppm around the end of the first week. Sometimes it takes two weeks or even three but we've only seen a very few cases of three weeks before the first drop of ammonia.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[buddha1972]

cheers waterdrop, latest ammonia test shows a drop to between .50 and 1 ppm.

 

[buddha1972]

latest ammonia test is between 0 and 0.25ppm.

 

[Warehouse]

Wow, that's quick. How long have you been running the filter for and did you use any mature filters?

 

[buddha1972]

Ran the filter for about 3 days before i added the ammonia. No mature media added.

 

[Skins]

Ran the filter for about 3 days before i added the ammonia. No mature media added.

Your going to have to start testing for nitrites

Keith.

 

[buddha1972]

Latest ammonia test was zero so topped up the ammonia. Just did the nitrite test, came out a bright pink?

 

[waterdrop]

Sounds like you've got some A-Bacs and things are moving! I don't know the Nutrafin test result colors, you'll have to look at your chart for that. WD

 

[buddha1972]

Im using the API master test kit which shows purple at 5ppm for nitrites, tested again today and the pink isn't so shocking now lol. ammonia test is between 2 and 3 ppm.