Rio 400 Cycle Log

[Overload]

So new tank arrived, filter moved from Bucket Cycle so here is the log!

Equipment list:
Juwel RIO 400
Eagle Aquatic HW-304 external filter with mature media and additional fuval bio max ceramic rings
Fluval 405 external filter
Powerhead from Bioflow 8 filter
Fluval E300 heater (set to 30C)
Juwel 300w Heater (as came with RIO 400)
API Master Test kit
Declorinator - Aquacare water conditioner (initial fill only)/ Seachem Prime
Ammonia - Boots household ammonia

Tap Water stats:
GH 14
KH 14
PH 7.4
Ammonia 0-0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40

Current ideas for stocking is:

20 Black Bar Endlers
15-20 5-Banded Barb
20 Tetra (Rummynose or Cardinals)
20 Corys (Venezuela's, Pandas or Bronze, possibly 2 groups of 10)
3 (1M, 2F) Pearl Gourami
3 (1M, 2F) Cockatoo Cichlid
2 Apple Snails
Cherry Shrimp (unsure of numbers maybe start with 10 see if the fish will tolerate them)
2 (1M, 1F) Bristlenosed Catfish

Time and Date~~~~PH~Ammo~NO2~NO3~~~Notes
19:00 10/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia (5ppm)
19:00 11/09/2011 ~ 7.8 ~~ 0 ~~~~ 5 ~~ 80-160 ~ Dosed with 8.5ml Ammonia (2ppm)
17:45 12/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 5 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 8.5ml Ammonia
19:00 13/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 12.6ml Ammonia (3ppm)
19:00 14/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 16.8ml Ammonia (4ppm)
22:00 14/09/2011 ~ Set up and started Fluval 405 filter , removed powerhead
19:00 15/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia (5ppm)
19:00 16/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 17/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0.5-1 ~ 2 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 17/09/2011 ~ 7.4 ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ 80-160 ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 18/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0.25 ~~ 1 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 18/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 19/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0.5 ~ ~~ ~
19:00 19/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 20/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Start of Qualifying week
19:00 20/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 21/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 21/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 22/09/2011 ~ 6.8 ~~ 0 ~~~~ 2 ~~ 160+ ~
14:00 22/09/2011 ~ 6.2 ~~ ~ ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ PH Crashing - Full water change
21:00 22/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
08:30 23/09/2011 ~ 7.5 ~~ 0.5 ~~ 0 ~~ 80 ~ Also checked GH (12) & KH (12)
19:00 23/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 24/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 24/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 25/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 25/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 26/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 26/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 27/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~
19:00 27/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Dosed with 21ml Ammonia
07:00 28/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ 0 ~~~~ 0 ~~ ~~ ~
16:00 28/09/2011 ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Added plants on temp basis pre aquascaping

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Sorry to put this mate but your filter wont turn over water as much as you want. your filter does 900lph with media which gives you a turn over just over 2. Fot a big tank like yours with plants yuo want al least 5. The filter can cope with bio load so maybe a decent powerhead to move the water would be an idea

 

[Overload]

Sorry to put this mate but your filter wont turn over water as much as you want. your filter does 900lph with media which gives you a turn over just over 2. Fot a big tank like yours with plants yuo want al least 5. The filter can cope with bio load so maybe a decent powerhead to move the water would be an idea

I am using the powerhead from the bioflow 8 filter that came with the tank to keep things moving for now, however I do have a Fluval 405 due to arrive this week.

I am hoping that running both the HW-304 and the 405 in tandem will give enough turnover without an extra powerhead. Or do you think I might still need one?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Hmm i would estimate the to filters will flow approx 1500LPH which gives you 3.75 turn over which is much better. I would see how you go 1st

 

[Overload]

Cool, will see how it flow is ones its all set up.

Also I am switching decolrinator to Prime as the bottle of the other stuff is almost empty and it takes 100ml to dose the tank!

 

[BigbruiserAl]

yep prime will be 10ml for you tank so thats 50 water changes

 

[Aqua Tom]

I have the same tank sitting in my garage, It came with a Fluval FX5 which is to be honest, bloody massive, its like a dustbin & holds 2 gallons of water. It has circulation rate of 563 us gallons or 2130 litres per hour, it is massively overfiltered but wth, it came free with the tank.

I am quite looking forward to when I finaly do the tank change over. I probably wont need a circulation pump for my plants anymore.

Tom

 

[Overload]

I have the same tank sitting in my garage, It came with a Fluval FX5 which is to be honest, bloody massive, its like a dustbin & holds 2 gallons of water. It has circulation rate of 563 us gallons or 2130 litres per hour, it is massively overfiltered but wth, it came free with the tank.

I am quite looking forward to when I finaly do the tank change over. I probably wont need a circulation pump for my plants anymore.

Tom

If I was getting a new filter for this it would be an FX5, but I had the HW-304 already and the 405 was cheap. Still if I see a bargain FX5 I would not turn it down! lol

 

[Overload]

Double zeros already! WOW the bucket cycle really has spead this up.

405 should be here tomorrow, hopefully I can take the powerhead out then.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Double zeros already! WOW the bucket cycle really has spead this up.

405 should be here tomorrow, hopefully I can take the powerhead out then.

Test, test & test again. Lets make sure those 0,0's are true.


Tom

 

[Overload]

Double zeros already! WOW the bucket cycle really has spead this up.

405 should be here tomorrow, hopefully I can take the powerhead out then.

Test, test & test again. Lets make sure those 0,0's are true.


Tom

Yep, its still stage 2 only clearing 2ppm in 24 hours, given it 3ppm today

 

[Aqua Tom]

 

[HayzH]

Double zeros already! WOW the bucket cycle really has spead this up.

405 should be here tomorrow, hopefully I can take the powerhead out then.

Test, test & test again. Lets make sure those 0,0's are true.


Tom

yayyy..i had double 0's as well this morning on Tank 2...popped it back up to 3ppm...will see where we are in an hours time..lol (the rate my day is going..i dont hold out much hope )

 

[Overload]

Another day, another set of double zeros, dose upto 4ppm, looks good for 12 hour checking by the end of the week!

 

[Overload]

2nd filter now up and running, removed the powerhead. E300 seems happy with the flow but will keep an eye on it. Amazing how much gunk came out of the 405 when it started up, hopefully that wont effect the other filter much and the cycle will stay on track