Sensesfail Tank Journal

[SensesFail]

I really hope it works for you this time!!!
K

I really hope so for the amount of money and time iv invested into it. What more can i do other than maybe buy a complete new filter but again thats more expense If it took your tank 13 days for the initial dose of ammonia to drop after seeding it i have another week to go. ill be worried after that if i still have nothing!

My Ph is currently 7.5 in the tank is it worth raising this or just leaving it?

 

[kporteo]

sorry, the single thing I didn't have an issue with was my pH so i have no learning at all on it and cycling! Everything else.....well that's a different story!!
Waterdrop's definitely my saviour - fingers crossed he'l be along soon enough!!
K

 

[SensesFail]

Well yesterday night I got my first Nigeria readings like ever! Mature media added last Monday.

Sundays resuts:
Ammonia nearer 1.2
Nitrite = 0.3
nitrate = 5-10

Monday night
Ammonia = 1
nitrate = very pink all test comparisons look dark s
Nitrite = 3.0

I have added ammonia to top back to around 4-5ppm is this ok? What next just wait till that drops? When will I need to do a water change? I understand high amounts of nitrate stall things?

Cheers guys progress seems to be showing hopefully it continues!!

 

[anon02]

Soon you will see a sharp rise in nitrite as the a bacs process the ammonia into nitrite before there are sufficient n bacs to process the nitrite into nitrate (the nitrite spike)

When that happens you can reduce the ammonia dose to 2 - 3ppm to reduce the amount of nitrate produced, which is undesirable in large amounts

 

[SensesFail]

Soon you will see a sharp rise in nitrite as the a bacs process the ammonia into nitrite before there are sufficient n bacs to process the nitrite into nitrate (the nitrite spike)

When that happens you can reduce the ammonia dose to 2 - 3ppm to reduce the amount of nitrate produced, which is udesirable in large amounts

Akk I added ammonia to take my tank to between 3.5 and 4ppm before I got the reply. When it next drops to around 1 shall I just dose to 2-3? Will I need to do a water change at any point with nitrates becoming very high or do I just hold my horses and wait for the nitrite to drop?

 

[anon02]

It`s usual to let ammonia and nitrite drop to zero at 24 hours with nitrite off the chart at the 12 hour test before reducing the dose

You shouldn`t need to do a water change unless your pH starts to drop to 6.2ish. You may get trace nitrite hanging around at the end of the cycle and a water change can cure this

Edit
Just looked in my journal, you should reduce the dose as soon as nitrite goes off the chart. I had the benefit of a little mature media so it was more a coincidence that both toxins zeroed out at 24 hours for me

 

[SensesFail]

It`s usual to let ammonia and nitrite drop to zero at 24 hours with nitrite off the chart at the 12 hour test before reducing the dose

You shouldn`t need to do a water change unless your pH starts to drop to 6.2ish. You mat get trace nitrite hanging around at the end of the cycle and a water change can cure this

Edit
Just looked in my journal, you should reduce the dose as soon as nitrite goes off the chart. I had the benefit of a little mature media so it was more a coincidence that both toxins zeroed out at 24 hours for me

I tested again at 9am (9pm being the previous time) my readings are:

Ammonia: 1.5ish
Nitrite = 3.3 which is off my colour scale (nutrafin test kits)
Nitrate = very pinky
Ph = 7.5

Now its not going to be test time until 9pm will the ammonia be ok left until then or will I need to top up? Or just wait and see if it's 0 come 9pm. What happened if it dropped at say 3pm that would mean the tank would be left for 6hrs ammonia less? Im probe just worrying over nothing just at this point in time I don't want to break it! I have nitrite! Lol

 

[SensesFail]

It`s usual to let ammonia and nitrite drop to zero at 24 hours with nitrite off the chart at the 12 hour test before reducing the dose

You shouldn`t need to do a water change unless your pH starts to drop to 6.2ish. You mat get trace nitrite hanging around at the end of the cycle and a water change can cure this

Edit
Just looked in my journal, you should reduce the dose as soon as nitrite goes off the chart. I had the benefit of a little mature media so it was more a coincidence that both toxins zeroed out at 24 hours for me

I tested again at 9am (9pm being the previous time) my readings are:

Ammonia: 1.5ish
Nitrite = 3.3 which is off my colour scale (nutrafin test kits)
Nitrate = very pinky
Ph = 7.5

Now its not going to be test time until 9pm will the ammonia be ok left until then or will I need to top up? Or just wait and see if it's 0 come 9pm. What happened if it dropped at say 3pm that would mean the tank would be left for 6hrs ammonia less? Im probe just worrying over nothing just at this point in time I don't want to break it! I have nitrite! Lol

I also have have waterlife bacterlife which is for when you get high nitrite levels to drop them quicker is it wor using this eventually or just throwing it after my experiences with biomature!! Just spotted a bottle of it in my cupboard which I bought for when the bio mature was at this stage lol

 

[anon02]

The tank will be fine if left till your usual dosing time

 

[kporteo]

Your first zero!!!
My tank's doing fab, still only got the tetras cos i dont want to travel up to the fish shop in this weather!!
K

 

[SensesFail]

Your first zero!!!
My tank's doing fab, still only got the tetras cos i dont want to travel up to the fish shop in this weather!!
K

I know it's exciting onto stage 2 now! waiting for the nitrites to drop now lol. My LFS can get me syno petricolas but I have a feeling they will be the wrong type l I had better take a pic when the time comes lol hopefully have some fish b4 Xmas! But we will see have loads of stuff and sand to change the tank once it's all cycled

What fish u getting next?

 

[kporteo]

Gonna get 3 Albino bristlenose plecs, need some hoovers!!
K

 

[waterdrop]

Hi SF, Sorry I have had a lot of interruptions, off to conferences and other things that have kept me off the boards. It looks like K is celebrating that you've made some progress. I hope you feel things are moving along a little better now. Your's certainly has been one of the most stubborn fishless cycles in recent memory (if you want to see another stubborn one, but one that finally made it you can search for one by member martinking (if I'm remembering right.) Anyway just checking in and I guess you are in the nitrite spike stage now?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[SensesFail]

Hi SF, Sorry I have had a lot of interruptions, off to conferences and other things that have kept me off the boards. It looks like K is celebrating that you've made some progress. I hope you feel things are moving along a little better now. Your's certainly has been one of the most stubborn fishless cycles in recent memory (if you want to see another stubborn one, but one that finally made it you can search for one by member martinking (if I'm remembering right.) Anyway just checking in and I guess you are in the nitrite spike stage now?

~~waterdrop~~

Hi WD thanks for checking in working hard it seems! Hopefully I'll have things like meetings and such like when I finish Uni.

I have the nitrite spike and im in the back end of the second week I believe. I think it's 2 weeks on Sunday since I got the spike. Since then it hasn't dropped despite doing a big water change s my ammonia is being processed within 12 hrs but the nitrite ain't dropping yet sadly.

I have found a place which has 5 synodotis petricola in stock but sadly I'm unable to buy them so fingers crossed they will still be their when I come to the buying fish stage. not looking likely I'll have fish is side of Christmas how long does the spike usually hang around for? I'm adding 5ml of ammonia every 12 hrs which is around 3-3.5 ppm.

It's certainly taking a long time I have 28kg of ocean rock, coral sand and an air pump to re fit the tank once cycled so I'm eager for the change (to hopefully raise ph for African Malawi cichlids)

 

[waterdrop]

synodotis petricola are beautiful fish! Hope you can get some at some point!

It's really wonderful to hear that you are processing that much ammonia that quickly! I remember not so long ago when your ammonia processing was going nowhere! I can't believe the nitrite processing will be that far behind now that the ammonia is moving. Perhaps you should be measuring and posting nitrate (as well as pH and the other usuals) more often. Also, one thing that disturbs me about your post is that you say you're adding ammonia every 12 hours? We usually like to recommend that ammonia only be added on the 24hour mark. Its good to test and know what your stats are at 12 hours but its also good to "pulse" the ammonia additions such that they only ever happen at the 24hour mark (and of course ammonia is only added if it went to zero ppm anytime within the previous 24 hours. It doesn't matter that they go without any ammonia for a lot of the 24 hours, that is what "pulsing" is.

~~waterdrop~~