tank is finally cycled

[Crystal]

Since I am not going out in this snow and ice we call roads, can I keep feeding my tank ammonia so it will stay cycled until we get our fish?

 

[daza]

yep, keep adding the same ammonia dosage until about 24 hours before you add the first fish, and check that the ammonia has gone to zero just before going to get them

 

[clutterydrawer]

good advice

also seeing as it sounds pretty damn cold where you are...you could take a blanket + bucket or something similar to insulate the fish bags with when you bring them home.

 

[Kerryk]

Here in...Canada don't you just love it?

You can ask the people working in the store if they can line a box with crumpled newspaper and they have usually little hand warmers (at least in Yellowknife they do) that just sit between the layers of paper to keep your new "charges" warm it might cost a couple dollars, but it's worth it.

 

[Crystal]

thank you everyone! I'll see what Dad's Fishroom has when we are there, I am guessing he would have something to keep the little guys warm!

 

[Def]

If you do this long term (ie: more than a week after you'd consider the tank cycled), I'd be interested to hear what your daily ammonia/nitrite readings are?

I'm doing the same as you - I cycled my quarantine tank in a few days with mature media and ammonia, but for various reasons no fish have gone in it yet. Over the last week it's like the cycle has reversed itself - I started getting ammonia readings again, and nitrite is up to 1.0. Ammonia is back down to 0 now (3 days later) but nitrite is still at 1 - it's like the cycle has restarted itself.

So in summary, I'm wondering what the impact/considerations of doing "long term" fishless cycling - ie: keeping a tank live with pure ammonia.

 

[modernhamlet]

"Long term" cycling as you describe it isn't really cycling. It is just feeding the existing colony of bacteria. Once a tank is truly cycled and the nitrobacter colonies are established, ammonia added that brings levels up to 2 - 4 ppm should be complete changed to nitrate in 24 hours.

If you were getting ammonia or nitrite spikes more than 24 hours after adding ammonia, then your tank was not really cycled. I think a lot of people make this mistake when fishless cycling.

As I always say when I don't want to wait:
"Patience? Yeah... how long is that gonna take?"

Good luck with your tank!

 

[Crystal]

i think the longest we are holding off until is this weekend, when i should be warmer out and my SO has a day off work.
I'll keep you updated on the readings Def. As of last night, I was still at 0 for ammonia and nitrite, although I have not been having huge nitrate numbers during the entire course of the cycle like I expected.
I did my fioshless with pure ammonia only, no filter media or gravel, so it took longer than most people fishless cycling. I am still adding my daily shot of ammonia, and I hope it does well till we can add the fish!

 

[Def]

Cheers Crystal.

Modernhamlet, I think you misunderstood. I seeded the new tank with some mature media, then used ammonia to complete the cycle. At the end of a week (or whatever it was), ammonia was 0, nitrite was 0. Each day I added a few drops of ammonia and it stayed like that (a:0 n:0) for about another week. The week after that, I got ammonia and nitrite readings again.

That's what I meant when I said my cycled tank had uncycled itself after I kept it running for a few weeks using pure ammonia.

 

[modernhamlet]

Def,

What were your readings immediately after adding the ammonia?

My only 2 guesses on the cause of a bacteria die off (the only real explanation for your situation) would be that you either weren't adding enough to keep the colony going or that something else (non-dechlorinated water?) was added to the water that killed some of the bacteria. Was the filter turned off for any period of time?

I dunno. Just tryin' to help.

Sorry if I sounded accusatory there. Not my intention at all.

 

[daza]

I kept feeding my bacteria ammonia for 12 days after the cycle completed before getting time to add the first fish. The ammonia and nitrite stayed at zero during that time.

I did keep a log (and even plotted a graph ) - I should post them some time.

 

[Rubicon]

Good ole Edmonton. I just pulled a full load outta there the other day, and was lucky(?) enough to deal with that nasty storm that hit ya. Sucks bad enough in a car, but with 18 wheels? Trucks goin one way, trailers goin the other, you're wishin you were at home starin at the fishes rather than this warp-speed snow effect comin atchya... T'is the season for tank heaters

 

[Crystal]

hahaha, you said it Rubicon!! Don't even have the winter tires on yet, I am all over the place!

How much ammonia should I be adding in to keep everything well?

 

[Def]

modernhamlet, about 4ppm. What I did was get a pippette from an old Interpret box, added drops to the tank until the test kit showed about 4ppm or so, then just used the pippette each day when I knew how much to add (ie: simple way to measure).

Don't think my fluval failed - certainly didn't have a powercut or anything otherwise the main tank would have suffered. You're right that it sounds like bacteria die-off, I just have no idea why. Was wondering if there were effects from long term adding of pure ammonia (after all, it's not the same as what fish excrete)...

 

[clutterydrawer]

How much ammonia should I be adding in to keep everything well?

the same amount as you have been doing.