Fishless cycle going somewhere or nowhere ?

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Buddy203

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
4
Hello,

I hope some of you have done fish less cycling before and therefore can help me here. I started with ammonia in my biorb 8g tank, 14 days back with "janitorial ammonia" from ace hardware (10%). I hit 3ppm on my first add.

However since then I have added several doses of stresszyme and another add of ammonia (because the ammonia alert thing looked pretty light and I made a mistake without double checking with api kit). Now my ammonia is at 8ppm, ph 7.8 but no nitrite yet.

I do not know if this is normal for a fish less cycle to take this long ? Two days back I downed the Ph to 7.4, thinking may be the ph is not helping. Does anyone think I need to wait or something is wrong in my setup ?

TIA
 
At 8ppm ammonia it will slow down your cycle. Establishing the colony of bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate can't colonize as quickly due to elevated toxic ammonia. I would do a water change and then simply wait 4-6 weeks. Once your tank has nitrates you're good to go.

Contrary to what some aquarist way recommend, you do not need to dose beyond the initial day. Let your tank process the ammonia and once nitrate test is above 1 and ammonia/nitrite are 0 add in your first fish :) Go slow
 
Ok looks like the ammonia has dropped to 4ppm. Ph 7.6. Temp 88F. Are live plants typically added after the tank cycles (so it does not compete for ammonia ) ?

Also I want to buffer my water to 6.5-7 (tap is at 7.8 but I filter through a 5 stage filter that brings down the tds from ~300 to ~2). I got the blackwater extract. Would that do it ? Is there a natural way to do this ? What is the best way ?
 
Why do you have your temp so high? Usually for tropical fish 75-80 is about right.
 
Ok looks like the ammonia has dropped to 4ppm. Ph 7.6. Temp 88F. Are live plants typically added after the tank cycles (so it does not compete for ammonia ) ?

Also I want to buffer my water to 6.5-7 (tap is at 7.8 but I filter through a 5 stage filter that brings down the tds from ~300 to ~2). I got the blackwater extract. Would that do it ? Is there a natural way to do this ? What is the best way ?

You can add the plants whenever you want. They will use some ammonia, but it's not a whole lot. Just keep dosing.

pH plays a semi important role in cycling. As long as it's above 6.5 then you are good to go. High pH isn't going to affect your cycle.

What fish are you keeping that makes you want to buffer your water down that low?
 
@biondoa - I am helping the cycle, raised temperature -> raised bacteria metabolism. No fish/plants in my tank, so it is ok. Will bring down the temp before I introduce fish.

@mebbid - going for ember tetras, dwarf rasboras etc.

I have not measured the hardness of my water accurately yet (strip readings only) but I would presume it should be pretty soft after filtration. I have heard that you can put peat balls (if that's what those are called) to control/buffer the pH) but I was hoping the extract I got would do the same ? Anyone here has any recommendations or experience using the extract ?
 
@biondoa - I am helping the cycle, raised temperature -> raised bacteria metabolism. No fish/plants in my tank, so it is ok. Will bring down the temp before I introduce fish.

@mebbid - going for ember tetras, dwarf rasboras etc.

I have not measured the hardness of my water accurately yet (strip readings only) but I would presume it should be pretty soft after filtration. I have heard that you can put peat balls (if that's what those are called) to control/buffer the pH) but I was hoping the extract I got would do the same ? Anyone here has any recommendations or experience using the extract ?

Those fish will be perfectly fine at a 7.8 pH. They will adapt quite readily to it. If it were me, I wouldn't do anything to change it because a steady 7.8 is much healtheir for fish than a frequently fluctuating pH of below 7.
 
Ammonia still at 4ppm (stalling ?)
pH risen to 7.9
Nitrite 0.25 - direct proof of bacterial activity

I tested my tap water after 24hrs and it showed pH 8.5 !! This is crazy. I really want to bring it down and buffer at 7. I have tried not messing with pH and the fish did not do well. So I am going to be controlling pH this time around.

My biorb has large ceramic media (no sand etc, so no "substrate" i would guess). Perhaps not every plant can make it in that ? Which class of plants would be ok and which won't work ?

Thanks
 
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