36G Bowfront Startup Journal

[JKStripe]

13-March
Ammonia .25
N-ITE >5
N-ATE 20

Redose Ammonia back to 2ppm.

I'll also mention my driftwood developed a fungi film.

How long can the BB go without ammonia before their population begins to die? I guess what I'm asking is, if I miss a day or two of adding ammonia, would the cycle stall? Just curious.

 

[JKStripe]

Gourami can be very aggressive toward each other, particularly males in a smaller tank.

I had planned on adding 2 females. My research led me to believe the pearl variety was one of the more peaceful ones and by not introducing a male, I would be hedging all bets. I really liked the idea of pair. Has anyone tried having a pair in an aquarium about my size?

If it will not work, could I go with only 1pearl and but add another bolivian ram?

 

[JKStripe]

14-March
Ammonia .5
N-ITE 2~5 significantly lighter purple today. But still there.
N-ATE 40 to 80
pH 7.8
Gh 9
kh 4

Getting closer but still not there yet.

Redosed ammonia to 2 ppm

 

[JKStripe]

15-March
Ammonia 0
N-ITE 2~5
N-ATE 40 to 80
pH 7.6 (first drop)

Redosed ammonia to 2 ppm

 

[JKStripe]

16-March
Ammonia 0
N-ITE 0
N-ATE 80
pH 7.8

Looks like we`re almost home.
Redosed ammonia to 4 ppm.
Hopefully stays all zeros again tomorrow so we can plan a shopping trip this week.

 

[meegosh]

Congrats! I usually go by if it can consume 4ppm of ammonia in 12-24 hours you are good.

 

[JKStripe]

17-March
Ammonia 0
N-ITE 1ppm (teaser yesterday)
N-ATE 80
pH 7.8

Redosed ammonia to 4 ppm.

 

[JKStripe]

18-March
Ammonia 0
N-ITE .25 ppm
N-ATE >80
pH 7.8

Redosed ammonia to 4 ppm

Any day now. I forgot to mention that it should take a few extra days to finish. I backed the ammonia off to 2ppm when I geot the nitrite spike. No need to keep building the nitrite levels until the BB can catch up. Once I had the day at all zeros, I started dosing ammonia back to 4ppm.

 

[JKStripe]

Added 3 plants tonight.
Brazillian Pennywort {Hydrocotyle leucocephala}
Red Wendtii {Cryptocoryne wendtii "Red"}
4-Leaf Clover {Marsilea quadrifolia}

Also scrubbed fungus off driftwood.

 

[JKStripe]

19 & 20-March
Ammonia 0
N-ITE 2 ppm on 19th and .25 ppm on 20th
N-ATE >80
pH 7.8

Redosed ammonia to 3 ppm

 

[JKStripe]

21-March
Ammonia 0 ( gone in 12 hours)
N-ITE 2 ppm at 12 hours
N-ITE .25 at 20 hours
N-ITE 0 at 24 hours
N-ATE >80
pH 7.8

Redosed ammonia to 4 ppm

If all is gone again tomorrow, time for water changes and fish this weekend.

 

[JKStripe]

22-March
Ammonia 0
N-ITE 0 ppm
N-ATE >160
pH 7.8

I'm calling it cycled. I added 1ppm ammonia tonight to keep the BB from starving. Going to the fish shop to get more plants tomorrow. It will be an easy time to plant them when I'm doing the massive water change to get the Nitrate down. Then get some fish on Sunday. Yipee.

 

[JKStripe]

I forgot to mention this earlier. Temperature was kept around 82ºF during the cycle. I have it down to 79º now. Need to drop it another couple degrees. The adjustment on my heater is a pain to get it where I want it.

And if anyone wants to use the Dr. Tim's Ammonia Cloride. In order to get my 36 gallon tank up to 4ppm from 0ppm I had to add 4.0mL. I used a 1mL medical syringe (without the pointy needle) to dose. This is a lot more than the 36 drops they suggest. I used about 70% of the bottle.

Another trick I use is a 30mL syringe (again no needle) to draw water out of the tank and then I put the water in the test tubes. This makes it really easy to hit 5mL every time and I don't have to worry about contaminating the tank with any residue left in the test tube.

My driftwood floated, even after a week of soaking. Before I added my Eco-complete to the tank, I put 5 suction cups to the bottom with 2lb fishing line tied to it. Then added the substrate and then tied the driftwood down. I read this tip somewhere in the forums and it was genius. So if you posted that suggestion, THANK YOU!

 

[JKStripe]

It's been over a month with no update. So, after cycling the tank (the first time) life happened. Long story short I had to do a mini-cycle (Still fishless) this one took 15 days.

My stocking plan has changed some. Mainly because getting fish has been difficult. But here are things as they stand today.


Plants:
2 Clusters of Dwarf 4-Leaf Clover
1 Cryptocoryne
3 pendants of bronze wendtii.
3 starter plants of bronze wendtii (I've started from the other three pendants.)
3 marimo balls
3 java fern
2 anubias nana
2 anubias afzelli
10 stems of floating Brazillian Pennywort

Fish (First Stocking):
5 Silver Hatchets
1 Jade Head Guppy

Fish (Second Stocking)
3 Silver Hatchets
10 Neon Tetras

Fish (Late this week)
5 (more) Neon Tetra
4 Julii Cory

Fish (a few weeks away)
1 Pearl Gourami

FIsh ( a couple months away)
2 Oto's
Cherry/Ghost Shrimp?.?.?

The driftwood has sunk so I cut all the support lines from it. Most of the fungus fuzz has died off, but some is still haning around.

With such low light the plants grow slow, but there is new growth on everything but the anubias. Typical anubias. The crypt has shot up 3". The pennywort hasn't grown in length, but is adding new leaves.

Water parameters are holding steady, water is nice and clear.

Watching the hatchets school up and play in the pennywort is awsome.
I need to get some new pictures taken.