Fish in cycle journal thread!

[Mrs.h2012]

8/28 results

10:15am
Ammo: 0-.25ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: both 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 7.8)

7:15pm
Ammo: .50-1.0 (closer to 1.0, possibly a tad darker than 1.0)
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 7.8)

This is the biggest ammo reading I have had so far, I'm doing a big wc right now to bring the levels down. I started the fish in cycle on 8/16, tank was up and running two weeks before it became a fish in cycle but didnt add any kind of ammonia source. Could this spike, if you could even call it that, would this mean I could be moving on to having a nitrite/nitrate spike and moving on with my cycle? Temp has been at a constant 78 and pH between 7.8-8.0, I would say probably 95% of the time it was closer to 7.8

 

[Mrs.h2012]

8/29/12 10:30am results
Ammo: .50-1.0ppm (closer to 1)
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 7.8)

This is the second day in a row that I have had this high of ammonia, it was staying in the 0-.25 range there for a week or so. I'm running 2 cartridges and 2 things of floss in my filter, my original one I started my cycle with was getting really really gunky even after swishing it around in my bucket of used tank water, so I'm running the new media with the old ones before taking the old ones out completely. Anyone know what could be causing higher ammonia levels?

 

[Nimo]

It is all part of the cycle. Sounds like it is moving along. Just stay on top of water changes. Don't be surprised to get even higher readings before you start showing nitrites.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Just checked params after my wc i did of about 50-60% at 12pm

Ammo: 0.25-.50ppm (slightly darker than .25 but definitely not dark enough to be .50)
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 8.0 this time)

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Today's results
8/30/12
12:30pm
Ammonia: 0.25-.5ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.9-8.0 (closer to 7.8)

7pm (after 40-50% PWC at 12:45)
Ammo: .25-.5ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 7.8)

 

[Mrs.h2012]

And the results after my last PWC at 8:30pm
8/30 9pm
Ammo: 0-0.25ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 ( closer to 8 this time)

I'm glad to see my ammonia went down, but I'm wondering why my pH went up this time after a PWC. It's been staying closer to 7.8.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I keep forgetting to update this thread! It's only been.. About a week :/ so here are results from the last post (8/30)

8/31 9:45am
Ammo: .25-.5
Nitrite and nitrate: both still at 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0(closer to 7.8)

7:45pm (after WC)
Ammo: .25-.5ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 7.8h

9/1 1pm (WC right after these results)
Ammo: .25-.5ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8

*for those of you who saw the unplanned 100% WC thread about the fish food incident I performed a massive WC at 2:55 and got nearly all the water out.

6:30pm
Ammo: .25-.5ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 8)

WC at 6:40 after above results

9pm
Ammo: 0-.25ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 7.8)


9/2
2:55pm
Ammo: .25-.5
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (more in the middle than closer to one or the other

(WC at 4:45)

8:40pm
Ammo: .25 (maybe a tad darker but not close to .5)
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8 (tad darker but no where close to 8)

9/3
2pm
Ammo: .5-1.0ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8 ( tad darker but not close to 8)

(WC immediately after results)

7:38pm
Ammo: .25ppm (tad darker but not close to .5)
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8

9/4
11:10am
Ammo: .5-1.0
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8-8.0 (closer to 8.0)

Still no nitrites or nitrates.... about to do a 50% WC here in a few minutes to bring ammo levels down.

 

[cmybliss]

Wow. As a newbie just starting my fish-in cycle this freaks me out! I went ahead and ordered a live filter from angelsplus.com to see if I can get a jump on this whole business. Daily water changes suck. Hope you get some results soon!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

It's not that big of a deal for me right now, I'm at home all day so I have the time to do it. It's only a 10g so it's not to bad, WC's don't take long at all.

 

[cmybliss]

It's not that big of a deal for me right now, I'm at home all day so I have the time to do it. It's only a 10g so it's not to bad, WC's don't take long at all.

I miss being home! With school back in, I'm back to work and juggling much daughter's crazy schedule. Oh, for the lazy days of summer.

 

[Saucy840]

its fine

Dont worry to much just keep testing and you will soon see nitrites , just as long as you are doing everything correct ( condition the water , temp , feeding ect.. ) Infact i only seen about .25ppm of nitrite for maybe 2 days and it went to 0 again, 2 1/2 weeks later ammonia and nitrite went to 0 and nitrate when up and just to make sure i tested about a week longer. Every tank takes different times but if your doing everything right just sit and wait and you will be soon happy. mine tank cycled starting july 31 and ending aug 31. You can test every other day even to make time go by fasted so your no doing it everyday ( only do that if your levels dont spike high alot and with a water change after you test if they are to high)


also to update you Mrs.h2012 i added sand to my tank last night and also 6 zebra danios to my tank i will post pictures and a update when i get home from school around 10pm make sure to check it out!!.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Dont worry to much just keep testing and you will soon see nitrites , just as long as you are doing everything correct ( condition the water , temp , feeding ect.. ) Infact i only seen about .25ppm of nitrite for maybe 2 days and it went to 0 again, 2 1/2 weeks later ammonia and nitrite went to 0 and nitrate when up and just to make sure i tested about a week longer. Every tank takes different times but if your doing everything right just sit and wait and you will be soon happy. mine tank cycled starting july 31 and ending aug 31. You can test every other day even to make time go by fasted so your no doing it everyday ( only do that if your levels dont spike high alot and with a water change after you test if they are to high)

also to update you Mrs.h2012 i added sand to my tank last night and also 6 zebra danios to my tank i will post pictures and a update when i get home from school around 10pm make sure to check it out!!.

I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything right, my pH is always in the 7.8-8.0 range, temp is a constant 78, closer to 80 at WC's because someone recommended to help encourage my pregnant Micky mouse to drop her fry to use slightly warmer water then, I test daily because lately my ammonia levels have been higher for going on 4/5 days now than normal and since it's a fish in cycle I want to keep those levels in check.

 

[bud29]

You seem to be doing everything right. Nitrites will show up sooner or later. With my fishless cycle it was (much) later, they started climbing about 8 weeks in to it.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

And tonights results
6:45pm
Ammo: .25ppm
Nitrite and nitrate: 0ppm
pH: 7.8