fishless cycle so far

[rubyjess]

this is how my cycle s going so far
been up and running for about2 weeks now had a few problems with heater but all sorted now
after finally getting some pure ammonia last week have started testing
with a new api test kit seems to be the best one to use
yesterday my ammonia was 1.0 ppm,nitrites were 5.0 + ppm
nitrate 80ppm ,ph 8.0
dosed up ammonia to 4.0 ppm
tested again just now results were
ammonia 1.0 ppm
nitrite 5.0 + ppm
nitrate 5.0 ppm
ph 8.0
now gonna dose ammonia back up to 4.0 ppm
am i on the right track ?
cheers

 

[librarygirl]

this is how my cycle s going so far
been up and running for about2 weeks now had a few problems with heater but all sorted now
after finally getting some pure ammonia last week have started testing
with a new api test kit seems to be the best one to use
yesterday my ammonia was 1.0 ppm,nitrites were 5.0 + ppm
nitrate 80ppm ,ph 8.0
dosed up ammonia to 4.0 ppm
tested again just now results were
ammonia 1.0 ppm
nitrite 5.0 + ppm
nitrate 5.0 ppm
ph 8.0
now gonna dose ammonia back up to 4.0 ppm
am i on the right track ?
cheers

Hi! I've just started a fishless cycle too and I'm pretty new at it still but I'd say yes you are on the right track. If you're moving 3ppms of ammo in 24 hours I'd say that's good progress. But again I'm new at this so I'm sure someone else will come along and let you know for sure. Good luck!

 

[Hubert90]

this is how my cycle s going so far
been up and running for about2 weeks now had a few problems with heater but all sorted now
after finally getting some pure ammonia last week have started testing
with a new api test kit seems to be the best one to use
yesterday my ammonia was 1.0 ppm,nitrites were 5.0 + ppm
nitrate 80ppm ,ph 8.0
dosed up ammonia to 4.0 ppm
tested again just now results were
ammonia 1.0 ppm
nitrite 5.0 + ppm
nitrate 5.0 ppm
ph 8.0
now gonna dose ammonia back up to 4.0 ppm
am i on the right track ?
cheers

Yes u are on the right track.

 

[eco23]

Looks fantastic! Have you checked out the guide in my signature? It's coming up on the time to do a 50% mid-cycle pwc. Good job!

 

[rubyjess]

cheers eco,
i have referred to your guide alot but like to double check,i take i when my nitrates rocket up its then time to do a 50% water change ?
cheers

 

[eco23]

cheers eco,
i have referred to your guide alot but like to double check,i take i when my nitrates rocket up its then time to do a 50% water change ?
cheers

Thanks for using the guide! The reason I included the mid-cycle pwc is for a couple reasons...for one, having numbers that are so off the charts high can drive you crazy because you have no idea what they are, doing the pwc lowers them so you can continue to monitor the progress. Second, during the cycling process the beneficial bacteria are using up nutrients (like phosphates that help them grow) and buffers (help keep your pH stable). The pwc at the height of your cycle will restore these things back to the tank which will help prevent your cycle from stalling or causing a pH crash which can be damaging to the bacteria. Third (something I don't usually mention), having extremely high levels of no2 and no3 can sometimes hide the fact that a cycle is complete. A tank may be perfectly capable of handling the 4ppm of ammo to no2 to no3 conversion in 24 hours, but if the levels are off the charts high, it can be hidden and you won't know how quickly and efficiently the bacteria colonies are actually working.

 

[eco23]

I just realized I didn't actually answer the question, lol. There's no particular time to do the pwc. Just wait until you test one day and realize you have absolutely no idea what the readings are because they're so off the charts high.

 

[rubyjess]

ok so i dosed the ammonia back up to 4.0 ppm lastnite
tested today at 12.45 pm results were
ammo back down to 2.0 ppm already
nitrites 5.0 ppm +
nitrates between 10 and 20 ppm
ph is still at 8.0
just thought my nitrates would of started to go down by now ?

 

[Hubert90]

ok so i dosed the ammonia back up to 4.0 ppm lastnite
tested today at 12.45 pm results were
ammo back down to 2.0 ppm already
nitrites 5.0 ppm +
nitrates between 10 and 20 ppm
ph is still at 8.0
just thought my nitrates would of started to go down by now ?

Ur biological filter will not reduce ur nitrate level. That's reason y we perform pwc to remove nitrate.

 

[rubyjess]

oops my bad i meant nitrites sorry

 

[j2112j]

I'd do a pwc next time you add ammonia (before you add it). Try to bring your nitrItes down to a readable range, so long as you see your nitrAtes rising.

 

[rubyjess]

thats the odd thing my nitrates havent budged at all
cheers

 

[rubyjess]

what size pwc change do u suggest m8

 

[eco23]

what size pwc change do u suggest m8

Go ahead and knock out a 50% pwc. Make sure you use a dechlorinator and match temps as close as possible. It should reduce your levels by half. Things are moving along just like they should, good job!

 

[rubyjess]

thanks i am trying to do this all right ,just feels like im doing something good for the fish im going to keep,is there any tips on trying to match the water temp or just by feel?

 

[rubyjess]

as i cant move my heater deeper cause its in the pump casing do i turn it off and wait an amount of time ,sorry for sounding like a noob i just dont want to break my heater cause it was expensve lol

 

[eco23]

As long as the temps feel the same by dipping your hand in each, it's not vital, you just don't want an extreme difference. I always turn off my filter during a pwc. Most new expensive heaters have an auto shutoff when the water goes down. If you're not sure if it does or not, go ahead and unplug it until the tank is refilled.

 

[rubyjess]

ok mate cheers for your super quick replies

 

[eco23]

ok mate cheers for your super quick replies

Thanks to the app beeping every time a subscribed thread has posts...it must seem like I'm on here 24/7 , lol. Happy to help.

 

[rubyjess]

hi all
done a 50% pwc heres the results
ammonia 0.25 ppm
nitrites 5.0 ppm ?
nitrates 5.0 ppm
ph 7.8
thought nitrites would of gone down abit after pwc ?