Upgrading and Cycling...oh my!

[MSU Fan]

you know what really scares me? I have been battling this little 29g for the better part of 4 months...since early march. I don't know if its cycled or not (I have had consistent ammonia, but I have not seen nitrites or nitrates since early march i think), and since I don't know that, I dread having the 75 do this sort of thing...that many water changes...taking as much water out as is in the 29g. That is going to suck if I can't figure out what is going on.

 

[joannde]

hopefully the LFS tests will shed some light on this. I know what you mean about the "29G battle" - I've had my own set of battles. And I found 2 20G tanks in the house but I haven't set them up yet dreading what battles I might have in that those !!!!

BUT - we're both bound to have learned something through our experiences and I can only imagine that the next tank(s) go alot smoother for both of us !

 

[MSU Fan]

so I tested the water when I got home, and...

am: 0-.25 (honestly, its mostly 0)
nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
ph 7.2

But I didn't trust my kit anymore, since my tank seems to be defying normal cycling procedure...so to the lfs i go!

My lfs takes good care of their fish, and for the most part are knowledgeable, but the owner is a surfer who got way too much sun and drugs way back in the day! So he bugs me a lot...and he's there! oh well. so i have him test my water while resisting the urge to purchase a beautiful GBR for $8!!! After a couple of mins, he says that the water is perfect so far...but hey, i am skeptical, since my experience says to disbelieve the test...after the test completes, he shows me, and all the readings are perfect still...0,0,0, 7.2!!!!

I think my tank might be cycled...oh can it be?

 

[joannde]

I still don't understand where the nitrates are ..... nitrogen doesn't just "disappear" .... quite strange indeed. Did you use anything like Nitraban at any point ???

 

[MSU Fan]

nope. I haven't put any chemicals (other than aquasafe) into that tank is over 5 weeks (I have waiting a long time for that stupid bacteria to grow). Even when I was chemical happy, nitraban was not one of them...i have put in there aquasafe, amquel, ammo-lock, ich meds (i can't remember the name), and algae-fix.

And honestly, I do the nitrate test correctly, and my lfs even tested for it, and there was no nitrates in the water for either test...

 

[joannde]

its inexplicable ! I feel like singing ...
.... "oh where, oh where has the nitrogen gone, oh where of where can it be"
(sung to the tune of "oh where, oh where has my little dog gone").

 

[MSU Fan]

Just for you Joannde: to the tune of heartbreak hotel...

"Since my algae left me, I've found a new place to dwell. Down at the end of tropical street, at saltie hotel!"

LOL

 

[Guest]

just saying, good luck and GO SPARTANS GOGOGOGO!

 

[MSU Fan]

so few spartans fans...just breaks the heart!

 

[Guest]

i went to dewitt HS....I love the spartans.

 

[joannde]

LOL MSU Fan - love the song ! too funny !

If you ever figure out the missing nitrogen mystery please be sure to let me know . I'm sure everyone will quite interested ... vanishing nitrogen, just too good to be true

 

[MSU Fan]

So, I am finishing up my 75gal stand (don't worry, there will be pics and a detailed write-up in the DIY section), and I am going to give my 75 a thorough cleaning today.

Because it seemed my 29gal was cycled, I had to test that...so I went to the lfs and picked up a couple of fish.

I got 2 oto's (~3/4" long), 2 cory cats (~3/4" long), and a GBR. The GBR was hiding pretty well in the lfs tank, so the girl there tore apart the tank trying to find it, and I think may have given him brain damage in the process.

After we got him home, he was still gasping for air even though he had enough airation. I don't have a qt, so despite the fact that he was gasping, I put him in the tank...he sort of listed on the bottom of the tank. It almost broke our hearts when the other ram came over, and was nudging the new ram, almost like he trying to get him to move around. He didn't survive the night

If there is a bright side to this: my cories and otos are doing well (and there is much less algae visible!). And even though the ram died overnight, and his body was decaying, testing this morning showed:

Amm: 0!
Nitri: 0!
Nitra: 0 (I am never going to figure this one out, huh?)
PH: 7.2-7.6

So despite all that, the tank maintained very well despite a doubling in bioload.