Am I Fishless Cycling Right?

[Fishperson]

I am just starting to fishless cycle my tank, and I am keeping a log with my test results and anything else that happened for each day. And if I have questions, I am going to ask them here.

Friday 1/25
- 5PM tested for ammonia, at ~ 6ppm
Sunday 1/27
- 9AM ammonia ~4.5 ppm, nitrite 0, ph ~7.8
Monday 1/28
- 4 PM ammonia ~3.5 ppm
The temperature has been between 82 and 86 the whole time.
Now some questions:
Am I doing anything wrong?
Are there any ways to speed the cycle?
I currently have the tank very full with water so it does not make as much of a splash after it goes through the filter and comes out the "waterfall". I just realized that probably decreases oxygen levels. Is that good, bad, or neutral?
Should I have the light on, and if so how often?
Is anything else wrong?
What am I doing right?
Any other advice?

in advance for any help. I will keep you posted almost every day.

 

[Fishanatic]

How long has this been going for? And how do you supply the ammonia?

 

[Fishperson]

I added the ammonia, which I got from a bottle of pure ammonia, Lowes Foods brand, on friday the 25th at 4PM, I have been keeping this log since I started cycling.
OH!
I forgot to add that my tank is a 20 gallon high, if that helps.

 

[librarygirl]

My replies below in blue...

I am just starting to fishless cycle my tank, and I am keeping a log with my test results and anything else that happened for each day. And if I have questions, I am going to ask them here.

Friday 1/25
- 5PM tested for ammonia, at ~ 6ppm
Sunday 1/27
- 9AM ammonia ~4.5 ppm, nitrite 0, ph ~7.8
Monday 1/28
- 4 PM ammonia ~3.5 ppm
The temperature has been between 82 and 86 the whole time.
Now some questions:
Am I doing anything wrong?
Doesn't seem like it. If you dechlorinated the water prior to filling the tank and the ammonia you're using is pure, it looks fine to me.
Are there any ways to speed the cycle?
Getting something from an established tank. Filter media is best but used gravel or a decoration would help some too.
I currently have the tank very full with water so it does not make as much of a splash after it goes through the filter and comes out the "waterfall". I just realized that probably decreases oxygen levels. Is that good, bad, or neutral?
I'd try increasing surface agitation by either dropping the water level or adding an air stone.
Should I have the light on, and if so how often?
Not needed during cycling unless you want to stare at the tank
Is anything else wrong?
Don't think so.
What am I doing right?
Well, if the ammonia really is dropping after three days that's pretty good progression as it usually takes 1-2 weeks to see the first drop in ammonia. What test kit are you using? Strips aren't as accurate as a liquid test so if you have strips I'd get the API Master kit instead.
Any other advice?
Um...maybe that patience is a virtue particularly when cycling lol
in advance for any help. I will keep you posted almost every day.

 

[Fishperson]

Uh oh, i didnt dechlorinate the water before i filled the tank, i filled it and then added the dechlorinator. i am using api freshwater master test kit. thanks for the help. what will happen since i didnt dechlorinate first?
i have to go now but will be back in 30 min

 

[jmay33]

Uh oh, i didnt dechlorinate the water before i filled the tank, i filled it and then added the dechlorinator. i am using api freshwater master test kit. thanks for the help. what will happen since i didnt dechlorinate first?
i have to go now but will be back in 30 min

You're okay on that since you don't have any fish. But in the future you want to dechlorinate the water before you put it in the tank.

 

[Fishperson]

Of course I would dechlorinate the water first if there were fish in there!
Ok, thats good that I didn't mess anything up. I was told to add the water, then dechlorinate when cycling. Apparently it keeps the tank sterile or something.

 

[Fishperson]

Anybody else?
At least give feedback on what I am doing right/wrong!

 

[Fishanatic]

Of course I would dechlorinate the water first if there were fish in there!
Ok, thats good that I didn't mess anything up. I was told to add the water, then dechlorinate when cycling. Apparently it keeps the tank sterile or something.

I wouldn't do that. The filter will suck the chlorinated water, then the bacteria will get killed and will stall the cycle, kill the bacteria or create a bacterial bloom. Always de-chlorinate before putting in the tank.

 

[severum mama]

No, it won't. That is another one of the myths that keeps getting repeated on forums for some reason. Tap water will not kill your biological filter on contact. If this were the case, every Python user would knock out their bacteria with each water change. I have cared for literally well over a hundred aquariums, and have filled the majority of them directly from the tap, dumping in the dechlorinator during the refill. Realizing you have forgotten a few minutes later and adding the dechlorinator post-fill is not a big deal.

That said, always dechlorinate your tank, whether there are fish in there or not. You're trying to grow bacteria while you cycle, so you wouldn't want the tank to be sterile at all.

 

[Fishperson]

Ok, thats what I'll do from now on. If only the first water I put in was chlorinated, then I dechlorinated it, did that make a difference?
And what is a bacterial bloom?
I will test again when I get home from school tomorrow, and will post the results at around 3:30PM.

 

[Fishperson]

Thank you everyone for the help so far!

 

[Fishperson]

By the way, how do I get it to say something at the bottom of all of my posts? For example, Fishinatic has all of their tanks there, etc. How do I do that?

 

[Fishperson]

Ok, tested when I got home today (3PM) and ammonia was at 2.5, and nitrites was at 0. My water is getting kind of cloudy. Is that ok?
Will I have to do a wc of any kind any time while cycling?

 

[Fishanatic]

No, it won't. That is another one of the myths that keeps getting repeated on forums for some reason. Tap water will not kill your biological filter on contact. If this were the case, every Python user would knock out their bacteria with each water change. I have cared for literally well over a hundred aquariums, and have filled the majority of them directly from the tap, dumping in the dechlorinator during the refill. Realizing you have forgotten a few minutes later and adding the dechlorinator post-fill is not a big deal.

That said, always dechlorinate your tank, whether there are fish in there or not. You're trying to grow bacteria while you cycle, so you wouldn't want the tank to be sterile at all.

Hmm. I see then. I talk from what i heard to help people, but thanks for the info I didn't know that. I heard that chlorine immediately kills the bacteria.

 

[Fishanatic]

By the way, how do I get it to say something at the bottom of all of my posts? For example, Fishinatic has all of their tanks there, etc. How do I do that?

Its the signature

Ok, tested when I got home today (3PM) and ammonia was at 2.5, and nitrites was at 0. My water is getting kind of cloudy. Is that ok?
Will I have to do a wc of any kind any time while cycling?

That indicates a bacterial bloom. The bacteria might have been disturbed in some way:3 You should do a water change if there is fish in there.

 

[librarygirl]

@fishanatic - no fish, it's a fishless cycle.

To Fishperson: cloudy water is normal. If it's a milky cloudy, it's probably just a bacterial bloom, normal in cycling tanks. It should clear up on it's own. Usually fishless cycling requires minimal water changes. IF PH drops below 7, or/and nitrites have been high for a week or more (when you get them, you're not quite there yet), or/and you overdose ammonia, then you may need to do some water changes. Until then, just keep checking levels and redose ammonia to 4 when it drops below 2.

 

[Fishperson]

Ok thanks everyone for the help and I will be sure to keep you posted, but what is a bacterial bloom?!

 

[Fishperson]

Never mind, I just researched a bacterial bloom.
This is tuesday, the 29th, and it is day 4 of the cycling process. I tested ph at 9PM and got ~7.2

 

[severum mama]

You have a ways to go. I know it isn't terribly exciting to look at an empty tank, but try to be patient.