Fishless cycling

[Megan33]

Hi All! I've had my 190l set up going for about 2 weeks. Internal filter, sand, and live plants. I'm using the Dr Tim's ammonia method. Keeping ammonia 2pmm, Nitrite 0.25
Nitrates 0.
I haven't done a water change as there is conflicting advice online. Should I be doing water changes?

 

[ZxC]

Nope, do water changes to keep nitrites and nitrates lower while cycling. Dose ammonia back up after a water change to feed the cycle.

 

[Megan33]

Thanks ZxC. I will leave it for now.
And yes that's true

 

[King Fisher]

You can bump up ammonia to 4 ppm. Some suggest it grows a larger BB colony.
On a Fishless cycle you don't really have to mess with the water much besides top offs from evap.

 

[Megan33]

I will test the water today with the API master kit. Then do just that. Having patience at this stage is very hard but key.

 

[Megan33]

On another note, the algae in my tank is getting a little worse everyday. On my sand, glass and on one plant. I have 3 plants. I have a few pebbles in there with a little algae build up. Should I leave it be?

 

[ZxC]

On another note, the algae in my tank is getting a little worse everyday. On my sand, glass and on one plant. I have 3 plants. I have a few pebbles in there with a little algae build up. Should I leave it be?

Drop lights to 4 hours per day while cycling. New tanks are very prone to algae.

 

[Megan33]

Ok. I was thinking of getting a snail but thought the cycling would harm it. Also I don't want eggs everywhere

 

[King Fisher]

You'll kill a snail with the ammonia that high.

Dropping the lights like Z said should do it.

 

[Megan33]

I will leave on for 4 hours per day. Wish I'd of joined at the beginning of cycling. But I suppose, you live and you learn.lol

 

[King Fisher]

Not a big issue at the moment. Once it's cycled and that's out of the way then you can focus on fine tuning other things.

 

[Megan33]

Definitely! Tempted to at least clean the glass but too scared of messing with the cycle. Rather glad to keep lights off for most of day, then I'm not constantly looking at it. Also thank God I put a black background cos only can see the led air stone.

 

[ZxC]

Definitely! Tempted to at least clean the glass but too scared of messing with the cycle. Rather glad to keep lights off for most of day, then I'm not constantly looking at it. Also thank God I put a black background cos only can see the led air stone.

You can scrape the glass / scrub it. Nothing wrong with that.
What color is the algae?

 

[Megan33]

It's green. Really thought I needed to leave it alone til end of cycle. So I will probably just clean the viewing glass tomorrow after I test the water.

 

[ZxC]

It's green. Really thought I needed to leave it alone til end of cycle. So I will probably just clean the viewing glass tomorrow after I test the water.

Do you have plants in the tank? If not then you can leave the light off all the time until you get fish or plants.

Algae won't help the cycle, it will slow it down (algae will use ammonia - you want the bacteria to use it)

 

[Megan33]

I have 2 Tropica Cryptocoryne Beckettii 'Petchii' plants and one other( can't remember the name. So should I clean all glass? I have pure white sand which is rippled with algae and a few large pebbles. Should I vac the sand through?

 

[ZxC]

When you need to do a water change, yes vac the substrate - gently because it's sand.

Give the crypts some root tabs, not Seachem or API tabs - they are foofoo dust.

Google DIY osmocote+ root tabs.

Got a picture of the other plant?

Get the plants growing well, during which the tank will cycle itself. Then you can go ahead and add a few smaller fish, slowly upping the numbers over a few months. (no cycle required). Test for ammonia obviously, but by getting the plants growing well and dealing with algae, the tank should have plenty of time for a cycle to have enough bacteria to support a few smaller fish / snails / shrimp.

 

[Megan33]

Wait, do water changes?? I'm just over 2 weeks into cycle. Didn't think I could do any % of water change until finished.
The other plant is called Tropica Hygrophila 'Siamensis.
Im wanting oranda type fish this time, so that's why I'm opting for a fishless cycle. This is my first fishless cycle and there is quite Abit to it but I want to do it right.

 

[Megan33]

First pic how it looked last week. This green swamp is now

 

[ZxC]

You need to do water changes to keep NO2 and NO3 lower, but dose ammonia back up to 2ppm-4ppm afterwards. Otherwise you will stall the cycle if NO2 and NO3 get too high.