Log for cycling my 75g tank.

[zparticle]

Well my 55g is almost complete with the cycling process and I had this 75g sitting here waiting for me. So this will be my cycle log for it. I'm going to try some different things from the "normal" fishless cycle routine for this tank. Mainly because I want to KNOW if there is another way.

So the tank is ready to start the cycle process. I have added 200ml of Nutrafin Cycle to the water after I added 2 caps of Prime to kill the chlorine. I am now going to add 4ppm of ammonia let it mix in and then test all of the water parameters. I'll be back to post the water parameters as the official first log entry in a little while.

Here is a time lapse video of me putting the tank together. Youtube screwed up the first few seconds of the video.

View attachment 48361

 

[zparticle]

Oh yeah:

75 gallon
4 channel air pump
200 watt heater
80 pounds black aquarium sand
black background
Aqueon 48" single tube strip light
API NEXX filter system with extension (4 canisters total)

 

[jetajockey]

Any reason why you went with nutrafin cycle? I think you'd get actual solid results with tetra safestart or dr tim's one and only.

Cool vid btw.
Subscribing, interested to see the results.

 

[zparticle]

Any reason why you went with nutrafin cycle? I think you'd get actual solid results with tetra safestart or dr tim's one and only.

Cool vid btw.
Subscribing, interested to see the results.

The Nutrafin just happened to be the one on the shelf when I decided to see what would happen if I went this route. This is basically a big science experiment for me. I see a lot of back and forth on this topic and wanted to see for myself given that the only thing I loose if it doesn't work out is time.

I just went to the HW store and picked up the lexan I needed to make the hoods for the tank. Decided I couldn't wait due to the light being so close to the water. Don't want any electrical issues.

 

[Deckape]

You are a good sport. I am subscribing also. However, you seem to be a little too active. Don't put yourself in harm's way.

 

[zparticle]

You are a good sport. I am subscribing also. However, you seem to be a little too active. Don't put yourself in harm's way.

Yeah I just have bad time sitting still, lol. My leg is feeling a bit better which is good.

 

[zparticle]

LOG: Day 1

Ammonia: 4-8ppm (overdosed it a bit)
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
pH: 8.8 or better I think this must be due to the Nutrafin or the black sand because my water is normally right at 7.4-7.8

 

[JimmyA]

Are those real plants or fake?

 

[zparticle]

Are those real plants or fake?

Those are fake, left overs from before I started using real plants. I have a bunch on order that should be here in the next few days. I couldn't just leave the tank bare.

 

[JimmyA]

I'll be interested to see how that works out. Will you use plant tabs or what? You have a rock substrate?

 

[zparticle]

I'll be interested to see how that works out. Will you use plant tabs or what? You have a rock substrate?

I have black aquarium sand in there. I have plants in all four of my other tanks and am having no issues with keeping the plants alive and thriving. They are all sand and gravel mixed.

I don't use tabs or co2, I just put the plants in and give them plenty of time with the lights on. I'm also specifically NOT buying plants that require intense light sources. On the other hand with this tank the environment will be far more dark than the others so I might have to get a more intense light bulb for this one.

 

[zparticle]

Yikes, well I might have already hosed this up on day 1. LOL There are a ton of bubbles at the top of the tank, I'm wondering if I didn't get the tank rinsed out completely after I cleaned it.

Well guess I'll see what happens.

 

[zparticle]

Well, I think I didn't get all of the soap cleaned out, ****. So I've scooped out as many of the bubbles as I could and now I'm doing a massive water change. I think this also explains the very high pH. Bummer that was a waste of almost an entire bottle of nutrafin. Oh well.

 

[eco23]

What did you clean it with? Like a dish soap or detergent?

 

[zparticle]

What did you clean it with? Like a dish soap or detergent?

Just a little detergent, I clearly had some left near the top of the tank. I was trying to kill off the algae.

 

[zparticle]

I suppose it could have been the nutrafin or the ammonia or a combination that was causing the bubbles. I'll refill it and let it run overnight to see if the bubbles comes back. Then I can start over if they aren't there, that will tell me if it was soap or not. There weren't tons of them but I definitely had a good head on the tank.

 

[eco23]

Here's the deal...aquariums + soap is a giant no-no. That said, after doing a bit of research on your behalf...it might not be the end of the world. The idea floating around the Internet is that soap (even hints of residue from cleaning or soapy hands) is a death sentence for your fish...but that may be severely exaggerated.

It's believed it can seriously inhibit their respiration, but after seeing some threads about it on AA, there's a particular, extremely respected member (maybe the one I have the most unwavering faith in), who's responded to a couple threads on the topic. The belief is that soap residue is in fact the most detrimental to the beneficial bacteria. He believes (and I tend to agree) that if you can successfully colonize beneficial bacteria through a fishless cycle...that shows it will not have any lasting negative effects once the tank is stocked.

I know it sucks...but personally I'd break it down, rinse the living you know what out of it, and rebuild. The good news is that you're not a month into it and need to start over.

Obviously though, I've never seen true research done on it...and for all I know it could be, as you said, just remnants of the bacteria supplement. But if there were definitely suds...I'm OCD enough that I'd definitely have that thing back outside with the hose rinsing it for all I'm worth. I've also heard a mild bleach solution can break down detergents and help remove it.

Maybe another time lapse video?

JMHO.

 

[zparticle]

Thanks, I'll think this through in the morning. I just finished refilling it and there are no bubbles building up at this point. It will be interesting to see where it is in the morning. If it is still bubble free I'll just move forward and see what happens. The thing is I scrubbed the heck out of it and power sprayed it several times with the hose when I was cleaning it, I thought for sure that would get everything out.

I'm too tired to think about it anymore tonight. I guess I should have not worried about the algae. The thing is, this is the exact same process I used to clean the other used 75g that I got with fish before and didn't have any problems. The tank was a mess it had to be hard cleaned.

Weird. I did just now remember that this was a salt water tank, I wonder if that had anything to do with it, probably not, I'm sure I just didn't get it cleaned out.

 

[jetajockey]

I've tested nutrafin cycle and it never had a bubble issue with me.

In my results it was pretty much the standard one would expect when using a heterotrophic bacteria supplement, quick conversion results followed by instability or a crash, or nothing at all.

 

[librarygirl]

Wow awesome another tank? Um, how many is this for you now? lol This is great! Good luck!