Shaun777
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi everyone,
Hope you all are safe
I am a newbie to this hobby, i think that it's more and more becoming a lifestyle that a hobby lol. I find myself starring at a fishless tank lol.
I am trying (not very well) to do a fishless cycle. This has been running for 4 weeks now and no trance of anything, no ammonia (although i have only just tested for Ammonia, so there is a possibility that it could have been present), no nitrite and no nitrate.
I have a 30 gallon Fluval Flex, heavily planted 12 live plants including salvinia, monta carlo, java fern, Echinodorus 'Bleherae, Cryptocoryne Beckettii 'Petchii', X2 amazon sword, Brazilian Pennywort, NYMPHAEA RUBRA Red (bulb) and more, cannot remember them all.
The pennywort has nearly reached the top of the tank and the Rubba bulb has sprouted with new leaves appearing, i have Eleocharis acicularis 'Mini' which is also growing and spreading, the plants are growing super fast and i think this is due to the substrate which is JBL Proscape volcanic mineral and JBL aqua soil.
I have a Eheim Aquarium Thermostat Heater, 150W - temperature is at 26C\ 79F
Filters are charcoal and bio in this tank as standard.
Light is led but not very strong, i think its a poor 11w but i might be wrong.
I have white slate in the tank which has green algae now appearing on it and on the back wall of the aquarium. Some of the plant leaves have brown spots on them and what looks like hair algae (long thin stands flowing off some plants like mini flags) waving in the current.
Lights are on for about 8 hours, after researching i am now leaving a 2 hour break in the middle of the day to try and cut down on algae growth. I think its a nutrient Aladdin's cave at the moment.
PH 6.5 - 7
GH 30
KH is 80
There was an early bloom and then the tank became crystal clear and algae appeared, this was on week 2. I then saw a slight nitrite spike but only about 3 and then nothing.
Nitrite and nitrate are all blank and like i said i've only just tested for ammonia because internet advise was not to bother but because of no readings for 2 weeks of NO2 and NO3 i thought i had better test for ammonia.
I have been placing a very small amount of fish flakes in the tank every morning.
I'm doing slight water changes only about 15% once a week. I use tetra Aquasafe to keep the water safe.
Wow anyone starting out in this hobby needs a medal and the patience of a saint lol.
Sorry to go and on lol. Any advice would be great, should i add ammonia i suppose would be my question or just add more patience lol? Or even add a couple of fish?
Please don't tell to take out all the plants and start again hahaha. I may buy a snorkel and live in it myself.
Hope you all are safe
I am a newbie to this hobby, i think that it's more and more becoming a lifestyle that a hobby lol. I find myself starring at a fishless tank lol.
I am trying (not very well) to do a fishless cycle. This has been running for 4 weeks now and no trance of anything, no ammonia (although i have only just tested for Ammonia, so there is a possibility that it could have been present), no nitrite and no nitrate.
I have a 30 gallon Fluval Flex, heavily planted 12 live plants including salvinia, monta carlo, java fern, Echinodorus 'Bleherae, Cryptocoryne Beckettii 'Petchii', X2 amazon sword, Brazilian Pennywort, NYMPHAEA RUBRA Red (bulb) and more, cannot remember them all.
The pennywort has nearly reached the top of the tank and the Rubba bulb has sprouted with new leaves appearing, i have Eleocharis acicularis 'Mini' which is also growing and spreading, the plants are growing super fast and i think this is due to the substrate which is JBL Proscape volcanic mineral and JBL aqua soil.
I have a Eheim Aquarium Thermostat Heater, 150W - temperature is at 26C\ 79F
Filters are charcoal and bio in this tank as standard.
Light is led but not very strong, i think its a poor 11w but i might be wrong.
I have white slate in the tank which has green algae now appearing on it and on the back wall of the aquarium. Some of the plant leaves have brown spots on them and what looks like hair algae (long thin stands flowing off some plants like mini flags) waving in the current.
Lights are on for about 8 hours, after researching i am now leaving a 2 hour break in the middle of the day to try and cut down on algae growth. I think its a nutrient Aladdin's cave at the moment.
PH 6.5 - 7
GH 30
KH is 80
There was an early bloom and then the tank became crystal clear and algae appeared, this was on week 2. I then saw a slight nitrite spike but only about 3 and then nothing.
Nitrite and nitrate are all blank and like i said i've only just tested for ammonia because internet advise was not to bother but because of no readings for 2 weeks of NO2 and NO3 i thought i had better test for ammonia.
I have been placing a very small amount of fish flakes in the tank every morning.
I'm doing slight water changes only about 15% once a week. I use tetra Aquasafe to keep the water safe.
Wow anyone starting out in this hobby needs a medal and the patience of a saint lol.
Sorry to go and on lol. Any advice would be great, should i add ammonia i suppose would be my question or just add more patience lol? Or even add a couple of fish?
Please don't tell to take out all the plants and start again hahaha. I may buy a snorkel and live in it myself.