Aquarium Rookie -- Planted, Fishless Cycling Questions

[cloretta]

Hi there! I’m brand new to the online community and just set up my tall, freshwater 20 gallon tank yesterday (8/16). This is my very first time cycling a tank, not to mention it’s also my very first planted tank. I have several questions that I would love some advice on:

1. Are daily water parameter checks frequent enough?

2. How do I go about interpreting my water parameter results? I’ve found contradicting information from various threads regarding acceptable ranges. Here were my results at 11:30a today (8/17):

​

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm


​

Nitrite: 0.0 ppm

​


Nitrate: 0.0 ppm


​

Phosphate: 0.5 ppm


​

pH: 7.6


​

High pH: 7.4

​


KH: 53.7 ppm


​

GH: 143.2 ppm

3. How do I know when to do water changes?

4. I am currently following Seachem’s planted aquarium dosing chart (http://www.seachem.com/downloads/charts/Plant-Dose-Chart.pdf). I completed the dosing for Day 1 (Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Phosphorous, Flourish Nitrogen) in addition to adding Stability and Prime. Is this an OK guide to follow?

Livestock:
- 1 Anubias lanceolata
- 1 Anubias afzelli
- 1 other unidentified Anubias
All are planted in Seachem Fluorite Black.

Equipment:
- Finnex Planted+ 24/7 SE Fully Automated LED Light
- Eheim Jäger Aquarium Thermostat Heater (75W)
- Fluval 106 External Canister Filter

I know there’s a lot of information, but I’ve been researching and planning all summer so that I can have a healthy, successful tank.

Any other bits of advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. I’ll make sure to add daily parameter / picture updates as well.

Thank you guys!

 

[Bert2oo1]

Hi there! I’m brand new to the online community and just set up my tall, freshwater 20 gallon tank yesterday (8/16). This is my very first time cycling a tank, not to mention it’s also my very first planted tank. I have several questions that I would love some advice on:



1. Are daily water parameter checks frequent enough?



2. How do I go about interpreting my water parameter results? I’ve found contradicting information from various threads regarding acceptable ranges. Here were my results at 11:30a today (8/17):

​

Ammonia: 4.0 ppm


​

Nitrite: 0.0 ppm

​


Nitrate: 0.0 ppm


​

Phosphate: 0.5 ppm


​

pH: 7.6


​

High pH: 7.4

​


KH: 53.7 ppm


​

GH: 143.2 ppm



3. How do I know when to do water changes?



4. I am currently following Seachem’s planted aquarium dosing chart (http://www.seachem.com/downloads/charts/Plant-Dose-Chart.pdf). I completed the dosing for Day 1 (Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Phosphorous, Flourish Nitrogen) in addition to adding Stability and Prime. Is this an OK guide to follow?



Livestock:

- 1 Anubias lanceolata

- 1 Anubias afzelli

- 1 other unidentified Anubias

All are planted in Seachem Fluorite Black.



Equipment:

- Finnex Planted+ 24/7 SE Fully Automated LED Light

- Eheim Jäger Aquarium Thermostat Heater (75W)

- Fluval 106 External Canister Filter



I know there’s a lot of information, but I’ve been researching and planning all summer so that I can have a healthy, successful tank.



Any other bits of advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. I’ll make sure to add daily parameter / picture updates as well.



Thank you guys!

Welcome to AA [emoji106] seeing your doing a fishless cycle you should be able to do 25% changes weekly. You want to wait for the ammonia to turn to nitrite and then the nitrite will turn to nitrate once you start getting some BB growing in the filter [emoji16] don't let the ammonia get too high, I'd try and keep it around 2ppm and water change if it gets too high.

Good starter plants [emoji106] not sure if you know but anubias should be attached to driftwood and rocks and not buried in substrate. Make sure the rhizome (base of the plant) is not buried at all or the plant will rot and die [emoji106]


The seachem line will be perfect for low tech plants like yours, you could also grow plants like,
Java fern of all varietys
Hygrophila's
Crypt's of all varietys
Mosses
Bacopa
Dwarf sag
Vals (these don't like excel)

And that's just a few to get you started [emoji106]

Hope this helps and goodluck [emoji16]

 

[Barliman]

Bert beat me to the good advice, so I'll just add one thing: have patience. it's the aquarist's best friend, while trying to rush things is our worst enemy.

And welcome to the hobby!

 

[cloretta]

Am I Done Cycling?

Hi y'all, it's me again! I have an app that tracks my water changes, maintenance, dosings, parameter checks, etc., so I attached a picture/graph of a few of the water parameters that I regularly check. I have done 3 PWC (1 30%, 2 50%) and have always dosed with Stability and Prime afterwards. To do these PWC, I used the Python No Spill Clean & Fill, which doubles as a siphon. I have siphoned some of my substrate because my water was cloudy and there was unsightly debris, but I haven't noticed any negative effects on my cycling. Is anyone able to take a look at my water parameter trends and let me know how far into cycling I am?

Thank you so so much!

-C

 

[Bert2oo1]

Looks like your cycle reset half way through? U want 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite with only nitrate readings. Seems to look like the cycle was done on the 17th of August but then nitrites came back. I'd wait a week with 0 water changes (unless u have fish already and see if your nitrite stays 0 and the ammonia settles and you get a nitrate reading [emoji106]

Have you been dosing bacteria booster at all? I've found it halves the time the cycle takes [emoji106]

 

[cloretta]

Looks like your cycle reset half way through? U want 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite with only nitrate readings. Seems to look like the cycle was done on the 17th of August but then nitrites came back. I'd wait a week with 0 water changes (unless u have fish already and see if your nitrite stays 0 and the ammonia settles and you get a nitrate reading [emoji106]

Have you been dosing bacteria booster at all? I've found it halves the time the cycle takes [emoji106]

I actually setup/began cycling my tank on the 17th. I don't have fish, and the last PWC I did was 50% yesterday (9/4). I have not been using any bacteria booster. Any particular brand recommendations?

 

[Bert2oo1]

I actually setup/began cycling my tank on the 17th. I don't have fish, and the last PWC I did was 50% yesterday (9/4). I have not been using any bacteria booster. Any particular brand recommendations?

I think I used tetra safe start by Api? Think that's what it's called. If you read the label it should say "contains live bacteria" I'd say your half way through the cycle [emoji106] not long to go [emoji16]

 

[dalto]

I think I used tetra safe start by Api? Think that's what it's called. If you read the label it should say "contains live bacteria" I'd say your half way through the cycle [emoji106] not long to go [emoji16]

Didn't you say in the first post you were seachem stability? That is a bottled bacteria product.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Didn't you say in the first post you were seachem stability? That is a bottled bacteria product.

I think stability is a GH booster rather than bacteria isn't it?

 

[dalto]

I think stability is a GH booster rather than bacteria isn't it?

Isn't that equilibrium?

Here is the beginning of the marketing blurb for Stability.

Stability® will rapidly and safely establish the aquarium biofilter in freshwater and marine systems, thereby preventing the #1 cause of fish death: "new tank syndrome". Stability® is formulated specifically for the aquarium and contains a synergistic blend of aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria which facilitate the breakdown of waste organics, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

 

[cloretta]

dalto & berto -- i'm honestly not sure what it is. but yes, i do use stability. i also just dosed with flourish, advanced, and excel yesterday because i've seen little plant growth

 

[Bert2oo1]

dalto & berto -- i'm honestly not sure what it is. but yes, i do use stability. i also just dosed with flourish, advanced, and excel yesterday because i've seen little plant growth

I may be wrong lol have a read of the bottle as I can't remember either[emoji16][emoji23] you should be dosing consistantly with your ferts even though you are cycling. It's best to dose from day one and stay consistent all the way through to avoid the plants getting unhealthy and algae settling in [emoji106]

 

[cloretta]

I may be wrong lol have a read of the bottle as I can't remember either[emoji16][emoji23] you should be dosing consistantly with your ferts even though you are cycling. It's best to dose from day one and stay consistent all the way through to avoid the plants getting unhealthy and algae settling in [emoji106]

That's what I was originally going to do (following Seachem's planted aquarium guide), but I was told to relax with the ferts until cycling was over because they were hardy plants. Additionally, I was considering doing some 'real' aquascaping after I've cycled, because right now my tank is nothing special and I'd like a different look.

 

[Bert2oo1]

That's what I was originally going to do (following Seachem's planted aquarium guide), but I was told to relax with the ferts until cycling was over because they were hardy plants. Additionally, I was considering doing some 'real' aquascaping after I've cycled, because right now my tank is nothing special and I'd like a different look.

I dosed PPS pro ferts from day one with Ada soil (leaks heaps of ammonia) with no issues. The concentration of seachem is lower so I'd rather have ferts there and the plants be healthy rather than running short on something and the plant then being an algae magnet

Ooh aquascaping! Sounds fun! I love starting fresh scapes [emoji16] can't wait to see it when your finish [emoji106]