Fishless Cycle Log/Rebuild - Take II

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I agree with Z. If it's moving, it's moving. Liquid test kits are a good standard but these color shade test kits are not exacting by any means.

If things are moving then the bacteria is working, just remember that.

Have you tested your Ph?

Have you added anything to the tank besides ammonia?

Nitrifiers need micronutrients, which are typically available in tap water, but not always, especially if the tank has gone a while without a wc.
 
jetajockey said:
I agree with Z. If it's moving, it's moving. Liquid test kits are a good standard but these color shade test kits are not exacting by any means.

If things are moving then the bacteria is working, just remember that.

Have you tested your Ph?

Have you added anything to the tank besides ammonia?

Nitrifiers need micronutrients, which are typically available in tap water, but not always, especially if the tank has gone a while without a wc.
Click to expand...

Nutrients....you mean like fish food?

I haven't done a water change since July 3.

I added fish food on July 6, so it's been a while. Should I add a little more? I don't want to grow any nasties in there but I can grind it up if you think it might help.

I haven't added anything else to the tank other than replacing water once a week that has evaporated (treated with Prime of course).

I only tested high PH last night and it was dark blue (at least 7.6) which is what it usually is, then the high range kit usually reads the lightest color 7.4 but I didn't test that last night. I figure the normal range was good enough since it wasn't showing a crash.

The 3 filters and air stone are causing a lot of bubbles and some are stuck to my fake plants and the heater and the filter intakes (they've been like that for a while). There's also some very small micro bubbles swirling around which look like they're coming from the HOB filter output but I'm assuming for now this is all fine since there aren't fish in there to be bothered by it.

I'm trying to remain hopeful and patient, but it's getting tough. At least ammonia is steadily dropping which is a first, so I have that for now at least. (y)
 
i would add some fish food, the worst that will happen is it might get some fungus on it, but it's easy enough to vacuum out if needed. I don't know if you have a nutrient deficiency but its definitely something that can stall nitrifier growth so it's not a bad idea to cover that base as well.

Have you tested your tap water for ammonia recently? Not that it matters but just wondering if you are getting solid yellows on your test kit or not.
 
jetajockey said:
i would add some fish food, the worst that will happen is it might get some fungus on it, but it's easy enough to vacuum out if needed. I don't know if you have a nutrient deficiency but its definitely something that can stall nitrifier growth so it's not a bad idea to cover that base as well.

Have you tested your tap water for ammonia recently? Not that it matters but just wondering if you are getting solid yellows on your test kit or not.
Click to expand...

I've tested in the past yes, I think the most recent was when I set this tank up last month. Everything was zero then (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) although I did have a weird reading once when I left the tap water out and kept testing it; after a day or so it started showing ammonia readings, it got as high as .5 at one point after about almost 30 hours of sitting out (I'm going by memory here so may not be completely accurate). Not sure if that means anything or why that would happen. I can do another test to double-check. The PH out of my tap is very high also last time I checked (at least 8.4 from what I remember) then after sitting out a while it settles to 7.4. If I ever get fish this will probably be an issue with water changes, I may have to let the water sit before putting it in the tank.

It's also pretty soft water (GH 3, KH 2), so maybe that's playing a part here too.

I'll add some fish food tonight and re-test the tap water then let it sit until tomorrow night and test again.

Also this might be a dumb question but: Since I have two filters in addition to the sponge filter, will growing the bacteria be slower since it has more areas in which to grow on? Instead of colonizing one filter really well in a decent amount of time, it has to colonize 3 filters? Ok now I think it's a dumb question.... lol Just trying to find reasons to convince myself not to give up, I guess.

Thanks Jeta (and everyone else who is STILL hanging in there with me and reading this thread lol). :flowers:
 
I'm never really sure whether to post results here at night if nothing major happens....

Tonight Day 40 :deadhorse:

Ammonia: 0.25 as expected (I'll re-dose I guess, may as well go through the motions for another 8 days)
Nitrite: 0 as expected
Nitrate: 10-20 as expected


:bawl: :bawl: :bawl:
 
jetajockey said:
So it went from .5 to .25 overnight? No adjustments to tank parameters?
Click to expand...

Yep and nope.

I know it's good ammonia is dropping but it's been dropping the same amount each night (goes from 2 after I redose to 1.5 the next night, 1 the next night, .5 the next night, 0.25 the next night --which if it's dropping .5 every night this theoretically should be zero but it isn't -- then I redose and it starts again). This has been going on since I added your sponge on July 11 (before then ammonia drops were random, sometimes a few nights in a row and then it would stay the same a few nights, etc). So for 10 days it's been dropping the same amount.

Maybe I'm being impatient and should start counting the cycle from when I added your sponge, which is 10 days (hm, feels longer) ... :ermm:
 
You have substrate in the tank right? Just wondering because I had this issue with a few bare bottom tanks a while back. I also had this problem with a 10g one time but I summed it up to lack of biofiltration. The tank was fine in the end, and I ended up stocking it, since .25ppm is not even close to a toxic level no matter what the ph/temp is. What I said earlier about the test kit being exacting, they simply aren't, but it's your call. I'm still glad to see that things are moving along, anyhow.
 
jetajockey said:
You have substrate in the tank right? Just wondering because I had this issue with a few bare bottom tanks a while back. I also had this problem with a 10g one time but I summed it up to lack of biofiltration. The tank was fine in the end, and I ended up stocking it, since .25ppm is not even close to a toxic level no matter what the ph/temp is. What I said earlier about the test kit being exacting, they simply aren't, but it's your call. I'm still glad to see that things are moving along, anyhow.
Click to expand...

Yes there's substrate in the tank. If it was moving more ammonia more quickly (like going from 2 to 0.25 overnight) then I'd say ok maybe it's close enough, but it isn't dropping anywhere close to that, just the 0.5 per night it seems. I guess I'll keep waiting. Thanks Jeta! I think I finally scared everyone else off. ;)
 
You didn't scare me off...I'm just hiding in the shadows :)

I don't have any problem with SLOWLY stocking the tank. Lord knows you're committed enough to handle anything that arises.

I just can't shake the feeling we're still missing a variable. But as long as ammo is being converted and no3 is rising...I'm not gonna put up any argument.
 
Progress is slow, but it's progress, thankfully. So we've come to a bend in the road, rather than wonder if the tank can harbor bacteria at all, we see that it has been, we just have to figure out what is keeping it from knocking out all the toxins at a faster rate.

Could be a number of things, one including sheer patience, but at least at this point I think the tank is at a different stage anyhow.
 
I'm not sure if this is a piece of the puzzle...but I've got an ungodly amount of CC at home as well as some pieces of media I've been seeding in my canister filter.

I know I recommended tossing some crushed coral in a long time ago just to see if raising your low GH and kH might in any way be a help...but I don't think we ever tried it. Just another hail mary pass...but why not.

PM me your address and I'll get it out to you just for kicks. Don't even joke about paying for shipping...it's like $3 and I think I've put you through enough with that stupid guide, lol.
 
librarygirl said:
I think I finally scared everyone else off. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm still reading this thread wanting it to work for you. Keeping my fingers crossed that it's slowly happening for you.
 
I just realized the new "thanks" buttons are here...I'll have to see what that's all about.

Wolf, she can't PM you anyways because your inbox is full, lol. I tried to shoot you one a few minutes ago.

If all else fails...we can hold an AA fundraiser where everyone donates a piece of media to Librarygirl. So many people are rooting for you that you could probably cover your walls with all that people would send you :)
 
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