I was almost at the end... Nitrites came back!
- Thread starter MajorGFX
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threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think you are doing ok. I know it's frustrating though.
If you have any fish flake you can add a tiny pinch, this will add some phosphorus to the water which can sometimes be a stall issue.
Is your pH over 7 still?
I'd just do 2ppm every 3-4 days instead of every day. With this you will no longer need to do any water changes.
If you have any fish flake you can add a tiny pinch, this will add some phosphorus to the water which can sometimes be a stall issue.
Is your pH over 7 still?
I'd just do 2ppm every 3-4 days instead of every day. With this you will no longer need to do any water changes.
Isn't the Ammonia needed to help create the bacteria that removes Nitrites though?
I skipped adding Ammonia last night to see if the Nitrite is falling, which i will check later today. I will dose up 2PPM again tonight and hopefully soon it will be at 0.
Nitrite is definitely falling slowly I think as the test tube takes a bit longer to turn purple now.
Here is how it was explained to me... There are two sets of bacteria. Set A eats ammonia, poops nitrite. Set B eats nitrite, poops nitrate. Set A is well established. It's B you're waiting on. They are there or you wouldn't have the nitrates at all. Both sets have very slow reproduction rates -- even under ideal conditions, the doubling rate is about fifteen hours. That's extremely slow for bacteria and the reason that having a good population from seeded filter media makes cycling exponentially quicker. Set A will not perish if you ease up on feeding them. They are capable of surviving for weeks with no food at all so you don't damage them by skipping doses.
The thing with fishless cycling is that it does not replicate real life conditions. It would take a lot of fish to produce 2ppm ammonia per day. So, waiting for set B to be able to handle that allows full stocking from the day after your massive water change. If set B is present (which they are) and processing a good amount of nitrite, then the setup could handle fish. Maybe not stocked to the brim yet but most folks don't stock that way anyhow.
I started with a filter containing the bacteria that were handling an established 6 gallon tank. I moved it into a new canister attached to a 65 along with the three fish from the six. I've been adding fish a few at a time ever since and the filter keeps up. No ammonia, no nitrite. I'm sure you have enough bacteria to do this. Folks just hesitate to recommend it because waiting for the bacteria to handle 2ppm in 24 hours feels safer to them.
The thing with fishless cycling is that it does not replicate real life conditions. It would take a lot of fish to produce 2ppm ammonia per day. So, waiting for set B to be able to handle that allows full stocking from the day after your massive water change. If set B is present (which they are) and processing a good amount of nitrite, then the setup could handle fish. Maybe not stocked to the brim yet but most folks don't stock that way anyhow.
I started with a filter containing the bacteria that were handling an established 6 gallon tank. I moved it into a new canister attached to a 65 along with the three fish from the six. I've been adding fish a few at a time ever since and the filter keeps up. No ammonia, no nitrite. I'm sure you have enough bacteria to do this. Folks just hesitate to recommend it because waiting for the bacteria to handle 2ppm in 24 hours feels safer to them.
Thanks a lot, that makes sense.
I've just done a check and nitrite is 0.25.
I've just added 1ppm of ammonia and if it's 0.25 or less tomorrow I will do a water change and slowly stock it.
It's obviously removing nitrites slowly.
Should be able to keep up with a couple of fish?
threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
It will be able to keep up with a couple fish, yes.
The benefit of fishless is that it's instantly ready to accommodate as much as you want to stock, all at once. But if you can turn over at least 1ppm in 24 hours, you can go the gradual route as well. Just keep In mind you'll need to never add to many fish at once or you'll be in a mini cycle.
Once you can handle 1ppm in 24 hours, it should only take 48-72 hours to handle 2ppm, then another 48-72 to handle 4ppm.
But if you can at least convert 1ppm you are cycled enough for a light stocking.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
The benefit of fishless is that it's instantly ready to accommodate as much as you want to stock, all at once. But if you can turn over at least 1ppm in 24 hours, you can go the gradual route as well. Just keep In mind you'll need to never add to many fish at once or you'll be in a mini cycle.
Once you can handle 1ppm in 24 hours, it should only take 48-72 hours to handle 2ppm, then another 48-72 to handle 4ppm.
But if you can at least convert 1ppm you are cycled enough for a light stocking.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
jwh0818
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just read all this. I'm stuck on the trites as well. I do a 100% wc and they are back full throttle and kicking my butt for sure. Since I have a fish, I just double dose prime and call it a day and do another wc every 24 hours. I have 2ppm ammo in my tap so that's hurting me also but it seems to disappear but very slow. I'm for sure following this to find an answer
threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
Unfortunately your situation is not really the same since you are cycling fish-in. This is pretty dangerous with 2ppm ammonia out of your tap. You can always start a thread if you need some assistance.
threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's great news, congrats! Although sorry to hear there are other issues. There always is something isn't there (I mean that in general, not at you! lol)
Haha, I know what you mean
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/recently-added-6-silver-dollars-300968.html#post2863274
Above issue if you have any thoughts?
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
Haha, I know what you mean
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/recently-added-6-silver-dollars-300968.html#post2863274
Above issue if you have any thoughts?
The silver dollars will probably eat the live plants in your tank.
The link you provided, although appropriately titled, oddly enough takes you to a 2002 thread about using the Berlin Method in a SW reef tank. Julian Sprung is mentioned in the article. The name rings a bell because back in the pre-internet days one way of getting info was through mail correspondence. I had written him a letter with questions about reverse flow UG filtration and redox potential and he was kind enough to write back.
very confused as the link above takes me to my thread I created? How strange!
Lets try again:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/recently-added-6-silver-dollars-300968.html
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
It worked! Still puzzling why the other link pointed to something totally unrelated.
threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
I checked it out, but no ideas from me sorry I know a lot about the science stuff, but not so much about diseases, except for a few.
Sounds like they are improving though?
I know a lot about the science stuff, but not so much about diseases, except for a few.Sounds like they are improving though?
I checked it out, but no ideas from me sorry
Sounds like they are improving though?
Ok well this will really puzzle you...
The fish was laying on the bottom of the tank, hardly breathing, falling to one side. I gave it an hour before I had to flush him to fishy heaven
I added a pinch of food and next minute he is darting around the tank eating!
After feeding he has gone back to the bottom of the tank and really doesnt look well! I really have no idea what is wrong with it, the other 5 seem fine for now...
I did notice just 1 or 2 white spots on his top fin, could it be Ich?
jwh0818
Aquarium Advice Addict
What kind of fish?
threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
what kind of spots? Ich looks like little granules of salt or sugar on the fish
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