The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling

[eco23]

mmmmm....shrimp n beer mmmmm

just curious, but if u never did a pwc doing cycle and taking into consideration water had a high pH reading.....wud my NO2 and NO3 gradually go down after spiking? just wondered.

Assuming the water had enough alkalinity to prevent a pH crash and assuming there were enough nutrients in the water to prevent a stall...they'd drop.

The mid-cycle pwc is to basically stabilize the water and restore all the things the nitrifying bacteria have used up to that point. The reason I recommend getting them low enough to read is not because high levels cause a stall or crash (the pwc should prevent that by restoring buffers and nutrients), but it's to help you keep your sanity by actually knowing what the levels are.

Lord knows you need help keeping the little bit of sanity you still have with your cycle, hahahaha. Just kidding bro.

 

[JoeDaniels]

Just to jump into an earlier conversation, if I'm based in Canada (military) which may be likely I will fly down for a weekend or i could even be based on the east coast that would be cool weeeeeey hahaha

 

[eco23]

Just to jump into an earlier conversation, if I'm based in Canada (military) which may be likely I will fly down for a weekend or i could even be based on the east coast that would be cool weeeeeey hahaha

We'll have a big fishless cycling party, lol. Problem is you're not old enough to drink in America are you? That's even better, you can drive us all home, haha.

 

[JoeDaniels]

Oh Darn!!!! I forgot well hopefully when I'm based it will just be skimming my 21st birthday and we can all have a fishless cycle party and meet in Somewhere in Nevada Erm I dunno ............ Just somewhere random like VEGAS!!!!! Hahaha I also have a rule never be the driver get the missus to do it hahaha

 

[tiguardo]

Hi all.

I'm hoping that someone can give me a little help with some of my readings, and what they may mean? I've been following this fantastic guide to fishless cycling, as I am in the process of setting up my 240L Roma, with a Fluval 305 filter. I have been cycling for three weeks now, following the guide, so brilliantly outlined. I have been adding pure ammonia to 4ppm, which has been dropping to around 1ppm in about 24 hours. My nitrites steadily climbed until they were at around 3.3ppm, followed by my Nitrates which reached around 110ppm.
Both Nitrites & nitrates have been consistent at these levels for past two weeks, until yesterday. I tested yesterday morning and my levels were now at:
Ammonia 0.6ppm
Nitrite had dropped to 0.5ppm
Nitrate had dropped to around 20ppm

I added ammonia back to 4ppm and re-tested today. My levels are now:
Ammonia 1.2ppm (not dropped as fast)
Nitrite 0.1ppm
Nitrate had gone up to around 50ppm

Is this still going the right direction (I'm a little concerned about the ammonia)

Any advice most welcome

 

[cichlidpaul]

Party can i come bro im in the fishlell now lmao

 

[cichlidpaul]

fishless lol

 

[cichlidpaul]

Talking of a party when me and you having a drink lol bro

 

[eco23]

Hi all.

I'm hoping that someone can give me a little help with some of my readings, and what they may mean? I've been following this fantastic guide to fishless cycling, as I am in the process of setting up my 240L Roma, with a Fluval 305 filter. I have been cycling for three weeks now, following the guide, so brilliantly outlined. I have been adding pure ammonia to 4ppm, which has been dropping to around 1ppm in about 24 hours. My nitrites steadily climbed until they were at around 3.3ppm, followed by my Nitrates which reached around 110ppm.
Both Nitrites & nitrates have been consistent at these levels for past two weeks, until yesterday. I tested yesterday morning and my levels were now at:
Ammonia 0.6ppm
Nitrite had dropped to 0.5ppm
Nitrate had dropped to around 20ppm

I added ammonia back to 4ppm and re-tested today. My levels are now:
Ammonia 1.2ppm (not dropped as fast)
Nitrite 0.1ppm
Nitrate had gone up to around 50ppm

Is this still going the right direction (I'm a little concerned about the ammonia)

Any advice most welcome

Welcome to AA! I'm glad the guide is helping you. You are literally days or hours from being done. It is possible that the ammo to no2 bacteria has stalled slightly either due to a lack of nutrients in the water or a pH drop. Did you do a 50% water change during your cycle? I'd check the pH for me, and if the pH is normal and the ammo does not continue to drop, do another 50% pwc to restore nutrients and buffers to the water. You're almost there!!!

 

[eco23]

Welcome to AA! I'm glad the guide is helping you. You are literally days or hours from being done. It is possible that the ammo to no2 bacteria has stalled slightly either due to a lack of nutrients in the water or a pH drop. Did you do a 50% water change during your cycle? I'd check the pH for me, and if the pH is normal and the ammo does not continue to drop, do another 50% pwc to restore nutrients and buffers to the water. You're almost there!!!

You are more than invited my friend! You might have a heck of a swim to get here though, lol. Is your cycle holding steady? Still dosing up the ammo every day and it drops to 0? Please say yes, lol.

 

[tiguardo]

Thanks for your reply. I did a 50% PWC 5 days ago. My ph has been steady at around 6 during the last 3 weeks(which is also the consistent ph in my other tank, which has been up an running for a year.) Must be our water over here!

I have added the ammonia back up to 4ppm this evening, so will keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow.

 

[cichlidpaul]

You are more than invited my friend! You might have a heck of a swim to get here though, lol. Is your cycle holding steady? Still dosing up the ammo every day and it drops to 0? Please say yes, lol.

Its still holding my friend and more i can add ammo at eight in the morning by ten its gone two hours i get 0 you know what you said about the filter being strong and could deal with anything well its come true i think mate its ( silly how quick it gets rid of ammo now ) wich then give me another problem if im right and thats keeping it going but belive me its a good problem , so yes mate still smiling

And thats no thanks to you mate strange saying if you ask me but i wouldnt give you no thanks i would give you every one of them its all down to your knowledge

 

[eco23]

Thanks for your reply. I did a 50% PWC 5 days ago. My ph has been steady at around 6 during the last 3 weeks(which is also the consistent ph in my other tank, which has been up an running for a year.) Must be our water over here!

I have added the ammonia back up to 4ppm this evening, so will keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Cool, keep us posted...I expect good news VERY soon

 

[eco23]

Its still holding my friend and more i can add ammo at eight in the morning by ten its gone two hours i get 0 you know what you said about the filter being strong and could deal with anything well its come true i think mate its ( silly how quick it gets rid of ammo now ) wich then give me another problem if im right and thats keeping it going but belive me its a good problem , so yes mate still smiling

And thats no thanks to you mate strange saying if you ask me but i wouldnt give you no thanks i would give you every one of them its all down to your knowledge

Don't mention it brother. I'm just glad we got you sorted. I'm sorry it took me so long to get you figured out. If you're gonna wait another couple weeks to stock fish, you might want to up the daily ammo up to around 3ppm to keep the bacteria from dying off. Also, have you got someone to feed the tank ammo while you're gone?

 

[cichlidpaul]

Well yes i have my son to feed it if i hadnt well then our holiday would be not happening lol

i have to mention it bro just so other people now how good you really are , long mmmm not that long really as its a 120 gallon tank and like you say the filter is big so to be cycled in less time that it did well im not sure , like i said i was told 4 weeks max no matter the size of the tank ...... what can i say apart from imo sh** like you say the bigger the field the longer to plow

ok will bang it up to 3 for now but i really carnt wait till i get back from holiday now to stock my tank , just added to power heads too so just got to make the filters for them now each one turns the water 1850 lts an hour lol so that makes me at now 5700 lts an hour weeheeee thats just over 1500 us gallons an hour

 

[eco23]

Well yes i have my son to feed it if i hadnt well then our holiday would be not happening lol

i have to mention it bro just so other people now how good you really are , long mmmm not that long really as its a 120 gallon tank and like you say the filter is big so to be cycled in less time that it did well im not sure , like i said i was told 4 weeks max no matter the size of the tank ...... what can i say apart from imo sh** like you say the bigger the field the longer to plow

ok will bang it up to 3 for now but i really carnt wait till i get back from holiday now to stock my tank , just added to power heads too so just got to make the filters for them now each one turns the water 1850 lts an hour lol so that makes me at now 5700 lts an hour weeheeee thats just over 1500 us gallons an hour

That's insane bro, lol. Just don't go crazy and take anything out of the tank now that it's finally cycled. We'll have to have that Skype meeting sometime soon. Like I said though...with the time difference, one of us will be drinking either really early in the day...or the wee hours of the morning, haha.

 

[cichlidpaul]

Take it you think i have good filtration then lol i did tell you it was going to be good lol but when the powerheads came i have to say i was gob smacked on how big the where mate they ar huge but to be honest now in the than just blowing bubbles and moving the water around i have got use to them i will take a pic mate the tank looks so diff now theirs little bubbles every where the tank is loaded with them tell me what you think bro will go take one now not sure so tell me what you think

 

[eco23]

Take it you think i have good filtration then lol i did tell you it was going to be good lol but when the powerheads came i have to say i was gob smacked on how big the where mate they ar huge but to be honest now in the than just blowing bubbles and moving the water around i have got use to them i will take a pic mate the tank looks so diff now theirs little bubbles every where the tank is loaded with them tell me what you think bro will go take one now not sure so tell me what you think

Cool man, I'd love to see pics of your ginormous tank that's big enough to put a whale in, lol.

 

[tiguardo]

Cool, keep us posted...I expect good news VERY soon

I sure will. Getting very excited now!

I've been hooked reading everyone's cycling journals.

With all your knowledge, you should write a book on the subject.

 

[Deckape]

I sure will. Getting very excited now!

I've been hooked reading everyone's cycling journals.

With all your knowledge, you should write a book on the subject.

Good luck with your tank!