One cycle nearly done/Another starts

[Lady Hobbs]

I began the fishless cycle on my 29 gallon tank Friday late afternoon. Four days into this and the ammonia I added last night was registering 0 this morning, nitrites are 1 and nitrates are nearly 80. I have added more ammonia today that I expect will register 0 again by evening.

The first time I added the ammonia I dumped in too much and instead of having a reading of around 5. my reading was 8. so I added no more ammonia for 3 days. Yesterday I got my first 0 reading so added more and again today back to 0.

This tank is in the finishing up stages already so today I started a new cycle on my little 10 gallon. I didn't like the gravel color and wanted to make some changes. Hopefully this tank will also give me a 6-7 day cycle.

This is so incredibly easy and to think back to when I cycled with fish and all the testing and water changes.........ppttfff. Of course it helps tremendously to have some "seeded" material.

[hungryhound]

It sounds like things are going well. It must be nice to be able to do a cycle in less than a week. :) I hope that your second one goes as well as your first.

[Chrona]

I predict an algae outbreak in 5.......4.........3.........2.......

:)

[Lady Hobbs]

argh.....thanks Chrona.

I did do something that was rather odd, I suppose, altho not for me because I do lots of odd things. :18: When I rinsed my fluorite that I used before, I poured off the nasty dark stuff in bottles for house plants. I had one house plant that was looking mighty sick and using that fluorite water really gave it a nice boost with lots of new green growth.

I thought "what the heck" and poured some in my planted tank yesterday. Figured a bit of iron wouldn't hurt it any. If it does the plants no good that's fine but I figured it wouldn't hurt them any, either.

[Chrona]

argh.....thanks Chrona.

I did do something that was rather odd, I suppose, altho not for me because I do lots of odd things. :18: When I rinsed my fluorite that I used before, I poured off the nasty dark stuff in bottles for house plants. I had one house plant that was looking mighty sick and using that fluorite water really gave it a nice boost with lots of new green growth.

I thought "what the heck" and poured some in my planted tank yesterday. Figured a bit of iron wouldn't hurt it any. If it does the plants no good that's fine but I figured it wouldn't hurt them any, either.

You don't have any fish in the tank do you?..... General purpose liquid plant fertilizers are not intended for aquariums because they don't really care what gets into them, as long as they contain said nutrients, so it may well contain copper/other harmful metals.

If that fert caused a growth spurt, then you know it's some nutrient that is the limiting factor. Adding nitrate, phosphate, potassium via dry ferts is a much safer (and cheaper) way of getting plant growth. And Flourish for trace/iron

I hope that Miracle gro doesn't cause an algae outbreak, lol.

Oh, and you are welcome. I'm always here for support :)

[Lady Hobbs]

You don't have any fish in the tank do you?..... General purpose liquid plant fertilizers are not intended for aquariums because they don't really care what gets into them, as long as they contain said nutrients, so it may well contain copper/other harmful metals.

If that fert caused a growth spurt, then you know it's some nutrient that is the limiting factor. Adding nitrate, phosphate, potassium via dry ferts is a much safer (and cheaper) way of getting plant growth. And Flourish for trace/iron

I hope that Miracle gro doesn't cause an algae outbreak, lol.

Oh, and you are welcome. I'm always here for support :)

What are you talking about? I used no General purpose liquid ferts. I used the water from my fluorite. If it contained harmful copper/metals it would not be in this potting soil that is supposed to be so great for the plants.

[Chrona]

What are you talking about? I used no General purpose liquid ferts. I used the water from my fluorite. If it contained harmful copper/metals it would not be in this potting soil that is supposed to be so great for the plants.

OHHH lmao. I misread your post. I thought you were dumping houseplant liquid fertilizers into the tank LOL.

Yeah that Flourite dust/mulm is great fertilizer.

[Lady Hobbs]

Dang. I'm not that stupid!

[Chrona]

Dang. I'm not that stupid!

Never said that :P

We all have our "blonde" moments though (no offense to anyone who is a blonde lol)

[Lady Hobbs]

Mine are not blonde moments. Mine are BLACK OUTS!

[Lady Hobbs]

It sounds like things are going well. It must be nice to be able to do a cycle in less than a week. :) I hope that your second one goes as well as your first.

You can if you move the gravel nasties over to the new tank, use all the wood you have, heat it to the max and aerate constantly.

[Lady Hobbs]

I am back with an update. This is the morning of day 5 and my readings are:

ammonia .25 (I add more last night)
nitrites 0 !!!!!!
nitrates 10 OK.....where did my nitrates go? I was thinking I'd in in for a large water change and nitrates went from 80 - 10. I know plants use up nitrates but didn't know they'd use up that much.

Fish will be going in today.