Fish-In Cycle Log

[mos2k]

Hi guys,

I'll be posting my cycling log with Fish, since i was unable to find ammonia for a fishless cycle.. (blush)

I'll be posting my Cycle log daily and any comments, suggestions and advice will be highly appreciated from you guys thumbs2:

Also I managed to get some BB squeezed from a mature filter from the LFS when I purchased the fishes.



Equipment:

1. 50G 36X18X18 tank
2. Body Guard Filter with 238G/HR filtering capcity (internal power filter)
3. 1x Penplax 5' Bubble disk
4. 1x Penplax X4 air filter
5. 1x small air stone
6. DIY CO2 System
7. Lights ( 1 x 24" Colorglow 6700K & 1x 24" Philips Warm Daylight)
8. Plastic Plants
9. 1 X Live Plant ( I think its an Amazon Sword. I'm not sure)

Fishes:

1. 2 X Tiger Barbs
2. 5 X Red Eye Tetras

I'm using the API MASTER FRESHWATER TEST KIT

Also my ambient temperature is around 36-37 C so its hard to keep the water temps below 84F.

Also I feed the fish twice in small quantities. once at 7am when i turn the lights on and once at 7pm when I turn the lights off.

I'm on my Day 7 of the cycle and the log is below:


Tap Water Conditions:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
pH: 8.5


Day 1

Ammonia : 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.5
Temp: 84 F

Day 2

Ammonia : <0.25 (showing greenish color)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.5
Temp: 84 F

Day 3

Ammonia : 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.2
Temp: 84 F
Note: Added CO2 DIY into the tank

Day 4

Ammonia : 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Temp: 84 F
pH: 8.0

Day 5

Ammonia : >0.25 & <0.5 (more greener towards 0.5 ppm on the chart)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH : 7.5
Temp: 84 F
Note: Did a 30 % PWC to bring the ammonia closer to 0.25 PPM

Day 6

Ammonia : 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5
Temp: 84 F

Day 7

Ammonia : > 0.5 & < 1.0 PPM
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5
Temp: 84 F
Note: Did a 60% PWC to bring the ammonia to 0.5


Am I cycling correctly?:hmm3grin2orange:

[Lady Hobbs]

Those are some pretty warm temps. I'd turn them down to just under 80.

[mos2k]

Those are some pretty warm temps. I'd turn them down to just under 80.

I agree but my room temp reach 95F and I have no way of cooling the aquarium water? Its been table at 84F. Will this high of a temp be an issue during cycling?

[Cliff]

+1 to the above

I would also not allow the ammonia to get higher than 0.5ppm. Any higher and it could harm your fish

[mos2k]

Day 8

Ammonia : 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.8

Still no change hoping there will be some movement..!!!

[Lady Hobbs]

Cycling with fish can take longer than using ammonia due to the fact you have to keep the toxic level so low for the fish to survive. It takes patience, daily testing and those water changes.

It will probably be 3 weeks before you can get the cycle with what you have and then you can only add a few more fish and wait it out again for a couple more weeks.

[mos2k]

Day 9

Ammonia : 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.8

Day 10

Ammonia : 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.0
Note: Did a 45% PWC to keep the ammonia down at 0.5

Day 11

Ammonia : 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.8

Day 12

Ammonia : 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.8

Can I be Stuck in the Cycle?

[mos2k]

BREAKTHROUGH!!!!! :19:

Last night before going to bed I checked the water parameters and there was only ammonia, When I woke up the fishes were very finicky and restless.. I did my usual water tests and I GOT readings on the nitrites as well as Nitrates.... (attached Picture of tests)

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5051/dsc01862sl.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/dsc01862sl.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Readings

Ammonia Seems to have risen to 1.0PPM from 0.5 PPM yesterday or maybe it had been 1.0 PPM all along and I have been reading it wrong... (A little hard in reading the results)..

Day 14

Ammonia: >0.5 &<1.0 (am I Correct?)
Nitrites: 0.5
Nitrates: >5.0 & <10.0 or is it >0 & <5.0 ppm
pH: 8.3 ? (its purplish)

Note: I did a 30% PWC just to ease off the nitrite, ammonia and Nitrates.. Should I do another PWC? if yes, how much PWC? The fishs are now back to their normal self after the water change.. :help:

[Cliff]

Yes your ammonia looks like 1ppm

You should be doing a water change if it hits 0.5 ppm. As you are at 1ppm, do two 50% water changes spaced about one hour apart. The first one will get your levels down to 0.5ppm and the second should bring it down to 0.25 ppm.

[mos2k]

Yes your ammonia looks like 1ppm

You should be doing a water change if it hits 0.5 ppm. As you are at 1ppm, do two 50% water changes spaced about one hour apart. The first one will get your levels down to 0.5ppm and the second should bring it down to 0.25 ppm.

Okay will be right on it.. Thank you Cliff!!!:22:

[Cliff]

Keep us posted on your progress

[mos2k]

I Will till its cycled with its full stock, not the current stock .. so its a long wait still... getting a nitrite readings was a really big milestone for me..

[Lady Hobbs]

Those are some pretty high levels for only 7 fish in a 50 gallon.

[mos2k]

Okay guys another update...!!! Since I'm on the Nitrite Stage of the Cycle I'm not testing for Nitrate for the moment...

Day 15

Ammonia: 0.5
Nitritie: 1.0
pH: 8.3
Temp: 86F
Note: 45% PWC

Day 16

Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 1.0
pH: 8.3
Temp: 86F

Day 17

Ammonia: < 0.25
Nitrite: 2.0
pH: 8.3
Temp: 86F
Note: 45% PWC

Day 18

Ammonia: << 0.25 almost 0
Nitrite: 1.0
pH: 8.3
Temp: 86F

Day 19

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 2
pH: 8.3
Note: 45% PWC

Okay I just woke up and did the routine Testing and here is the picture..

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/6529/dsc01888i.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/546/dsc01888i.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Day 20

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: not sure
pH: 8.3???
Temp: 86F

Also the first test tube from the left of the picture shows my Tap's pH....Any advice, comments would be appreciated

[Cliff]

You really should not be allowing your nitrites to build up higher than 0.5ppm. Any higher and it starts to become very toxic to your fish. You need to do a few 50% water changes to lower it, or below, 0.5ppm. No different than how you handle your ammonia.

Have you read the cycling with fish thread here (link below). It explains the process better than I can.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=36492

[Lady Hobbs]

That nitrite color is not anywhere near anything you have. Looks like you mixed up something. Maybe it's the color of the photo but it should be lavendar not pink.

Again, those are some awfully high temps. I would keep the tank light off during the heat of the day (and most of the day) and turn a fan on the tank. The room has got to be very uncomfortable for humans to be in at that temp. I think I'd have to have a window air conditioner. Realize that is probably not possible but try to keep the heat out. Don't let the sun shine into the room and keep all the fans you have running. Lights on very little during the hottest hours.

[mos2k]

You really should not be allowing your nitrites to build up higher than 0.5ppm. Any higher and it starts to become very toxic to your fish. You need to do a few 50% water changes to lower it, or below, 0.5ppm. No different than how you handle your ammonia.

Have you read the cycling with fish thread here (link below). It explains the process better than I can.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=36492


Yeah I did an almost 60% PWC ... after I took this picture... It just goes up so sooon... in almost 8-12 hrs... its back to 1.0 ppm. But i'm doing the PWC...

Also the room temp here is 33C so the water is cooler.. I haven't turned on the lights for 2-3 days since it just gets really hot.. and the fan is always running. The tank doesn't get any direct sunlight....

[Cliff]

Keep in mind you can do more than 1 waterchange in a day if that is what is needed. As your nitrites were around 2ppm, it makes sense that only a 50 or 60% water change would only reduce it to around 1 ppm. A second 50% water change would have brought it down closer to the safe range for your fish.

You need to keep up on those waterchanges

[mos2k]

Keep in mind you can do more than 1 waterchange in a day if that is what is needed. As your nitrites were around 2ppm, it makes sense that only a 50 or 60% water change would only reduce it to around 1 ppm. A second 50% water change would have brought it down closer to the safe range for your fish.

You need to keep up on those waterchanges

ohh okay I didnt know that.. I'll do another 60% PWC in 1 hr.. so to let the new water get mixed with the old one evenly.. or should I do another 60% PWC now?

[Cliff]

Waiting a hour in between is a good idea. It lessens the potential shock to the fish.

[mos2k]

Okay so I just checked the Water parameters and guess what the Nitrites are going down YAYYYYY :19: I'm just confused as it really soon.. as in 20 days with Fish-in Cycle

Here is the Picture of the Tests

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6342/dsc01889k.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/338/dsc01889k.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)