Sanchez5296
- #1
Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?: 10 gallons
What type of water are you using in your tank? (tap, well, RO/DI, other): RO/DI
When did you start cycling the tank?: 16 days ago
What type of filtration are you running on this tank? (sponge, HOB, canister, other): Sponge
If canister or HOB list all the media you are running in it. (manufactured cartridges, sponge, etc.):
Do you have good water agitation/surface movement?: Yes
What is the water temperature?: 79
If fish in cycling
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts):
How often do you feed them and how much?:
Are they showing signs of distress? (fish hiding, staying at the top, looking pale, torn fins, etc):
Do you have live plants in the tank?:
If so are they healthy and actively growing?:
Products used while cycling
If this is a fishless cycle what ammonia source are you using? (fish food, Dr Tim’s ammonia, other): Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride
If adding liquid ammonia how often do you dose ammonia in your tank and in what quantity? (1ppm, 2ppm etc.): 1ppm
If using fish food as your ammonia source how much are you adding and how often?:
Are you using a dechlorinater and if so, which one?: No
Are you using bottled bacteria and if so, which one?: Stopped using stability after day 7
Did you add seeded media from a previously cycled tank?: No
What other products/chemicals are you using? (list them all):
Testing and cycling process
What was your knowledge of the nitrogen cycle before beginning to cycle your tank? (none, beginner, intermediate (please explain), advanced): Beginner
What do you use to test the water? (API liquid, test strips, other): Api Master Test Kit
Did you test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH, if so post the results below?:
Have you done any water changes and if so, when?: One 30% on day 11 to lower nitrites to 2ppm
How much water did you change?: 30%
Did you vacuum the substrate?: No
Did you clean your filter, filter media, decorations and/or glass?: No
If using disposable cartridges have you replaced one recently?:
*Parameters - Very Important
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Tank water:
Ammonia: 0.25 to 0.50
Nitrite: 0.25
Nitrate: 10ppm
pH: 7.0
Tap water:
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Explain your cycling problem in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the problem leading up to now)
Hello, I am having a bit of trouble with my cycle. I have an earlier post that I made about a week and a half ago that you can check out if you like. I began by dosing about 0.50 ppm ammonia on day 2. On day 4 and 5, ammonia hung out around 1-1.5 ppm and nitrites between 0.25 and 0.50ppm. On day 6-11, nitrites were between 2-5ppm and probably even higher. Nitrates have been around 5-10 ppm since day 7. I went a few days without redosing ammonia because I was waiting for it to get close to 0.
On Day 11, it was pretty close but not quite. I did a 30% water change on Day 11 to reduce the amount of nitrites and got it down to 2ppm. I redosed until ammonia was 1ppm on day 11, on day 12, and 13. On day 14, nitrite was still 2.0 ppm, and I didnt dose ammonia which was about 0.25ppm. On day 15, nitrite fell down to 0.25ppm. I redosed ammonia and brought it to 1ppm on day 15.
Today, day 16, ammonia is between 0.25 and 0.50 and nitrite is still 0.25. I noticed a bit of a trend, when I dose ammonia to 1.0ppm, in 24 hours, it is usually about half of that. For example, it went from 1.0ppm to 0.50 on day 15 to day 16. What should I do next? Should I dose more ammonia today with it being between 0.25 and 0.50? My main question is, because I dosed such a small amount of ammonia at the beginning, is that why the bacteria is only able to eat so little(half) of the ammonia in 24 hours?
What is the water volume of the tank?: 10 gallons
What type of water are you using in your tank? (tap, well, RO/DI, other): RO/DI
When did you start cycling the tank?: 16 days ago
What type of filtration are you running on this tank? (sponge, HOB, canister, other): Sponge
If canister or HOB list all the media you are running in it. (manufactured cartridges, sponge, etc.):
Do you have good water agitation/surface movement?: Yes
What is the water temperature?: 79
If fish in cycling
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts):
How often do you feed them and how much?:
Are they showing signs of distress? (fish hiding, staying at the top, looking pale, torn fins, etc):
Do you have live plants in the tank?:
If so are they healthy and actively growing?:
Products used while cycling
If this is a fishless cycle what ammonia source are you using? (fish food, Dr Tim’s ammonia, other): Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride
If adding liquid ammonia how often do you dose ammonia in your tank and in what quantity? (1ppm, 2ppm etc.): 1ppm
If using fish food as your ammonia source how much are you adding and how often?:
Are you using a dechlorinater and if so, which one?: No
Are you using bottled bacteria and if so, which one?: Stopped using stability after day 7
Did you add seeded media from a previously cycled tank?: No
What other products/chemicals are you using? (list them all):
Testing and cycling process
What was your knowledge of the nitrogen cycle before beginning to cycle your tank? (none, beginner, intermediate (please explain), advanced): Beginner
What do you use to test the water? (API liquid, test strips, other): Api Master Test Kit
Did you test your tap water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH, if so post the results below?:
Have you done any water changes and if so, when?: One 30% on day 11 to lower nitrites to 2ppm
How much water did you change?: 30%
Did you vacuum the substrate?: No
Did you clean your filter, filter media, decorations and/or glass?: No
If using disposable cartridges have you replaced one recently?:
*Parameters - Very Important
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Tank water:
Ammonia: 0.25 to 0.50
Nitrite: 0.25
Nitrate: 10ppm
pH: 7.0
Tap water:
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Explain your cycling problem in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the problem leading up to now)
Hello, I am having a bit of trouble with my cycle. I have an earlier post that I made about a week and a half ago that you can check out if you like. I began by dosing about 0.50 ppm ammonia on day 2. On day 4 and 5, ammonia hung out around 1-1.5 ppm and nitrites between 0.25 and 0.50ppm. On day 6-11, nitrites were between 2-5ppm and probably even higher. Nitrates have been around 5-10 ppm since day 7. I went a few days without redosing ammonia because I was waiting for it to get close to 0.
On Day 11, it was pretty close but not quite. I did a 30% water change on Day 11 to reduce the amount of nitrites and got it down to 2ppm. I redosed until ammonia was 1ppm on day 11, on day 12, and 13. On day 14, nitrite was still 2.0 ppm, and I didnt dose ammonia which was about 0.25ppm. On day 15, nitrite fell down to 0.25ppm. I redosed ammonia and brought it to 1ppm on day 15.
Today, day 16, ammonia is between 0.25 and 0.50 and nitrite is still 0.25. I noticed a bit of a trend, when I dose ammonia to 1.0ppm, in 24 hours, it is usually about half of that. For example, it went from 1.0ppm to 0.50 on day 15 to day 16. What should I do next? Should I dose more ammonia today with it being between 0.25 and 0.50? My main question is, because I dosed such a small amount of ammonia at the beginning, is that why the bacteria is only able to eat so little(half) of the ammonia in 24 hours?