fishless cycling 6 weeks in..HELP

fishless cycle 6 weeks in

Thanks wetmanNy and demon surfer for your posts. I really appreciate it.
Here are my readings from today:
ammonia 0
nitrite .50
nitrate 40
ph 6.4-6.6
gh 7
kh 6

I am going to add the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda right??)
and get the crushed coral. Hopefully I will be ready to get fish this weekend. It has been a long process!!

Thanks again.
 
Yes, baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Your current KH and pH are good -- I wouldn't mess with them too much.

Keep some crushed coral on deck for the future (just a different form of the same thing that will dissolve much more slowly and stablely).

The cycle process itself tends to acidify the water and erode the carbonate buffer (the KH). When the buffer is gone the pH drops suddenly. This tends to suppress the bacteria and can kill your fish, so its something you'll want to avoid. Some folks with natural KH below 3 (like me and the mighty WetFeller) use coral to boost KH to a safer level. Over 3 is generally considered safe and stable -- regular water changes will provide enough buffer to replace what the cycle takes out.

Hopefully things will move along a bit more quickly from here -- the tanks are more interesting with fish in them.
 
fishless cycling 6 weeks in

Carpguy thank you so much for the post. One last question....should I not add the crushed coral until after the cycle is complete? My ph flucuates and I have been adding proper ph to the tank for a few days in order to boost the ph because earlier in the week it was really low (6.0 or even lower). I have stopped adding the proper ph so should I just keep adding the baking soda at this point or go ahead with the crushed coral. Sorry for so many questions. I am new to this! I really appreciate your help.
 
Better find out what phosphate does to the test results, nichole.

How can you run twelve posts without mentioning phosphate buffers, when the "issue" is pH? What else is going in? Don't tell me.

And now you need repeated urgings to raise your pH with bicarb and stabilize it with calcium carbonate, so that the nitrifying bacteria can get back on track.

You're getting good advice.

C'mon! Get going, now!
 
Last edited:
The pH-Up sauce is another type of buffer. I've never used it and have never really looked into it, although from the WetMan's post I'll guess it buffers with phosphates. Various folks along the way have reported some problems with this method of buffering -- the consensus seems to be that its not as stable.

The bacteria don't know or care if the ammonia comes from a fish or a bottle. The cycle produces acid. You are establishing the cycle -- once its cycled it will continue to produce acid. Carbonates that are naturally present in your tapwater can absorb a given amount of this acid and the pH will remain stable. When the acid has blown through the carbonate buffer there is suddenly nothing left to absorb the acid and the pH will drop fast. Put a sponge on the counter and start to drip water on it -- it will absorb the water until its saturated and then suddenly you'll have water running off of it onto the counter.

Your cycle is being hampered by a pH crash. You'll want to get the buffer back in place to absorb that acid so that the cycle can finish and the fish can move in. This is something you'll want to address now.

Test your tapwater after its had a chance to sit out for a few hours in a bowl (surface area counts). Deal with those figures. You want a KH of at least 3, maybe a tad higher is nice too. If you have a decent supply of carbonates in your tap then you'll be recharging the buffer at each regular water change and you'll jut want to get out of this hole you're in now. If not you'll need to add some carbonates of your own on a regular basis…

Baking soda will dissolve fully and increase KH all at once. The acid will then start to erode it. You'll add more. It'll start to drop. This will become tedious. Some crushed coral in a mesh filter bag will dissolve slowly over time. You'll add it and it'll take care of itself for months. After tinkering with finding the right amount (try a tablespoon per 10g and work from there) its an extremely stable and low fuss technique. To boost immediately (like in the wake of a crash) baking soda, for long-term KH maintenance try the coral.

You can get the big picture and the fine detail at the WetFeller's
SkepticalAquarist. If you don't have it bookmarked you should -- its a first rate resource.

HTH
 
fishless cycling 6 weeks in

Thanks for all your help. I have added the baking soda and I also bought the crushed coral and added that to the tank yesterday. I tried to go to that website you gave me but it doesn't seem to be working. Thanks again for your help.
 
Last edited:
fishless cycling 6 weeks in

I know that wetman was a little irritated with me because I didn't mention I had added proper ph to the tank. I read on another forum that the low ph I had been having in the tank could hamper the cycle and that proper ph would raise the ph and help with the cycle. So that is why I added it to the tank. I hadn't gotten any advice in several days and was at a total loss as to what to do. I only did it two times. So that said I have followed all of your directions........

Ok..here are my readings from yesterday and today. Have I started the cycle all over again??

Yesterday:
ammonia: .25
nitrite:.50
nitrate: 40
ph: 7.2
kh: off the charts (added 20 drops to get it to change
gh: 7

I did an 80% water change last night and here are the readings today.

ammonia: 0 (have been adding 3 drops per 10 gal. (have 45 gal tank) and am now able to test again in 2 hours and have a reading of 0ppm)
nitrite: 2ppm
nitrate:40
ph: 7.4
kh: 7
gh: 8

As I said in my previous post I have added the baking soda to get the ph up and I have the coral in my filter I am adding nothing else to the tank besides these two things.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
I think you're almost there. Especially if you can keep the pH stabilized in the range it is in now. Just keep adding your ammonia and watch for the Nirtites to drop to 0 and you'll be there.

I know how frustrating it can get to look at an empty fish tank day after day waiting for it to cycle, wondering if you are doing the right thing. I didnt have the pH problems you've had, but I thought my fishless cycle would NEVER end. My Nitrites spiked and wouldnt come down.

Well, the tank eventually did cycle, it was a great day when all those numbers from all those tests fell into line.

So Hang in There! the day will come.

Vagabond
 
Sorry nichole. So grouchy and cross sometimes. Your instincts were absolutely right*, but you could have raised the pH with bicarb...

The Skeptical Aquarist is afloat once again, BTW!
.

*I think I'm so smart, but I didn't learn about the nitrifiers being pH-sensitive until very recently myself!
 
fishless cycle now almost 8 weeks in

Wetman no need to apologize. I am very new and I appreciate all of your advice which I do know is very accurate. I am very impatient and frustrated at this point. It has been almost 8 weeks now since I started fishless cycling and I am so tired of looking at the tank with no fish. Based on my readings from yesterday I think I have started the cycle all over again. SO I am just waiting patiently AGAIN. Thanks everyone for your advice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom