I went through the post, and found some of the better points.
Found here >
http://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/forum/archive/index.php/t-7011.html
Here ya go......
This first excerpt was further down the thread, but kind of on its own subject. So I've posted it here.
cabbie
26-01-2009, 17:28
on boxing day at lunchtime i noticed that one of my tanks was rather cloudy and the fish gasping, i noticed that the filter taps were in the off position, and realised that they had been like that for at least 2 weeks
i removed all the fish and put in another tank (they were all alive and none have died) i tested the water and had ammonia readings of 2 and nitrite readings of 1. i turned the filter back on and left the water as it was. today (3 days later) i have zero readings for ammonia and nitrite
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cabbie
26-01-2009, 10:56
10 weeks ago i turned off a fluval 404 and put it in a corner of the fishhouse out of the way without cleaning it. it still has all the gunk in it and all the water. i am now going to use it to fishlessly cycle a 4ft tank.
any guesses as to how long it will take?
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cabbie
26-01-2009, 15:04
experiment started today star date two six zero one two zero zero nine
at 1500hrs. enough ammonia added to get a reading of 2ppm
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cabbie
26-01-2009, 20:00
5 hours later and i have just tested for nitrite
there is a reading but only slight, compared with a test from a mature tank and using the api liquid test there is a slight colour change from the zero reading but it is still less than 0.25. i will test again tomorrow morning. i know for definite that i wouldnt have got such a reading from starting from scratch with new filter
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cabbie
27-01-2009, 09:47
this is going better than i thought. tested 0945 27-01-09
ammonia has dropped to 1ppm and nitrite is up to .25ppm
before switching these filters off (save on the leccy) they had been running in a bucket and were fed a couple of drops of ammonia twice a day so they were well mature when switched off. (realized i wasnt going to use them in the forseeable future).
stored on the floor in corner of fish house i suspect the temp was around 15 to 16C
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cabbie
27-01-2009, 19:01
1945hrs 27-01-09 CYCLED
very surprised at the speed so tested twice, so thats a little over a day ammonia and nitrites at zero
clothahump
27-01-2009, 19:13
Are you going to try 5ppm Ammonia and see if that goes as quickly?
cabbie
27-01-2009, 19:54
already added
except i overdosed by accident and its at around 8ppm
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cabbie
28-01-2009, 20:48
28-01-09 2045hrs ammonia back down to zero, nitrite and 0.5
cabbie
29-01-2009, 11:21
29-01-09 0730hrs Nitrite at zero too
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cabbie
10-05-2009, 12:38
fluval 404 been switched off and standing in the corner of my fish house at an approx temp of 15C for 24 weeks.
1 ft x 1ft x 15inches tank which has about 1 inch of coral gravel and 2 inches of standing water from about 16 weeks ago, a load of snails in there.
filled with water today at 1230 and tested. (water been standing in butt for 2 weeks so no dechlorinator added)
ammonia 1ppm (probably because of all the snail detritus etc)
nitrite 0
Ph 8.0
temperature at 70f (but heater in there to lift it to about 76f)
ammonia added to take it to somewhere between 4 and 8 ppm (api liquid test)
FLUVAL SWITCHED ON
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cabbie
11-05-2009, 11:46
just tested the water
temp 78f
ammonia 2ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 20ppm
so nearly half a year with the bacteria in the dark without oxygen. it would appear that the nitrite consuming bacteria are hardier than the ammonia eating bacteria hence the zero reading.
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cabbie
11-05-2009, 14:28
well the ammonia has gone somewhere because it was somewhere between 4 and 8ppm yesterday and i had zero nitrate which i forgot to put on post. now i have nitrate an a lot less ammonia so i was assuming that the nitrite munchers are eating nitrite as fast as the ammonia munchers can produce it. i havent a clue what all the technical terms are
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cabbie
14-05-2009, 11:01
tested last night and all ammonia has gone, never had a nitrite reading at any stage its always been zero.
hardy little buggers these bacteria aren't they
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cabbie
14-05-2009, 14:31
it was wet fluval 404. just switched off and taps closed and put in a corner.
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This is the kind of stuff I like to read.
People like us, well most of us, from what I gather. Doing something simple, without all that sci-fi mumbo jumbo and them crazy numbers used in that new math. 
LOL
Put that in yur fluval and smoke it. 
