Hybrid cycle complete - need comments on roster!
An amazing thing happened last night. After a 5 week hybrid cycle (~2 weeks of fitful fishless, and ~3 weeks of fruitful fishy) my ammonia and nitrites are back to 0. Despite changing philosophy mid-stream, my tank has crossed the starting line.
A quick timeline:
-2 weeks into a well-intentioned fishless cycle started with bottled ammonia and some filter sqeezings, the first phase of cycling was starting to make progress (ammonia from 2ppm to 0 within 24hrs).
-Around the same time, an ill-advised trip to the LFS got me to re-think the plan. Why not add a few lemon tetras now to supply the ammonia, and then manage nitrites as needed with water changes. So after several large water changes (nitrites to <0.25), I added 4 lemon tetras.
-From this point, I tested ammonia and nitrites daily and changed water as needed - up to 30% changes (daily at the peak of the nitrite spike) kept nitrite levels in check (~0.25 or less). This continued for ~3 weeks.
-Over the past week, nitrite levels stabilized without water changes, and then finally dropped to undetectable levels last night. All other water parameters are good, and the tetras seem happy and healthy.
While I would not necessarily recommend this approach or try to claim that this method is superior to fishless or fishy cycles, it seems to have worked out this time.
I will invite your comments on this approach, as I'm curious to hear what more knowledgeable minds are thinking.
I would also appreciate comments/suggestions on my projected starting line-up in the 46g bowfront tank with only plastic plants and several places to hide:
Any thoughts? Any room for a couple small corys?
An amazing thing happened last night. After a 5 week hybrid cycle (~2 weeks of fitful fishless, and ~3 weeks of fruitful fishy) my ammonia and nitrites are back to 0. Despite changing philosophy mid-stream, my tank has crossed the starting line.
A quick timeline:
-2 weeks into a well-intentioned fishless cycle started with bottled ammonia and some filter sqeezings, the first phase of cycling was starting to make progress (ammonia from 2ppm to 0 within 24hrs).
-Around the same time, an ill-advised trip to the LFS got me to re-think the plan. Why not add a few lemon tetras now to supply the ammonia, and then manage nitrites as needed with water changes. So after several large water changes (nitrites to <0.25), I added 4 lemon tetras.
-From this point, I tested ammonia and nitrites daily and changed water as needed - up to 30% changes (daily at the peak of the nitrite spike) kept nitrite levels in check (~0.25 or less). This continued for ~3 weeks.
-Over the past week, nitrite levels stabilized without water changes, and then finally dropped to undetectable levels last night. All other water parameters are good, and the tetras seem happy and healthy.
While I would not necessarily recommend this approach or try to claim that this method is superior to fishless or fishy cycles, it seems to have worked out this time.
I will invite your comments on this approach, as I'm curious to hear what more knowledgeable minds are thinking.
I would also appreciate comments/suggestions on my projected starting line-up in the 46g bowfront tank with only plastic plants and several places to hide:
- 5 lemon tetras
- 4-5 rummynose tetras
- 3 Oto cats
- 2 small angelfish (I know, they do grow)
- 1 male dwarf gourami
- 1 bristlenose pleco
Any thoughts? Any room for a couple small corys?
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