First Fishless Cycle Going Swimmingly!

[ElmoFish]

LOL, Geek definitely sounds like more of a compliment.. there's just something about the word "Nerd" that just doesn't sound like a positive thing..

[giypsy]

I got a nice surprise this morning Merch; my NO(2&3) levels registered. Seems I have a nice little chem brew going on, way earlier than I expected. Due to a little achem, unrestrained purchasing, I swapped the filter that has been cycling the 10g for a new one and put the old filter in the 5g to start it off.
I really need to clean off my kitchen counter; food preparation gave way to art projects for "Art for Early Education", which gave way to fish chemistry.

[Merchantwu]

Originally Posted by giypsy

I got a nice surprise this morning Merch; my NO(2&3) levels registered. Seems I have a nice little chem brew going on, way earlier than I expected.

Isn't that exciting?

How long have you been cycling the 5 gal total and then how long after you swapped filters did you see the NO levels?

My tank is plugging along, but it's going slowly. I'm having a problem with the ammonia test kit, I find the shades of green REALLY difficult to distinguish between 2.0 and 4.0 ppm. Consequently I think I've been letting my ammonia levels drop too low before adding more and that's why my NO2 is rising more slowly now; it's been at 1.0 for two days now. Or is it because there is a much greater rise needed between 1 - 2 than 0 - 1?

[giypsy]

The 10g registered on . . consulting the geek of fish log . . . d:6. (today is d:8 of 8 since set-up)
The 5g is sort-of passively cycling (today=d:7 of 9 since set-up) in that the only thing I did was move the filter from the 10g to the 5g without cleaning the media. A bold & chancey choice because I moved the filter to the 5g the day after the first NO(2&3) levels registered. I did a chem on the 5g, moved the filter, replaced 20%-water just to be safe and retested. Chems registered 0.25/0.00/0.00. I left that little bit of ammonia alone. This morning the chems were exactly the same.
The 5g is my party-of-five holding tank, so I have to be careful not to mess up the invertabrate's enviro before they can go to work in the 10g.

I agree w/you re:color charts for my API kit. I have the same issue & no color probs re: my eyesight. I was hoping that if I rolled the tube over the color bands, the color on the correct band would disappear through the tube; i.e. not be able to distinguish the band underneath. Some little color detail in my brain made me try it. 3D glasses or camera filters, mebbe?

Here's something else I noticed, wonder if you have noticed this; I do my chems first thing in the morning, if I get distracted pouring coffee or whatever, sometimes I do not dump the tubes right away and wash them for the next tank. I find the colors in the tubes intensify despite the fact I have waited the required developing time. This happens sometimes on the first tank, others on the second, sometimes both, on days where I am doing more than two things at a time.

Regarding your chems; NO(2) takes longer to register/spike than NH(3), so too NO(3) takes longer than NO(2), due to the fact that they develop sequentially. Below I will add a link to an excellent tutorial from another group that I am using. Additionally, my opinion is that the NO(2) slower rise is not a matter of time/distance (thinking linear here) 1 to 2 vs. 0 to 1 but just a function of developmental sequencing. In other words, no more effort to get from 0 to 1ppm, than to get from 1ppm to 2ppm, despite the fact that things seem to be crawling for a few days.

I have not dosed the 10g w/ ammonia for oh, hmmm...6d because the formula I am using is a dose-&-wait method. In this method you wait for your NH(3) to drop to 0ppm or 0.25ppm maximum ppm before dosing with NH(3) again. It is a longer method but the end result is a more stable tank at the end of the cycle. Today, I dosed to gain 4ppm NH(3). I am sure the draining, moving & refilling with the same water of the 10g last night upset the cycle for a day. I will know tomorrow or Wednesday when I do chems.
Keep us posted!
Fishless Cycle method I am using

[Merchantwu]

Thank you! That cycling link was very helpful. After reading it through I think I'm doing a something like a dose and wait approach, but I was checking my ammonia every 12 hrs or so and if it had dipped I would add more to try to keep it at a minimum of 4ppm. I never let it get down to 1.

Even after my creative interpretation of the cycling process my nitrites are taking off and my nitrates are on the rise. I think we're finally cookin' w/ gas!

I have to say I'm getting inpatient now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the tank will be done and I can bring home a fish next weekend.

[Merchantwu]

Originally Posted by giypsy

I agree w/you re:color charts for my API kit. I have the same issue & no color probs re: my eyesight. I was hoping that if I rolled the tube over the color bands, the color on the correct band would disappear through the tube; i.e. not be able to distinguish the band underneath. Some little color detail in my brain made me try it. 3D glasses or camera filters, mebbe?

I was starting to wonder if I was a little blue/green color blind. I'm glad to hear it isn't just me. Did running the tube over the bands work?

I have a ton of camera filters, I like that idea quite a bit.
I'll give it a try tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

[giypsy]

Nope, wish that it did, it would make things a whole lot more accurate. My observation is that the only color band that *might* disappear is the one or two above the accurate reading. So for example; if my accurate reading is 2ppm on any of the chems, the 0.5ppm color band might disappear or be barely visible.

[zoragen]

I've started mine also - I have plants in & the pumps not really working (marineland is sending me another). I have the 6 gal eclipse. Tonight when I test the water I'll be back for more info!

[Kim]

I am sooooo happy to read this thread and see that someone who is new to aquariums actually took the time to research and do things the right way :) That makes me unbelievably happy! Your betta is going to be a very lucky guy/girl :)

I have always used the "add and wait" method for my tanks, but I modify it slightly for my low bioload tanks by not spiking the levels so high (only to about 2-4 ppm) and have had no problems. I also seed my new tanks with filter material from my established ones.

As for the geek/nerd discussion, I don't think I fit into either :P I'm probably in a catagory all of my own...maybe a martial arts and exercise addict that also has an odd obsession with animals/fish geek all rolled into one? Maybe it's just called "confused" lol!

[giypsy]

Originally Posted by Kim

As for the geek/nerd discussion, I don't think I fit into either :P I'm probably in a catagory all of my own...maybe a martial arts and exercise addict that also has an odd obsession with animals/fish geek all rolled into one? Maybe it's just called "confused" lol!

Not to worry, you can create your own Geek-of-whatever-code. That's what is great about the code some GC guy named Robert Hayden created years ago.
As for fish-keeping the right way; I think it has to do with personality. Some people are wired for details & sometimes patience. I think M.Wu & I fit into that category as do a couple of others on this board. The patience thing with me was a steep learning curve, I'll admit to a really bad experience for a guppy tank I was keeping someday in Fish-tails.
Geek Code