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missing nitrite cycle


ineke

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  • HOF Member

Thanks Newbreed I prefer having them vertical but with that tank I used to have under gravel filter with one outlet and a sponge filter it worked well but had poor circulation so I put the heater in horizontal with an airstone under it . Now with the canister the water moves strongly by itself but I didn't realise it. All fixed now but I don't really like the look of the sponge filters however Dean said you either have a pretty tank with shrimp in it or you have a tank to breed shrimp in so sponge filters are there to stay:encouragement:

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  • ineke

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  • HOF Member

We will get you to 700 tonight woohoo way to go!

The tank has plenty of moss for the babies and plenty of grazing space for the others. That's as un fancy as I can do;)

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Come on Ninja we need some more posts to add some excitement tonight.:congratulatory:

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+1 Woohoo for excitement (in case Ninja holds out)

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You know she's lurking dont you hope I don't have to wait all night she is in WA long way behind us in time!:D

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she's normally a bit slow, isn't she?

;)

See if that gets a response.....

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Ooo ahh you are living dangerously Newbreed she is a Ninja and strikes unexpectedly:)

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Ok good night before she kills me..................................

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So will you Ninja catch you tomorrow :encouragement:

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • HOF Member

So my tank is almost there ammonia 0.25, nitrate 5 but while I'm waiting I set up a new tank Friday night it is a 20" . I put 2 sponge filters, plants, golden vine all from a mature tank . Half of the fluval is from another mature tank and half new, half of the water is from a mature tank half new RO. This morning after 36 hours of filtering the WP's are amonnia 0 -down from 0.25 yesterday, nitrite 0, nitrate 5. I used stability as well so everything looks good but is it safe to add my shrimp that quickly? I'm using this tank for my chocolates to get them out of my cube where it is almost impossible to see them.

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Ineke, that tank is taking too long, is there something in there that could be contributing to the ammonia?

Are you adding bacteria?

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I was told a new canister can take 6 weeks its now just over 5. I'm washing my filters from other tanks in the water, adding a bit of food not much, and I used stability. There is nothing new in the tank that hasn't been used in other tanks, there's plants, golden vine only new things are the filter which was seeded with some material from other filters and the benibachi soil, even the sponge filters are from other tanks. It is almost there with a bit of improvement in the ammonia it is a very very light green just not quite yellow.

I was going to give it another week and then do a water change. I'm being very patient which is unusual for me.Any thoughts on what else I can do. I don't want to open the canister if not necessary.

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If it is improving ok, but it seems to have been on 0.25 for a long time now and your nitrates are not going up either. Got a heater working in there?

By the way, how many tanks does that make with the new 20" one? Lol

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I've got a heater in there, the nitrates have come down from 10 but I haven't been checking them so don't know how high they got. The ammonia is ever so slowly coming down it was probably closer to 0.50 before than 0.25. Last time it stalled I did a big water change -as per instructions from another member and that got it moving. I had the heater up around 25 for a while but it's down to 23 now. I will see what it does over the next few days.

The 20" is to replace the cube, I also have another 20 " to replace the other cube and is for the tibees who are sharing another tank with the rillis but even with that tank all stopped up with filter wool I found a tibee on the floor yesterday so the 20" will be taped shut!!!!!!!!, the little mini tank is not in use now so when I set up the other 20" and take out both cubes I will still only have 5 tanks with the cubes only being used for any selective breeding down the track. I am sick of getting shrimp out of the sumps of the cubes -I have put all sorts of barriers in them but they still get in there so I am going to pull the sumps out to give the full 30x30 space to the shrimp.

I don't know what selective breeding I will be doing but the cubes will be ideal. (so I guess all up including the mini, the cubes and the large fish tank I have 8 tanks because we all know I will end up using the cubes;))

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<a href=%7Boption%7Dhttp://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b583/ineke24/2013-03-25093825_zps05f67a04.jpg' alt='2013-03-25093825_zps05f67a04.jpg'>

The black bit at the back of the cube on the right is the sump. It is a divider in which filter media, pump and heater sit so the filtration is 2 stage with sponge then noodles and then the last section is for the heater and pump which pulls the water through a small grid and filter medium and then out into the tank.

I don't have a better picture just now

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Cute tanks, I suppose you need to keep the water level high to keep the filter working?

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Yes thats the problem with them can't lower the water. They were the first tanks I bought for the shrimp and soon realised I had made a mistake. I love the look and once the sump is gone I can lower the water and tape the airline hole and they should be safe.

I was going to get 24 inch tanks this time but couldn't get any locally so thought the 20 inch is ok they hold just over 30 litres so hopefully should be OK. I don't like the wasted space of the bigger tanks as they get so deep. I got 2 tanks for $82 and was happy with that.

Back to my original question as the readings are all within safe limits can I use the 20" tank even though it's so new?

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Yeah that's what i thought. I will check the nitrites again in a few days to make sure there are no spikes but there aren't many of them so should be ok. Then I will set the other one up and let that cycle a bit longer for the tibees or the rillis not sure as the tibees seem happy in the tank they are in, thats the one they bred in. Just need to plug the escape hatch!!!

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ok guys and girls time to get serious I'm very frustrated with this 30" tank. It has been cycling with a new canister for nearly 6 weeks (6 weeks friday) The ammonia is still 0.25 and has been there for a while. I did a water change as recommended when it first stalled, I have washed out filter material from other tanks in there, The heat was turned up but now back to 22-23, I have seachem matrix in the canister along with sponges and noodles, I have been using stability in there. I occasionally put a tiny bit of food in but very little. It has sponge filters running as well. There are plants growing, mosses growing etc. I know patience is a big thing but I think it has run out!!!

Any idea what to do now? If it would help I could put a few tropical fish in there as the ammonia isn't high enough to bother them now but I am at the end of my knowledge PLEASE HELP ME:(

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