I feel your pain Disciple.  Cycling my Rili tank definitely tested my patience and as it turns out I didn't wait long enough.

 

Hope you are able to add shrimp soon.  I am really looking forward to seeing pictures of your stocked tank :)

If I was able to take pictures on my iPhone as good as yours I would look forward to it too haha

 

I will be splitting up my rilis first once the tank is cycled. I'll probably wait until after the tank has been running for 2 months before I add my more sensitive shrimp as Shrimpy daddy has mentioned that ADA can leech ammonia for 2 months.

 

I also plan on getting a decent camera after my wallet recovers from buying a decent PH pen and my new stock. So probably around Christmas... lol

LOL, again I feel you pain.  I bought a Hanna Instruments pH pen last week (based on SD's recommendation) as well as a Tunze ATO system for both of my shrimp tanks.  I am very glad I bought the pen though.  According to a new API liquid test my pH was 6.5.  According to the calibrated pH pen, my pH is 6.05.  

 

As far as a camera goes, I recommend getting at least one flash too.  My shrimp shots improved 1000% when I started using a flash.  If you look at the shrimp pics at the beginning of my journal compared to the results I am getting now, you will see what I am talking about.  A good macro lens helps a lot too.

Thanks for mentioning the Hanna pH Pen. I did a quick search for it and it looks like exactly what I need. Auto temperature compensation and auto calibration! and it is a bit more than the one I was about to buy.

 

I'll have to ask a few questions later about a camera when I start shopping so I get something good too.

 

Cheers!

No problem.  Shrimpy Daddy recommend it to me.  Be aware that they have model HI98127 with 0.1pH resolution (accurate to ±0.1pH ) & HI98128 with 0.01pH resolution (accurate to ±0.05pH).  They were only a few dollars different where I bought them (Amazon).  If the same is true for you, make sure you get the more accurate pen.

 

I'd be happy to answer any camera questions you have (if I can ).

Thanks for mentioning the Hanna pH Pen. I did a quick search for it and it looks like exactly what I need. Auto temperature compensation and auto calibration! and it is a bit more than the one I was about to buy.

 

I'll have to ask a few questions later about a camera when I start shopping so I get something good too.

 

Cheers!

 

Cycle Day 21

Ph seems like it has dropped to 6 or even below so I will try raise it back up to 7.

Ammonia was around 2 so I did a 20% water change.

Nitrites is zero and nitrates under 5 ppm. Not sure if this means my cycle is almost done or if it went backwards. I will get some ammonia and bring it up to 4 ppm and see what happens after 24 hours.

My heater is still set at 29 degrees not sure if I should bring it down yet or not.

I have also set up my air pump and the bio spon sponge filters. It also seems to be running fine and best of all quietly.

I also put in some plants, lava rock and driftwood. I kept it simple with lots of areas to see the shrimp while also giving them some hiding spots. My brother gave me a 4 foot light that he isn't using so I was pretty happy about that.

This is the full tank

Left partition

Middle partition

Right partition

I am really happy with how it has all come together. I still got some more mosses to put in, the glass divider between the planted and non planted section will hopefully become a "moss wall".

Once the tank is finished cycling and I plant the crypt Parva I have to put into the middle and right sections everything will be finally sorted. Well other than the shrimps and hooking up the chiller.

Stay tuned for the next episode... The algae strikes back!!!!!

Feel free to ask any questions or give me any advise thanks.

If your NH3/4 is not zero, you might want to leave your temperature at 29 - 30C.

 

Based on your photos (bubble flow), left compartment experiencing massive water flow rate and the water in the other two compartment are quite stagnant?

Yeah atm I got the inlet for two cannister filters in the left compartment and the outflow in the right. I will get a third cannister and then have one in each compartment.

Cycle day 28

It seems the cycle it almost completed. My nitrates is at rad 10 ppm after it peaked at about 80 ppm 3 days ago. The nitrates was around 40 ppm in the morning but I did a 20-30% water change. I have put in some frog bits to help reduce the nitrates. I was thinking of also getting some purigen but not sure if it would make any difference.

Hoping by next weekend I'll be moving my best rilis, reds and blues in to their own sections. So close yet so far....

My shrimp destroying a mulberry leaf. This leaf got to this stage in 2 hours lol.

At 1 week before put in the shrimp, do a 80% water change. This will remove your NO3. If it is still too high, do another 80% water change a week later.

Forgot to remind you something... ADA AS usually leech ammonia two times or more. Since your nitrogen-fixing bacteria colony is establishing, you may not be able to detect it via normal test kit. In this case, you may need to watch for NO3 peak (if your NO3 test kit is sensitive enough). Adding Purigen now will help on this problem.

Edited April 19, 201511 yr by Shrimpy Daddy

Ok thanks shrimpy daddy.

I will do a big water change tomorrow and add some purigen. I will keep checking for nitrates also.

You are welcome. ;)

At 1 week before put in the shrimp, do a 80% water change. This will remove your NO3. If it is still too high, do another 80% water change a week later.

I just wanted to check since I did a 20-30% WC yesterday do i only need to do a 50-60% today? or just do a full 80%?

 

Forgot to remind you something... ADA AS usually leech ammonia two times or more. Since your nitrogen-fixing bacteria colony is establishing, you may not be able to detect it via normal test kit. In this case, you may need to watch for NO3 peak (if your NO3 test kit is sensitive enough). Adding Purigen now will help on this problem.

I also just got some purigen is it best to put into a filter or just straight into the tank? Thanks again Shrimpy Daddy.

Do 80% on next water change cycle.

 

Purigen needs to have fast water flowing through it. Hence, you will need to put inside the filter. Do it during the 80% water change. Due to the high NO3 level, even if you put it in now, it has no effect. 

Do 80% on next water change cycle.

 

Purigen needs to have fast water flowing through it. Hence, you will need to put inside the filter. Do it during the 80% water change. Due to the high NO3 level, even if you put it in now, it has no effect.

Is this because it doesn't remove nitrates that are already in the water....just the ammonia and nitrites earlier in the cycle?

It is not really aggressive when comes to NO3. Plus it is useless to remove it when the level is so high. It makes more sense to leverage to keep NO3 in check than to try to remove so much of it.

Ok thanks I'll do a 80% water change and put the purigen into my filter. Thanks again

No worries.

Is there a limit to how many shrimps I can add into the tank after I do my 80% water change and wait for the week?

You mean add immediately after the WC or you will wait a week after that?

 

For your case (you are using a variety of products), it is not easy for me to advise when you are able to put in shrimp. If you have some Neo, I will suggest you let Neo test out the tank for at least a couple of weeks before you perform massive relocation. Put in like 5 Neo to test and see how many survive. Judge the tank readiness by looking at the survival percentage.

You mean add immediately after the WC or you will wait a week after that?

 

For your case (you are using a variety of products), it is not easy for me to advise when you are able to put in shrimp. If you have some Neo, I will suggest you let Neo test out the tank for at least a couple of weeks before you perform massive relocation. Put in like 5 Neo to test and see how many survive. Judge the tank readiness by looking at the survival percentage.

I mean after I do my 80% water change and wait for one week how many shrimps should I add.

 

I was planning to put my neo's in first I was thinking of doing 10 culls in a breeder box but I can do 5 and wait and see.

Edited April 20, 201511 yr by Disciple

5 is better, mate. ;)

sounds good

prepare to send in the neos :-D

Edited April 20, 201511 yr by revolutionhope