My setup so far

Firsty I find it terribly difficult to tell the difference with 2 & 4ppm of Ammonia using the colour charts (anyone else had similar problems)

Secondly I am using Tetra Aquasafe dechlorinator and its kinda left a blue tint to my water is that normal?

Thirdly since i added ammonia to tank the surface of the water looks oily is this normal?

10/04/08
Ammonia 4ppm (First dosage 5ML)
Nitrite 0
PN: 7.6

11/04/08
Ammonia 4ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrate: 20

12/04/08
Ammonia 4ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrate: 20

13/04/08
Ammonia 4ppm (was hard to tell wether it was 2 or 4ppm didnt wanna dose anymore incase I overdose tank)
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate: 10/20


How do things look? Also is it normal to have only dosed the tnk once on the 10/04.08 of 5ML pure Ammonia


hello all im back - Missed me?

Hiya GD, nice ti see youve started at last. The place just hasnt been the same without you :lol:

It looks like everything is fine. You are getting a reading of nitrite already which is good, it shows that the bacteria are starting to be produced and do their stuff. You will probabky have to start adding some more ammonia soon.

Some of the colour things are hard to make out. I used to have to go and stand in bright light to make it out!

The blue of the water is normal and harmless, it disappears after a while, but you wont be doing a water change for a while now so dont worry about it.

As for the oiliness, I dont remember seeing that when I was doing the fishless cycle, although I have had it after giving the fish certain foods etc. It might just be a bit of residue off an ornament or plant perhaps

No plants are in ATM

I am going to plant a few bits n bobs onec Cycle is over

Maybe if i were to float somethin in the top of the tank to atch it? any ideas?

all i got it gravel and a lage ornament tree stump, Howevere I dobelive i didnt clean the gravel as well as I shoul as now n again around the top of the water i can see small particles of dirt which i keep having to wipe away..*DOH*

Looks good GD, don't bother testing the nitrAte at this stage, it'll be up & down like a fiddlers arm.
I'd guess the oily film is gravel gunk

You can run a piece of kitchen paper across the surface of the water to absorb the oil if it bothers you.

As fior the gravel, if you are getting muck from that that may be a problem if it is a lot of debris you are getting. Try giving it a little stir and see how dirty it makes your water. If it is a lot, it may be worth removing it and giving it a decent wash through before your cycle gets any more advanced.

Ill give it a stir tomorrow morning Diana Thanks!

Ty MC for info of Nitrate testing

Ill start and update readings daily now onto this thread

btw there is not a lot of debris, its just a little bit of orange dust particles.

Well i stirred the gravel and nothing came up from it - i believe what i mised is now floating at the top of the tank even if it is that - looks like dust/fluff lol. Ill try and get a pic up

Diana Would it be ok to drain a % of the water off to get rid of that oilines and fluff dust or whatever it is floating around the tank.

Or should I just wait for my Fishless Cycle to finish, as water changing ma effect the time it takes to complete

I'd leave it be atm, GD. If you float some sheets of kitchen paper on the surface of the water, that'll mop up some of the oiliness.

14/04/08
Ammonia 1ppm (used somewhere brighter. Dosed 2ml) 4ppm
Nitrite 0.25

Looks like its going ok now Geordie. Did the 2ml take the ammonia back up to 4ppm?

i had to go out and i wasn't sure how long to leave it till i check again - ill do it in a min

its back up to what looks like 4ppm or close enough Diana

Hope you dont mind me checking - just didnt want it to go sour on you

Today:
15/04/08
Ammonia 2/4ppm (hard to tell a difference atm - so no dosage)
Nitrite 0.5 (its going up slowly )

It's doing well GD. Have you got to the stage yet when you sit and look at the tank with the lights on, admiring how you have got it arranged - or am I the only one that was that sad??

haha this is all I have in my tank. Im trying to sort out the issues I have with the top of my tank atm the weird oliy finish. Speaking to LFS people they say it may be caused from the Ammonia - but suggested that I take a water sample into them - so atm im drinking a fruit shoot *yuk* so i can rinse it out and get the water tested.

Lol... the test results are in. You have high ammonia & also a high level of blackcurrant in your tank Mr Geordie :lol:

test results back from LFS say I have Ammonia in the tank but they says its showing 1.3 (when i use API i get a reading of 4ppm) However he didnt leave it for no more than 1 min if that!!

however he informed me that my water is soft with a GH 9 ??? and ph of 7.

they suggest Stress Zyme but surely I dnt want to add this while doing fishless cycle

BTW when doing this cycle should i set the aquarium lights to turn on on an evening etc or does this not effect anything?

No stress zyme, no lights required either unless you have live plants but I know you don't.
How long after doing your test with the API kit did you remove the water for the LFS?
How new is the API kit?

GeordieDave wrote:

BTW when doing this cycle should i set the aquarium lights to turn on on an evening etc or does this not effect anything?

You dont need lights at all unless you have live plants, so if you want you can leave them off all the time. I hardly ever had mine off because I was constantly fiddling about with the various ornaments and fake plants trying to get it to look nice. I was obsessed! :lol:

API kit is brand new like a month old!

Er the LFS water was around 4-5hrs later.

ill give it a good check tomorrow

GD, one thing I remember with the API kit was that if you dont give the bottles of chemicals a real good shake before you use them it can affect the readings you get.

I dont know if anyone else had the same experience, but I certainly got the odd false reading unless I shook the bottles well before adding the drops into the vials.

I agree Diana. Especially if you haven't used the bottles for a while as the contents settle.

16/04/08
Ammonia 2ppm (dosed back up to 4pm)
Nitrite 0.5


noticed I am stil dripping slightly from the top rim - will have to add more sealant. but I have a feeling i threw the nozzle out dont ask me why lol