Unalome's Rainbow Utopia

[plankton]

Agreed, carbon is basically a waste of space (and money), certainly in most freshwater setups, unless you're keeping very fussy fish (can't think of any off-hand....).

[Unalome]

Week 1 Cycle Update (Only tested for Ammonia at this early stage)
19/10/23 - 15ml Ammonia added - 2.0ppm Ammonia
20/10/23 - Did not test
21/10/23 - 2.0ppm Ammonia
22/10/23 - Did not test
23/10/23 - 1.0ppm Ammonia
24/10/23 - 0.50ppm Ammonia
25/10/23 - 0.25ppm Ammonia

[Unalome]

Week 2 Cycle Update (Will begin testing for Nitrite in Week 3)
26/10/23 - 0.25ppm Ammonia
27/10/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 15ml Ammonia added
28/10/23 - Did not test (Holiday)
29/10/23 - Did not test (Holiday)
30/10/23 - Did not test (Holiday)
31/10/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 15ml Ammonia added
01/11/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 15ml Ammonia added

Amazed to see Ammonia returning to 0ppm in 24 hours already! I'm away again for the next 2 days but I will start testing for Ammonia + Nitrite when I return...

Hopefully by the end of Week 3 we could be cycled!

[plankton]

I doubt it, unless the nitrite is already there - it usually hangs around for about 10 days or so.....

[black ghost]

You could be cycled now. The nitrite eaters are sometimes there at the start in enough numbers to send whatever nitrite they get straight through to nitrate. I would be testing all three.

[Unalome]

Week 3 Cycle Update
02/11/23 - Did not test (Holiday)
03/11/23 - Did not test (Holiday)
04/10/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 1.0ppm Nitrite - 40ppm Nitrate - 15ml Ammonia added
05/10/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 0ppm Nitrite - 40ppm Nitrate - 15ml Ammonia added (Day 1 of Double Zero's)
06/10/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 0ppm Nitrite - 40ppm Nitrate - 15ml Ammonia added (Day 2 of Double Zero's)
07/10/23 - 0ppm Ammonia - 0ppm Nitrite - 40ppm Nitrate (Day 3 of Double Zero's)

Cycled in 20 days!

Plants have been ordered - Should be arriving today/tomorrow and will be going fish shopping this weekend!

[fr499y]

nicely done

[Unalome]

I'm a little concerned I don't have enough flow in my tank and that I may have too many deadspots as I can see what I believe is some diatoms on the sand bed and it's not being disturbed which will only be worse once fish are in and it's their waste... Is it worth me getting a wave maker?

[plankton]

Can the output from the filter not be adjusted so you get a little surface movement and a flow around the rest of the tank?
When you add plants it will slow the flow more than now so, if you can't adjust the output, it will probably be worth investing in a pump of some kind to do it.

[Unalome]

Can the output from the filter not be adjusted so you get a little surface movement and a flow around the rest of the tank?
When you add plants it will slow the flow more than now so, if you can't adjust the output, it will probably be worth investing in a pump of some kind to do it.

Are you saying that if the outlet is positioned closer to the surface it should improve the flow around the tank?