seabass Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 Day 15: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 5 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 20 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 20 mg/L It appears to me that the soft cycle container has a slightly higher level of ammonia than the other two. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 4, 2009 Author Share Posted September 4, 2009 Day 16: Ammonia tests: Nitrite and nitrate tests: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.5 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 5 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 10 mg/L The ammonia level dropped in the staged and classic cycle containers. Plus, today was another water change day for the soft and staged cycle containers. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 Day 17: API ammonia tests: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.25 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.25 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 5 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 10 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 10 mg/L Results to date: Link to comment
MGDMIRAGE Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Are you going to test the bio load capacity of the containers once cycled? My theory would be that the soft cycled container could not sustain the same initial bioload that the other two could. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 Interesting thought. I might just try that with maybe a weeks worth (35 pellets) of food, and see if one spikes more than the others. Link to comment
theplatypus Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Tagging along, glad to see a follow up to the previous experiment. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 Thanks for tagging along theplatypus! Day 18: API ammonia tests: Seachem ammonia tests: The ammonia levels of the staged and classic cycle containers have dropped below 0.25 mg/L. Therefore, I will be using Seachem's ammonia test results for these two containers. Link to comment
MGDMIRAGE Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I'm running a few days behind you on my cycle, i'm on day 14 on my 10 gallon, non live rock and fresh sand. I'm at .25 ammo, 5+nitrite ppm, 15-20 nitrate ppm. No water changes on my tank either, i've been feeding the tank some MicroCrabs cyclop-eez pellets every few days. Link to comment
Rocket Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Neat. Following along. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Welcome along MGDMIRAGE and Rocket! Day 19: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.2 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 5 mg/L The soft cycle container's ammonia level has dropped below 1 mg/L (but 1 mg/L was still the closest match). Link to comment
disaster999 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 it looks more like 0.5 to me Link to comment
seabass Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 it looks more like 0.5 to meIt does look like 0.5 mg/L in the picture, but it's how the light is shining through the sample (you can see the reflection in front of the test tubes due to the back lighting). In person, with the sample against the card, it matched closer to 1 than 0.5 mg/L (although it was slightly lighter than 1). The picture does show a good comparison between the containers. Shooting pictures in a light booth would have been a nice addition to the trial. The next test should help confirm the drop in ammonia for the soft cycle container. Hopefully it will be a closer color match to the card. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 Day 20: API ammonia test: Results to date: The ammonia level for the soft cycle container was a fairly close match to 0.5 mg/L today. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Day 21: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 0.25 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 5 mg/L Link to comment
MikeTR Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Some newb is looking at this going wth did I get myself into.. Looks like a faster cycle this go around? Link to comment
seabass Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Some newb is looking at this going wth did I get myself into.Yeah, I'm a bit tired of running tests. Good thing we don't need to run 12 tests every day (6 ammonia, 3 nitrite, and 3 nitrate) when we are cycling our tanks. Looks like a faster cycle this go around?Maybe a little; I started the first trial on day 1 instead of day 0, so that affects the comparison. Temperature, or initial bacteria in the live sand might account for the rest. There are differences, but I'm feeling pretty good about the two trials supporting each other. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 Day 22: API ammonia tests: Seachem ammonia tests: Seachem nitrite tests: Seachem nitrate tests: Results to date: The ammonia level is now below 0.25 mg/L for all containers. Also, the soft and staged cycle containers got another water change today. Link to comment
seabass Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Day 23: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.05 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 5 mg/L Link to comment
seabass Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 Day 24: API ammonia tests: Seachem ammonia tests: Seachem nitrite tests: Seachem nitrate tests: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 0.15 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.01 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.05 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 2.5 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 5 mg/L Link to comment
Mike_Hancho Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Very useful information. Good write up!!! Link to comment
seabass Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 Thanks Mike! Day 25: API ammonia test: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 0.15 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.05 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 5 mg/L I'm impressed with the natural nitrate reduction of the DSBs (about 4.5" deep). Even without any water changes, the nitrate level of the classic cycle container's water is only 5 mg/L. Link to comment
MGDMIRAGE Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I agree very good writeup here and very useful I'm pretty impressed with the lazy cycle or normal cycle so far Link to comment
seabass Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 I appreciate that MGDMIRAGE! Day 26: API ammonia tests: Seachem ammonia tests: Today was the 7th water change for the staged cycle and 13th for the soft cycle container. Link to comment
nanoreefnate Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 WOW. this is some good stuff. Keep up the god work seabass! Link to comment
seabass Posted September 15, 2009 Author Share Posted September 15, 2009 WOW. this is some good stuff. Keep up the good work seabass!Thanks nanoreefnate! I've decided to keep going until nitrite drops off too. Day 27: Test results: Ammonia (NH4+), soft cycle container: 0.1 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), staged cycle container: 0.05 mg/L Ammonia (NH4+), classic cycle container: 0.05 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), soft cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), staged cycle container: 1 mg/L Nitrite (NO2-), classic cycle container: 0.5 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), soft cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), staged cycle container: 2 mg/L Nitrate (NO3-), classic cycle container: 2 mg/L Results to date: Sorry, no camera today. Also, nitrite now appears to be slightly lower in the the classic cycle container. Plus, I'm on another bottle of Seachem nitrite/nitrate reagent (as I ran out again). Link to comment
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