Maturing New Sponge Filter. COMPLETE In 23 Days.

That's the old method, the one you'll find just about everywhere, add more ammonia every time it drops to zero. There used to be a sticky for that method on here till I unstickied it after I wrote up the newer method.

All you have to do is a big enough water change to get the nitrite reading somewhere on the scale, then you'll know it isn't past the critical 15 ppm.

Yes. That's why the chap who invented the new method did so. At 15ppm, the growth of the nitrite eaters is inhibited. And the very high nitrate levels generated by the old method also inhibits them.
The problem is that our test kits don't go nearly high enough, and to do a proper dilution test you need very accurate measuring equipment and pure water. The thinking behind the method I've written up on here is that if you follow it the nitrite level cannot exceed 15ppm. With the old add-ammonia-every-time-you-get-zero method, the nitrite level got well over 15 ppm and fishless cycles took ages, longer than the 7 weeks mine took.

But if you've been adding 1 ppm ammonia rather than 3ppm, your nitrite shouldn't have got terribly high. It might have got over 15, but not hugely over. The good news is that getting it down below 15 ppm starts the nitrite eaters off again.

Did a 50% water change yesterday and ended up with 0 nitrite so added a full dose of 1 ml ammonia. Tested just now and there's zero ammonia in the water but we're having to make an educated guess on the level of the nitrite because the colour of the solution in the test tube bears little similarity to the colour on the chart.  I think it must have faded or something.

So we're going with 2ppm of nitrite and I'm going to add 1/3 dose of ammonia.

My solution looks nothing like the colours on the chart. Thats why I think it might have faded. Its the chart I got with the kit when I first started fish keeping. I just buy replacement bottles when I run out.

Back from my sisters finally and Ive just run some water tests, 0 ammonia and nitrite. I don't know if my son kept up with testing while I was away, so I've added a full dose and I'll see what happens overnight.

Ta Simon.  Even if its cycled I wont be adding the shrimp yet, I want the plants well established first and they seem happy enough in the quarantine tank.

I asked that question and nope you cant, it wont work, unless you have a way of adding mature filter media to it. Once a filter is cycled you can add to a tank as additional filtration and then add it to a quarantine tank as necessary.

Readings today: 0 ammonia 2-5 nitrite. My son reckons he followed my instructions and didn't need to add any ammonia, if that's the case tomorrow nitrites should be definite 2ppm and the day after 0 We'll see

I managed to squeeze 2 pieces of mature ceramic media and a bit of the old filter sponge into the new filter which is why the ammonia munchers multiplied so fast. However it would have been quicker if I'd remembered to turn the temp up 

Once the shrimpery is set up and the shrimp are out of the quarantine tank, I'll start work on building the bacteria in that filter THEN I can restock my 200litre finally. I'm quite looking forward to that. I've got the tail ends of several shoals so I'm a bit undecided about what to do. I might start a new thread for that

Quote from: Fiona O'Mahoney on April 02, 2016, 10:29:10 PM

I might start a new thread for that

Please do this 

#picsoritdidnthappen

Absolutely!   

When you say a bio sponge filter, what exactly do you mean? An internal filter with sponge media or an air pump powered sponge filter? An internal would be easier as that could take some of your external's media, while an air powered sponge couldn't.

It was the air-powered sponge I meant Sue, thank you. So I would probably have to go through a proper fishless cycle then, unless I used an internal filter? Aside from the air-powered sponge filter not requiring an electrical source (since the air pump is providing the flow) what are the advantages of the air powered sponges?

I haven't decided yet but I may do away with the air pump and bubble strip in my 180l tank. I just prefer it without the bubbles (I think). Hence why I'm thinking of doing a quarantine tank with the air pump and a sponge filter.