12 gallon cycle time line

excal88

Hello, I just wanted to post and keep updated my cycle progress for my 12 gallon tank. This is aimed at the newer members who are getting their own tanks started, so they have a *live* idea on how long exactly each part of the cycle takes. I'll keep this updated every few days or so, and hopefully this will help some people! :)

*sorry for the lack of details the first couple of posts. Didn't keep track of this really until the 25th*

12 gallon tank

Cycle Started on april 10, 2011
Fed Tank vasts amount of sinking wafers; around 15-20 wafers or more.
Added some seeding material *2 plastic plants, lava rock, squeezed filter media, and a couple of handful of gravel*

From 4-10/11 till 4-17-11, nothing done to tank

4/17/11
Ammonia at 4ppm, nitrites 5ppm +

4/18/11
Ammonia started dropping Drastically. Nitrites high.

4/22/11
Added 2 anubis plants, and a bundle of anacharis plants.

4/23/11
Added another bundle of anacharis plants.


april 25, 2011
Just did a 3-4 gallon water change, 25-33% in total.
Ammonia levels at 7:00 at 3-4 ppm, nitrites unreadable.
Ammonia levels at 8:00 at 2 ppm, nitrites unreadable.
Did a pwc of 2 gallons at 10:15 PM. nitrites unreadable.
Added java fern plant.

4/26/11
10:31 AM
Nitrites unreadable, ammonia at 0 ppm. No feeding of ammonia today.
10:36 PM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm. Ammonia at 0 ppm.

4/27/11
11:57 PM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm. Ammonia at 0 ppm.
pH at 7.8.
12:30 AM
Did a 2 gallon water change, replaced with 2 gallons of distilled water.
Nitrites still 5+ppm. Ammonia at 0 ppm. pH between 7.6 and 7.8.
Added a bundle of anacharis plants.
Current tank inhabitants: 2 pouch snails, potentially more.
No feeding of ammonia

iamtetsuo

I just wanted to mention that with a planted tank, like you have according to your other posts, you don't need to cycle. The plants absorb ammonia directly without the creation of nitrates or nitrites. The bacteria will still be present, but they will act as a secondary form of ammonia absorption.

excal88

Yea, I kinda added the plants after I finished the ammonia part of the cycle, so while there's no ammonia, there are a ton of nitrites, as you can see from my logs. They just ain't going away :( Haha.

excal88

Here's an update guys


4/28/11
1:10 PM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm. Will Feed ammonia tomorrow.
pH at 7.8. Will attempt to get more distilled water and do some pwc.
3:25 PM
Did a pwc of 3 gallons for 3 gallons of distilled water.
Nitrites still at 5+ ppm. Ammonia at 0 ppm.
pH at 7.6
*Total ammount of distilled water needed to lower pH from 7.8 to 7.6: 5

gallons of PURE distilled water, unmixed*
Started to use tetra safestart; dosed 50 mL

4/29/11
1:50 Am
Nitrites at 5+ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm.
Dosed 1 ml of ammonia; ammonia level at 4-5 ppm.
Use of safestart, dosed 30 mL
9:20 AM
Nitrites at 5+ppm, ammonia at 4 ppm.

excal88

Another update!

4/30/11
12:45 AM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm. Dosed 30 mL of Tetrasafe start.
pH at 7.6
12:10 PM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm. Dosed 40 mL of Tetra safestart

5/1/11
1:23 AM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm. Dosed 60 mL of Tetra safestart.
pH at 7.6
2:15 AM
Dosed 3/4 mL pure ammonia
2:55AM
Ammonia level at .5-1 ppm
10:30 AM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm. Ammonia at 0 ppm. Nitrates 10-20 ppm.
11:00 PM
Nitrites at 5+ ppm. Ammonia at 0 ppm. Dosed 3/4 mL of ammonia.
1:05 AM
Ammonia at 1-2 ppm.

excal88

Last update. Tank has completed it cycle.

5/3/11
12:39 AM
Dosed 50 mL of tetra Safestart, 1 mL of ammonia
Nitrites at 5+ ppm, ammonia at 2-3 ppm.
11:11 AM
Nitrites at .50 ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm, pH at 7.6
2:36
Nitrites at 0 ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm, nitrates at 40-80 ppm.
Doing a pwc of 4 gallons, or 33%

5/4/11
1:58 AM
Nitrites at .25 ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm, nitrates at 40 ppm.

5/5/11
12:27 AM
Nitrites at 0 ppm, ammonia at 0 ppm, nitrates at 40-80 ppm.
pH at 7.4

Having a little bit of an issue with nitrates though, but tank is heavily planted to hopefully the plants will eat those. Will be doing a pwc tomorrow morning.

But all in all, total amount of time for a complete cycle is a little under 4 weeks.

excal88

Um, what?