# Zuko's 10gallon cycling Journal



## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

I finally got my 10gal Marineland Bio-wheel tank up and running :-D it's such a beautiful tank and it includes(as seen in picture) neon gravel, bio-wheel filter, heater, thermometer, bee hive cave, ancient bridge, leaf bed, LED lights that have 3 settings(on daylight, on nighttime... blue, and off) I will be adding the ceramic octopus holding a "no fishing" sign and a neon cave into the tank once it is fully cycled.... it is in my male VT's current 2.5 right now. On this journal I will be posting questions, pictures on progress and daily parameters, and maybe some betta pictures of my baby :3. Below are the pictures of the tank as of 15 mins ago.

Start date of cycling: 2/26/13. Added 4ppm pure ammonia (in my case 1.5mL).
i have a question now by the way, when _exactly_ should i start testing for nitrites and NitrAtes?( i test Ammo daily)


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Ooohh! Very nice! Cute tank!


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

thank you thanks you!
oh my goodness i'm sooo happy!!! my cycling is half way done!!! i did my daily ammo testing today and the ammonia was at 1ppm!!! and i checked the nitrites and it was up so im gettin' there it's going more smoothly than i was expecting! oh and, when should i do a water change to my cycling tank and how big of a WC? i heard you should at some point in cycling....


todays parameters:
Ammo.: 1ppm... dosed back up to 4ppm at 5pm
Nitrites: 5ppm
NitrAtes: 5 or less ppm.
(are these looking good?)
thanks and please answer my 2 questions that're in red;-):roll:


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Those sound good to me..... Getting closer to the ideal parameters! But as a fair warning I'm not very knowledgeable in the criteria of cycling..... It is very much still a learning process of trail and error with me :/ Can't wait for more pictures and updates! Keep up the good work!


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

yay!!!! :3 i just added a medium sized red plant to the cycling tank too:-D i can't wait to see how Zuko reacts!!!

my ammonia went back down to 1ppm so i dosed it back up  it's dropping faster and faster!! i'm happy everything is goin' smoothly.

plant:


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Yay! Glad to see the ammonia steadily going down!  Love the plant too.


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

Hahaa thank you!!!! I may also add a mini version of that plant too so he has a second plant but its base broke so im not sure :roll: i just hopE the cycling takes just one more week :3


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

If things keep going as smoothly the way they are going now, I think you are right!


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

urgh :C i added more ammonia last night cause it went back down to 1ppm and this morning i checked it and it was at 8ppm -.- i just did a 30% water change so i hope it will be back to normal:|


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Yikes! I hope it goes down again!


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## Alcemistnv (Jan 29, 2012)

good luck! 

I did a fish-in cycle 3 times already, so it seems like that's what works best for me. Knocked the ammonia down to 0 in only about 2 weeks the first time  I think I might do a fish-out cycle fr my next tank project.


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

hahaa it's been a little over 2 weeks now :| i'm hoping it'll be done in the next weeek.... i'm just waiting for those dang nitrAtes to rise!!


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

I think they will! How long has it been cycling your tank?


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

I started 2/25 sooo today is day 17 :3 i hope by right when my spring break starts itll be done :-D


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

Spring break for me starts march 22 :3


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Oh your lucky! Spring break for me does not start till April I believe..


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

Oh well im a high schooler (female) so im not sure what grade youre in but i cant wait till being able to sleep in :3 i get up at 6am


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Yeah I bet you can't! I'm home-schooled currently but I take classes at different schools so I wake up fairly early... Because the sooner I''m done, the better! lol But I can't wait to just be able to relax and not have to worry about being knee deep in work studying for my finals tests! lol


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

ergh!!! today is day 29 of my cycling, which means it's been 4 weeks!! when will my cycling be done?? :c i just added in some seeding material to hopefully speed things up. (a ceramic octopus from Zuko's old tanky)


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

guess what today is?!?!?!?!!!

Nitrite decreased!! it went from 5-2ppm :3
i'm sooo happy now!!
here was my parameters as of 2pm:
ammo:.50ppm
Nitrites: 2ppm
NitrAtes: 5ppm
i'm very haappy now i was running around the house Oh my gooodnessss! i can tell things will be ready fast now :-D


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Yay! Looks like your almost done!


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

and today 4/1/13 marks day 35 of my cycling which means today marks 5 weeks!!! here's my parameters as of today at 7pm:
ammo:1ppm
nitrites: 2ppm
nitrAtes: 5ppm

come on nitrites im just waitin' on you!!!


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

*lucky #42!*

soooo i just tested my parameters and i noticed today was day 42= 6weeks of cycling. when i tested... i was amazed :3
my nitrAtes FINALLY increased!!!!!!!! zomygoodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
here:
as of 4:30pm 4/8/13
Ammo- 1ppm
Nitrites- 2ppm
NITRATES- 40ppm!!!!!!!!!!
they sky-rocketed from 5ppm to 40ppm! :-D :-D :-D :-D
should i do another PWC to prevent any buffers and keep things gong smooth?


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

*Finally :3*

Today is day 43 and as you all know yesterday i posted that my nitrAtes finally increased.. Well now TODAY my nitrites decreased!!!
Heres my parameter as of 8:30pm.
Ammo: 1ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
NitrAtes: 80ppm
My nitrAtes also increased more. I just added it back up to 4ppm but are things looking good?? :3 PLEASE reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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