My new Setup..1.5ft tank

[ronaldlim]

Just setup a 1.5ft tank..the tank is from my uncle......

first layer of soil

old sea mud..

second layer...

cycle

[gryphon]

What soil are you using and did you add benifical bacterial like BT-9 to speed up cycling?

[ronaldlim]

Originally Posted by gryphon

What soil are you using and did you add benifical bacterial like BT-9 to speed up cycling?

im using ada soil......i have it but is it a must?thinking of using for my next project

[gryphon]

Originally Posted by ronaldlim

im using ada soil......i have it but is it a must?thinking of using for my next project

ADA soil has a high level of amonia, you will need to do water change (think most people change more than 50%) during the cycling period.
Not a must for BT-9 but cycling will be longer, better wait 4-6 weeks.
If you have dirty sponge from another tank, you can wash the sponge in this new tank to transfer the bacterial over.

[ronaldlim]

Originally Posted by gryphon

ADA soil has a high level of amonia, you will need to do water change (think most people change more than 50%) during the cycling period.
Not a must for BT-9 but cycling will be longer, better wait 4-6 weeks.
If you have dirty sponge from another tank, you can wash the sponge in this new tank to transfer the bacterial over.

okie thanks........so now need to do 50% water change?

[gryphon]

Helped you search on ADA cycling as I recalled seeing a method posted by Master Silane. Silane's extracted post:
------------------------------------------------------------
Fastest Cycle time with ADA Amoniza Aquasoil for me.

Recently just cycle a new tank with ADAsoil within 1 week, ammonia was very near 0. After 11 days, nitrate was 5ppm.

What I did was:
Day 0 - add in Adasoil and water
Day 1 - change near 100% water
Day 1.5 - change near 100% water
Day 2 - change near 100% water
Day 2.5 - change near 100% water
Day 2.5 - add in water that was used to wash a matured filter wool and sponge
Day 4 - start to see ammonia goes down and nitrate raising
Day 6 - ammonia at 0.25ppm and nitrate 20ppm did a water near 100% water change, parameter just after WC: ammonia is very near 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate is less than 5ppm
Day 7 - ammonia is very very close to 0, I introduce my CRS.
Day 8 - ammonia is 0.
Day 11- ammonia is 0, nitrate is 5ppm.

I used de-chlorinated water to prevent the beneficial bacteria from being killed.
------------------------------------------------------------

[ronaldlim]

Oh...thanks.but can just change 50 percent each day?

[gryphon]

Originally Posted by ronaldlim

Oh...thanks.but can just change 50 percent each day?

If change 50% there is still a lot of ammonia in the tank, so it will take a longer time to complete the cycling. Suggest the first few days to do near 100% cycling
If you have Seachem Prime that can eliminate ammonia, that can help remove the ammonia as well.

[ronaldlim]

Originally Posted by gryphon

If change 50% there is still a lot of ammonia in the tank, so it will take a longer time to complete the cycling. Suggest the first few days to do near 100% cycling
If you have Seachem Prime that can eliminate ammonia, that can help remove the ammonia as well.

Okok thanks

for my 3ft tank, i used ADA 2 soil and cycle for a week. for my case the soil is only 1cm height.

1st day, put soil, water, plants and a new canister filter. lights on 8hrs a day.

2nd day, i did 100% wc and refilled tank.

3rd day, i did 100% wc. Refilled tank and put anti-chlorine. Then i transfer a hof and sponge filter from a matured tank and let it run in the new tank. i also swap a matured canister with the new set of canister and let the mature canister run in the new tank.

7th day i put my shrimps in.
8th day i put more shrimps in. Today is the 5th day. so far so good. hehe.

i think the plants and matured filter media speed up cycling period by alot. but must consider the fact that my soil height is only 1cm high.