Well one month after the introduction of 8 tiny cherry barbs, I am starting to feel like a proper fish keeper.

They have all grown, spawn regularly and simply love chasing live brineshrimp around the tank or eating flakes while I hold them under water.

The hair algae has been driving me insane but using my new shiny magnet scraper, a toothbrush, a nailbrush, lots of elbow grease, every other day doses of plant food and flourish and phases of CO2, it (touch wood) seems to be mostly under control.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful tips.

Unfortunately a side effect of this has been about a million little ramshorn snails. My one big snail (sidney) dissappeared and the 6 zebra ramshorn snails prefer trying to climb out of the tank and are very uninterested in anything green. I've only been able to find 5 for the last 10 days so I think 1 has been successful.

It appears sidney had babies before his vanishing act. So the time came to do something about them, hoping they weren't the solution to the algae problem rather than just a symptom of it.

I got a nice clean shiny shot glass, put it in the tank and began picking them off and dropping them in. All was going well. I moved the glass to another part of the tank to continue. The outflow from the filter, caught the glass and created an swirly current which sent about 40 tiny snails off to the safety of the gravel!

So starting again, I began picking off snails from the plants, being very very careful not to lose anymore and when I had about 30, I tipped them out into a bigger glass on the side.

This was all going very well and I could move the shot glass around the tank without any escapees. However, regular readers will probably be able to make accurate predictions over the next events. About 4 shot glass loads in, my beautiful attention seeking cat decided she'd like to play too. Several attempts to discourrage her later (including 'here have a pouch of food even though it's not dinnertime' and throwing her outside) and she was not being dissuaded. The entire glass went crashing to the kitchen floor (miraculously not breaking) and sent over 100 snails all over me and the kitchen floor.

I began again, (this time with the cat locked in the bathroom) collected as many of those on the floor/my feet as possible and carried on with my shot glass. I used cling film and an elastic band to keep them in the glass.






When I'd had enough, I took them round the corner to the local stream and let them go free. All seems like a great plan until you factor in, it was raining, slippy and covered in stinging nettles. Tipping them into the stream didn't work as they all hung onto the glass so I knelt on the concrete retaining wall, reaching down to the water very carefully. It took about 5 attempts of rinsing/swirling and having to pick them out of the glass by hand. By now the rain was really coming down (slight drizzle when I left) and getting up off the concrete was rather tricky while holding a glass. I ended up with 1 foot in the stream, 1 hand in the stinging nettles, both knees covered in mud and utterly soaked through!

Next time, I'll try a plastic bag. Got to be easier than a breakable glass if I can turn it inside out to dump them and put that hand down too.

Firstly a huge thank you to everyone who has given the much needed advice to help me get this far. Keep it coming, I need every bit of it.

Secondly an even bigger thank you to all those who provided moral support when it seemed to be going badly. I don't know if I could have kept it up this long without your kind words.

I hope you all approve.












Apologies to all those who were after another funny water change story. 3rd time lucky and undramatically the cat and I both remained dry. There is still some algae left but it's virtually disappeared from the gigantic blanket covering everything as it was and it's a nice healthy green snack for the new additions.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 - 10
pH 7.0

I haven't done this in AGES (sorry to my devoted followers) because I've been snowed under with final push at writing reports but in major news as of day 32

my tank has completed its fishless cycle!!

I've been lovingly keeping it topped up with Ammonia 3 ml a day which disappears with the nitrites in 24 hours.

I've had my dad's water tested and it possesses nothing strange. The KH was 12 but the GH changed colour with the first drop so I'm guessing my soft/hard water mix idea would work without the KH dropping low enough to destablise the PH.

I've ordered a new double T5 starter/controller unit (as have finally decided plant problems are light related) and blue led light as recommended by violet although typing this have realised forgot to order the plug bit to go with it! d'oh!

My ph has stayed nice and stable since the removal of the CO2 but I now have a serious algae problem. Brown stuff is covering everything and I'm developing an 'attractive' green carpet look. I'm hoping this is a lighting thing too, if it doesn't clear up within a week - 10 days after the new lights, I'll order a phosphate test kit and get some of that stuff to squeeze into the filter.

I've been playing around with the tank quite a bit so looks quite different and need to upload new pics but it looks such a mess with the algae, I'm ashamed to.

Next steps

1) Undertake a water change or 3 to get the nitrates down to an acceptable level. (watch this space for more water change sagas)

2) Buy big water transporting bottles from LFS

3) Install new lights

4) Silicone the foil inside the lid. Sellotape has gone all manky.

5) Get cable tidy clips to sort out wires behind the tank.

6) Clear around sides of tank from accumulated boxes of new stuff and put somewhere for safekeeping.

7) Clean off algae and take pictures

8) Decide on fish

I've been shopping today. I've bought a little coconut cave with java fern on it, more vallis (it will gro dammit!) some tiny duckweed-like substrate level plant, a mini shipwreak, 3 packs of airline clips (Thanks Critch ) and a 2nd filter (Fluval U2) which was on special offer. I also took back the light I bought the day before my hood arrived.

Then I went to Maplin and bought a surge protector extension lead which stands up so will look tidier and a 24 hour clockwork timer.

Next I've got my eye on some of those blue LED strip lights mentioned in one of the forums.

In other news, yesterday I attempted my second water change. My dad, a trained plumber, has given me lots of siphoning advice and I've completed my shopping list, so I got up early raring to get it done before I had to leave for work at 12.

Mistake 1

I got up and had a shower (I'm sure those 'old hands' could have got away with this, but really it was tempting fate for me)


Mistake 2

Couldn't get the siphon to work even with my new siphon pump so I resorted to my dad'd method of dunk the pipe into the tank, put thumb over one end, lower that end into bucket/sink and release. I couldn't get my thumb to completely cover the hole

With that not working, I decided to use the little gadget that came with the symphon pump. I attached it to the hose, sank it under the water, turned the gadget to off, moved the end into the sink and then turned the gadget to on. The water started to siphon into the nicely sink and the gadget's surprise sprinkler feature sprayed water all over the garden my kitchen.

Once the water was out of the tank, I set about getting new water back in. Again I went with my dad's siphoning plan and had prepared my water (warmed to the correct temp) before hand. Daddy said to raise the box slightly higher than the tank.

Mistake 3

My kitchen step which I was planning to use to raise the box above tank level was too high, and pre-empting disaster (of tipping the water all over myself because I couldn't see into the box) I decided to rest the box on top of an upturned washing up bowl. 4 attempts to get the siphon going later, there is some level of success. I decide I'm doing well enough to get dressed for work. I'm back in front of the tank within 2 minutes, I open the window and stick the kettle on. In comes the cat who has never seen an upturned washing up bowl with a box on top of it before. She decides it looks like a giant play thing and not having learned anything herself after last time manages to tip the entire lot over herself, me (ready for work me no less! ) the floor and the kitchen worktop.

At least I didn't kill any plants or uproot the air curtain this time, but that might be because I didn't hoover the gravel.

Ok so much has happened since my last entry
1) I have to find a new fish shop. The GA was not in last time but I did get followed around by an old creepy guy who asked me out 3 times in 20 minutes! Since smiling politely while changing the subject, ‘I’m busy’ and ‘No’ didn’t have much effect and I’m too polite to say ‘You’re old enough to be my dad, **** off!’ I fear it’s my only option.
2) My vallis has been replanted from 2 bunched dying clumps to lots of little individual dying plants. Ho hum. Some things are obviously not meant to be.
3) My pH levels sank to between 5 and 5.5. Panic ensued. Advice was given and calm has been restored. I have ordered a water hardness test kit, done a 30% water change and am preparing to deal with the loss of the CO2 diffuser.
4) I attempted my first proper water change. Thank god I do not have any fish in my tank because other than water came out, different water went in, it was disastrous. Given I always read the articles and/or ask advice before I do anything how I managed to miss the ‘A beginner’s guide to the water change’ article is beyond me.
I started by attempting to get the siphon working without removing the hood. I trapped my arm. I removed the hood and put it, upside down, on top of the microwave – doesn’t reach the floor where I won’t stand on it without disconnecting all the cables. I got the siphon going, the hose flipped out of the sink onto the floor. The water was filthy given I have no fish yet. I started hoovering and sucked leaves off one of the little purple plants (I think they must have been poorly from the pH drop) and sucked up the air curtain (didn’t consider this an issue immediately).
Once the dirty water was gone, I opened the filter and cleaned it of big bits (didn’t touch the media, just pulled out bits of leaf and a stuff). The only big container I don’t use for cleaning the house is my old water filter jug (didn’t even cross my mind that I have an old death trap tank to use) so mixed up each jug individually and have probably overdosed on de-chlorinator as didn’t have any way of measuring chemicals in that small a quantity so had to guess-timate. Since my thermometer is stuck into my tank, had to guess that too. Pouring the water back into the tank got water all around every side, over every surface, more over the floor, over me and all over the cat (I’m not popular now). Then the window cleaner turns up. I was using the bogwood instead of a plate as I didn’t want food crockery/utensils around dirty tank water but it didn’t work so the gravel went all over.
Next I attempted tidying up some of the plants, but since I couldn’t tell what I was doing as the water was so cloudy, more water went everywhere and somehow I got more wet. I spent over an hour attempting to re-bury the air-curtain and hose because the weights have decided they would rather sit on top of the gravel! Then I knocked the filter in the process, it moved and made a fountain sending water over the back wall of the tank. Writing this now, it seems really funny but honestly if it was alive I would have killed it at the time.
It took me the best part of 45 minutes and half a roll of paper towel to clear the kitchen up afterwards. Good news – Ammonia 0; NitrIte 1; NitrAte between 50 and 110 (so hard to tell on Nutrafin test is the API one easier?) and pH 7! Woo hoo!
I have constructed a kit/shopping list for my future water changes. I’m not going to be able to spend 3 hours doing this every week.
• 1 laminated copy of ‘A beginner’s guide to the water change.’
• 1 21 litre plastic storage tank
• 3 large old towels
• 2 old tea towels
• 1 nice hand towel
• 1 siphon pump (or something similar)
• 1 digital thermometer
• 1 measuring syringe thing (or similar)
• 1 plastic plate or bowl
• 1 pair of long handled tweezers
• 1 pair of long handled scissors
• 1 sports bra and vest top
• 2 hair bands
• 1 pack of headache pills
• 1 tube of hand cream
I have cleared a large enough space for the box in the cupboard so hopefully most of it will all fit in it so can be kept tidily together. But that’s a job for tomorrow, now I’m having a well earned drink!

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 3.3 + (think it might have gone down a bit but might just be wishful thinking)
Nitrate Super high again
pH 7.5

Plants, heater and filter cover all covered in dusty muck again Added another 4 1/2 teaspoons of ammonia and another squirt of nitrate reduction granules. Plants seem to be doing well with the CO2 addition and are only using a tiny squirt now when the light is on.

It's all getting a bit boring now really and needs to hurry up. Apologies to anyone who is reading this but any tips to make this cycle more interesting would be most welcome (preferably tips that don't require expensive trips to LFS - inexpensive trips great as get to talk to GA)

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 3.3 + (highest reading on my test)
Nitrate somewhere between 50 and 110

Nitrate reduction granules must have done something, added some more today. I'm still planning to do a water change once the cycle has finished but want to see the Nitrates rise, and can't do that easily if I'm off the chart.

Four x 1/2 teaspoons of Ammonia added.

Now I'm off to the forums to ask some stupid questions.

The last 2 days have been rather eventful. Since most of Friday night was spent in a strop because I couldn't work out how to fit the light to the hood which arrived on Thursday, I didn't post that my Ammonia had again depleted to 0!! I added 3 x 1/2 teaspoon more, to give those friendly bacteria plenty to chew on while the Nitrite sorts itself out.

The NitrIte was a very nice dark pink and the NitrAte was a very dark purple. Both of them were nearly off the charts.

This morning Fishy-Fishy sorted out my lighting dilemma, so I trotted off to the LFS to see the G/A. He wasn't in but the old guy (manager/owner?) knows my name!?! I bought a little wisteria to replace the spider plant (which has been potted in soil and gardening club are going to do something whizzy with it for the summer fete) some API leaf stuff, some Tetra NitrAte reducing stuff and a cheap/simple (hopefully not useless) CO2 diffuser kit (£9.99)

Lady whispered in my ear that no point buying a reflector as kitchen foil works just as well!

I also grabbed some fishing wire/beading line from Hobbycraft.

When I got home I stuck some music on and went about getting wet. I tied the Anubias to little terracotta weights so they won't rot but look like they're planted. I planted the wisteria in the gap and stuck the little bit the came off in front of the heater. I set up the air curtain around the 'swim space' and in front of the filter. I weighed down the air hose with another terracotta plant weight, washed some more gravel and buried it all! (so far it's staying buried)

I did today's readings

Ammonia 3, NitrIte off the chart, Nitrate off the chart, pH 7.5

I set up the CO2 diffuser, added the leaf stuff and the Nitrate reducer stuff. I moved the thermometer to the other end of the tank, cut off the corners and 2 sides in the condensation tray and cut out a feeding/testing hole. Then went about playing with tin foil. Once the hood was lined, I screwed in the new clips, attached the bulb and put it on.

If I do say so myself, it now looks fantastic.

I've given in and am probably about to be severely told off by the experts but I couldn't stand looking at it any longer.

In the course of unplanting the anubias nana, so the rhizome bit wasn't buried, I wiped down it's leaves. Then I wiped down the leaves of the other plants. Then I pruned off all the manky leaves, fishing the bits out with my net. Then I wiped down the sides of the tank, the heater and the outside of the filter with a tank wipe.

I feel so much better about it now.

The ammonia has taken a nose dive, the nitrites have shot right up and I've added another half teaspoon of ammonia.

In other news, the hood arrived today so had to make a trip to the lfs. Also 'invested in' an air pump, an air curtain hose, a 25W light bulb and a 30W unit. My grand plan of having a double light fixture, with a blue bulb for nighttime has fallen at the first hurdle because you can't turn the bulbs off and on separately. I'm gutted.

On the otherhand, I did get to spend 20 minutes being 'assisted' around the shop by the very gorgeous man who works there. It's a hard life.

The nitrite is on the increase. It's almost at 2 today. And ... the nitrate levels have risen for the first time, not much, and may just be a fluke but it's all go!

Definately better for having the filter on full whack, even if the plants are looking a bit messed up.