After the chaos of the past week—plant losses, hitchhiker discoveries, ammonia spikes—today brings calm. The tank is recovering.

Test Results

Parameter Result Trend
Ammonia 0-0.25 ppm DOWN from 1.0!
Nitrite 2.0 ppm Stable
Temperature 75°F Stable

Ammonia Recovery

The ammonia spike from the melting new plants has resolved. In just two days, it dropped from 1.0 ppm back to near-zero. Our AOB bacteria colony is robust—they handled the extra load without breaking a sweat.

This is what a mature bacterial colony looks like. The foundation is solid.

Nitrite Holding Steady

Nitrite stayed at 2.0 ppm. Not dropping yet, but also not spiking back up. The NOB bacteria are keeping pace with production. We expect to see it start declining in the coming days.

Tank on Day 31

Day 31 - Recovery mode, the tank is stabilizing

Plant Progress

The new plants from Day 25 have finished their acclimation period:

Water Lettuce: Thriving. Bright green leaves, healthy roots trailing into the water. These are so much hardier than the Red Root Floaters we lost.

Hygrophila: New growth visible at the tops. The melted lower leaves have been absorbed.

Brazilian Pennywort: Starting to grow. We can see new nodes forming.

The replacement plants are officially established.

Snail Activity

Our expanded cleanup crew is working hard:

  • Nerite snails: Actively grazing, visible clean paths on the glass
  • Bladder snails: Growing! The babies are noticeably larger than a few days ago
  • Ramshorn snails: Slowly exploring the tank

The algae bloom from the fertilizer incident is slowly being consumed. Give it another week and the glass should be much cleaner.

Days Until Cycled

Based on current trends:

  • Ammonia: Stable at 0 (target met!)
  • Nitrite: 2.0 ppm (needs to reach 0)
  • Estimated time to completion: 5-10 days

We’re in the final stretch. The end is genuinely in sight.

Status: Ammonia spike RECOVERED (1.0→0.25) - Nitrite stable at 2.0 - New plants established