Fishless Cycle...

[luxum]

So, after my nitrates and ammonia are at 0, can I add my fish after a water change?

No, the ammonia and nitrItes will be zero. NitrAtes should be really high after a fishless cycle (i had around 100pmm after my last FS), and that should be reduced to something reasonable (i try for under 20ppm) before adding fish. As for how to test for nitrates, you need a test kit for nitrates.

Just to clarify, the cycle goes like this ammonia ---> nitrites ---> nitrates

Nitrates are the end product of the nitrogen cycle. In a natural system they would be used up by plants, in most home aquaria with little or no plants, the nitrates (and other dissolved stuff that we can't test for, like hormones and such) have to be diluted with regular water changes.

And yes, once there is zero ammonia, zero nitrItes, and low nitrAtes, you can safely add fish at that point.

 

[Tropjunky]

go and cheak out my site it's a link on my signature

 

[StingrayKid]

Okay, but how do I put nitrates to a acceptable level? Do I just wait?

 

[luxum]

No, you do water changes with fresh dechlorinated water until the levels test in the right range, assuming your tap water doesn't have nitrates in it. It could be one water change, but it will likely be several. You'll need to do a weekly 20% maintainence change with dechlorinated water after the fish are added as well.

 

[robbrouse]

Heres what I did. I bought some Ammonia from walmart and ended up added 4 Mil for a 10 gallon tank. It was between 5 and 7 PPM I checked just ammonia for 10 days and added 5 Mil every day. my ammonia never dropped. On the 11th day I was doing my tests and I saw Zero Ammonia. So I checked for Nirrites and it was also at zero so I checked for Nitrates and it was at about 15 PPM. SO I was a little worried after all I read. So on day 11 I added 5 mil of amonia and tested it 4 hours later and it read zero. So this time I added 8 mil of amonia. Test again the next night and it was zero, Day 12 I added 10 Mil of amonia and on day 13 it was at zero again. My Nitrite was also zero and my Nitrie was at 20. I did a 60% water change and on day 13 tested everyhting again and the reading were great. Let it sit till day 15 added 5 Black Neon Tetra and have tested the water dayly and everything is still great. Will be added more fish soon.

I was under the understanding it would take 6 weeks to cycle so I figured I would wait until 3 or 4 weeks into it to test for Nitrite and it turned out my amonia was gone and it could kill a HUGH load in a fast time so I knew I was done. My way might not be what most people are using, but it worked and I even turn 2 LFS into the idea of fishless cycle and printed out some pagpers and took to them.

It's the best way to go. I have cycled both ways and the fishless cycle is faster and no fish are in harms way. Thanks to this board as well as other for turning me into a fishless cycle type of dude.




Robb