1St Dose Given But Not Getting Expected Results

[BeckyCats]

I have a 55 gallon tank and am attempting a fishless cycle. According to the calculator, I added 6.25 ml of 10% ammonia. An hour later the ammonia only read about 1 ppm. Nitrates and nitrites at zero. I double checked it with the strips and got the same thing. I was afraid to add more so I figured I would wait.

I waited 3 days and now I am getting an ammonia reading of 0.5 ppm and nitrites and nitrates still right around zero. Shouldn't those be higher?

Not sure if this makes a difference, but I have about 18 plants that were in a cycled fish store tank. Also, 2 or 3 small plants from my small cycled tank.

What should I do for my second dose? Should I keep waiting for my nitrites to go up? Or did I not dose high enough the first time since I never got to 3 ppm?

Thank you.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd agree that your ammonia level should have been higher with that dose. Not sure why it didn't come up higher, though the color could be off from a lack of mixing or something.

As for the rest of it, plants can and will take up ammonia as their nitrogen source... So it's possible that they are using the ammonia, rather than it being converted by bacteria.


This is why we suggest a fish less cycle, because not all results will work the same. I'd wait until the ammonia drops to 0.25 or lower and then dose back at the 3ppm level (6.25ml). Then test again after an hour nd see what happens after a day or two again. The bacteria will start to grow a bit and help the plants out.

 

[Far_King]

The problem may be because you're using strips which are notoriously inaccurate - I'd recommend a liquid test kit.

 

[BeckyCats]

The problem may be because you're using strips which are notoriously inaccurate - I'd recommend a liquid test kit.

Actually, I am using the liquid kit. I only used the strips to double check the result when the liquid kit results were not what I expected. Both liquid and strip tests were the same.
 
Both kits are well within the expiration dates.

I'd agree that your ammonia level should have been higher with that dose. Not sure why it didn't come up higher, though the color could be off from a lack of mixing or something.

As for the rest of it, plants can and will take up ammonia as their nitrogen source... So it's possible that they are using the ammonia, rather than it being converted by bacteria.


This is why we suggest a fish less cycle, because not all results will work the same. I'd wait until the ammonia drops to 0.25 or lower and then dose back at the 3ppm level (6.25ml). Then test again after an hour nd see what happens after a day or two again. The bacteria will start to grow a bit and help the plants out.

I did the liquid test twice both times (when I first dosed and last night) and even watched a youtube video on how to use the liquid test just in case I was doing it wrong, but I was performing the test correctly.
 
One thing I just thought about is my ammonia. When I get home later tonight, I am going to do a test with a smaller amount of water with nothing in it to see if perhaps my ammonia is not actually a 10% solution or if it has become weak. I just bought it, but you never know how long this stuff sits on shelves. I did dip a strip in the ammonia and it turned almost black immediately, so I know it is at least a much higher solution than the strips are able to handle, so that's good. I'll let you know what the results of my mini test are.

 

[BeckyCats]

So, I wasn't able to do a small test like I wanted to because I wasn't sure how to measure out the teensy-weensy amount of ammonia that I needed. What I did instead was add more ammonia to the tank until my readings came into the correct range. I ended up with a double dose of 12.5ml. An hour later the ammonia level was 3ppm. I have to conclude that my ammonia concentration is lower, possibly ~5%. I tested again the next day and the levels were at .5ppm (nitrites and nitrates both at zero). The next day was down to .25ppm ammonia, nitrates and trites still at zero. Next day ammonia not quite zero but not quite at .25 either, nitrites at zero, nitrates at 20 ppm.

This may not have been the right thing to do, but I added another 12.5ml of ammonia, to get 3ppm again. The next day it was at less than .25, nitrites still at zero, nitrates still at 20ppm.

So, i now have zero ammonia and nitrites, with nitrates holding at 20ppm, but I have yet to see any nitrate or nitrite spikes. Is this tank cycled? Are the plants altering the cycle to give me atypical results? All plants are doing great. New leaves unrolling and new growth popping up like crazy.
One other note, I verified my test results with a friend's liquid kit and I also brought a sample to a pet store and they got the same results.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Yes, the plants are altering the cycle.  (That's certainly not a bad thing!)   Plants actually prefer nitrogen in the form of ammonia to the form of nitrate.  So, they are uptaking the majority of the ammonia from the water, meaning very little would ever become nitrite.  
 
It would seem that your plants pushed this along very quickly, and their new growth would be further evidence that they are using a large amount of nitrogen.  You nearly performed a 'silent' cycle.  I'd be curious to see a picture of the tank now compared to when it started.  And remember that the larger the plant mass, the greater their demand for nitrogen.
 
 
 
Regarding the ammonia concentration, ammonia solutions do degrade over time.  Is this an old bottle?

 

[BeckyCats]

I bought the bottle brand new, but there's no telling how long it sat on the shelf at the store.
 
So, do you think I'm cycled even without the nitrate/nitrite spikes? I'll have to look up silent cycles.
 
I have to be honest though, when I say I'm reading 20ppm nitrate, it is only barely getting there. The color is not quite at the 20 mark, but it is not zero either. The store said the same thing, "Hmmm. Let's call it 20." they said.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nitrate test is notoriously bad... usually a lower reading than reality.  
 
 
Its very possible.  If the ammonia and nitrite are reading zero after 24 hours again, then I'd say that you are cycled.

 

[BeckyCats]

Yay! I'll have to update my journal thread with pictures.