Ammonia Fishless Cycle...

[bogwood]

My new tanks new ammonia bacteria are now munching 4ppm every 12 hours or less... Nitrites are off the chart. I know I have to keep adding small amounts of Ammonia to feed the new bacteria - whilst I wait for the Nitr'i'tes to peak and drop... then test for Nitr'a'tes and remove them via a large water change before adding fish...

My question is: once the ammonia and nitrites are at 'zero', how long do I have - timewise - to add my fish 'before' the newly established bacteria currently in my tank 'die' because of lack of 'food' (the waste produced from my added fish rather than the added ammonia)? Hope this makes sense!

 

[rdd1952]

Once both the ammonia and nitrite drop to zero, do the big water change and you can add the fish immediately. If for some reason you can't add fish for a few days, just keep adding ammonia daily until you can. If it's only a week, the nitrates probably won't get that high again so you may not even need to do another water change before you add them. When I did my 75 gallon, the nitrite dropped on Monday and I couldn't get to the LFS until the weekend. I just kept adding ammonia up until the day before and didn't have any problems with loss of bacteria.

 

[bogwood]

Thanks rdd1952... If I cannot add my fish for 3-4 days until after the ammonia/nitrites are at zero, surely continuing to add ammonia (to feed the bacteria) will mean when I do eventually add the fish - there will still be some ammonia present in the water... and therefore, also some Nitrites too... not good?!

I thought everything had to be at 'zero' before fish were added...

 

[rdd1952]

You're right about them being at zero but if your tank is completely cycled, it should be able to process 2 to 4 ppm of ammonia in about 12 hours (already doing it for the ammonia part now) and leave you with 0 ammonia and nitrite. Just don't add it the day you get ready to go. For instance, if both had now dropped to zero and you planned to go this coming Saturday, add ammonia as normal everyday including Fridaymorning. Check it Saturday morning. You should have both back at zero by then and be good to go.