Amount of ammonia to add for fishless cycle

[Ami]

Hi guys

The guide in beginners FAQs says 4-5 drops per 10 gallons, although this is not accurate, or enough to take your reading up to (if I remember...) 5 parts per million?

My ammonia test kit is an Interpret Easy Test kit - test tube, tablets and colour chart to match against which goes from 0.1mg per litre to 4.0 mg per litre.

Anyone know how I can translate the amounts for my test kit?

I'm keen to get the cycle on the go now the tanks all set up again, but don't want to to overdo it becuase that would be bad or underdo it because I don't wanna wait for ever!

Cheers,
Ami

 

[Ami]

Should I take it by the lack of answers that no-one knows? Or am I just Billy-No-Mates....

I'm gonna go with the 4-5 drops per 10 gallons approach and just have to learn to have some patience I guess.

Ami

 

[Vivienne]

Hi Ami,

I think Sunday afternoon when it's sunny is a quiet time for the forum. I'm fishless cycling too at the moment. My test kit measures in parts per million, so I just added enough ammonia to bring the reading up to 5 ppm. (I haven't added any more since because I've only just started to get a hint of a nitrite reading today - day 6.)

The Ammonia solution I'm using is Jeyes Kleen-Eeze, which took just over 7 drops per UK gallon to get the reading to 5 ppm. (a mg's per litre conversion requires more brain power than I can muster this afternoon I'm afraid ) I know the different ammonia brands have different concentrations, but I hope this helps.

Hopefully I'll have sufficient nitrite reading tomorrow that the ammonia level will have dropped and I'll be adding ammonia to the tank daily from then.

Ah well, off to light the barbecue. It's gorgeous now but I know it'll rain again next week because the Open (Golf) is happening not too far away !

 

[glolite]

Hope this helps. My 27 gallon tank initially took 20mls of 9% ammonia to bring it up to 5ppm which worked out at about at 7 drops per uk gallon (same as vivienne). Then 6 drops per gallon daily till nitrites appeared then 3 drops per uk gallon daily til the nitrites disappeared. Took about 10 days.

 

[Ami]

Thank you both!

I think I'll go with that extra drop per gallon and make it 6, rather than 5 in that case as mine is 9.5% proof.

Vivienne - hope the BBQ went well. I certainly enjoyed mine! B)

Good luck with the cycline.
Ami