waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Correct, the reason for the high 5ppm final dosing matchup is to try to establish two very large colonies that will have a good biofilm structure that is mature and will form a good established place for healthy bacteria to continue to carry out their life-cycle and thrive. You want it to be significantly larger than the bioload it would "match" so that it can "drop down" and match it rather than not be up to handling it when it (the fish/etc) is introduced.
C101 has given an excellent explanation of why you should not try to consider both your fishless cycling water chemistry and your "fish-in and running" water chemistry that will come later on. They are totally different things and for exactly the reasons she has explained. Unless you have extremely low KH tap water, its quite unlikely that you would have the same pH problems with your running tank as you have with your fishless cycling tank.
~~waterdrop~~
C101 has given an excellent explanation of why you should not try to consider both your fishless cycling water chemistry and your "fish-in and running" water chemistry that will come later on. They are totally different things and for exactly the reasons she has explained. Unless you have extremely low KH tap water, its quite unlikely that you would have the same pH problems with your running tank as you have with your fishless cycling tank.
~~waterdrop~~
