Confused!

[Welshweeks]

Getting a little confused at the moment

. I'm in the process of doing a fishless cycle and basically following the thread posted on here. All seems to be going well but there seem's to be a fair bit of conflicting opinion on this forum about how much & when to add ammonia. I started by waiting for the intial dose of ammonia to fall from 5.0ppm to 0 ppm which it has (please see my thread link at bottom of post). I then started re-dosing every 12 hours (as ammonia was returning to 0 at this time) to bring back ammonia back up to 4.0ppm. I have since been reading several post's where it's being said that it's best to dose once in 24 hrs and other posts saying every 2-3 days (I'm currently re-dosing once every 24 hrs). Also, other posts saying only re-dose and raise ammonia level up to no higher than 2.0ppm. And finally to do a water change to bring nitrite/nitrates down, so I'm now a little confused as to what to do!!! I'm not by ANY way having a go at anyone maybe there's no right/wrong way to go as long as you loosely stick to the add and wait method?

Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi your my only hope!!!!!

My current cycle diary

http/www.fishforum..._1#entry3281388

 

[Xraymark]

I feel your pain.

IMO dose only once in a 24h period, usually the same time of the day. The reason to dose to 2ppm after the initial drop is to stop your nitrites going too high as it takes time for the nitrite to nitrate bacteria to form. So you should see a sharp rise in nitrites. Once the nitrites zero's then you can up the ammonia to 3ppm, then up it to4-5ppm.

Once both ammonia and nitrites clear in 12h over a few days(some state a week) you do a 90% water change to get rid of nitrates. Once water is up to temp add fish.

 

[Welshweeks]

Ok ,thanks Mark.

So, as my nitrites are currently 5.0ppm probably off the scale at the moment do you think it would be wise to do 50% water change and then see if nitrites are lower and then if so re-dose a smaller amount of ammonia? If nitrites still high after 50% water change do another 50% change?

 

[the_lock_man]

Ok ,thanks Mark.

So, as my nitrites are currently 5.0ppm probably off the scale at the moment do you think it would be wise to do 50% water change and then see if nitrites are lower and then if so re-dose a smaller amount of ammonia? If nitrites still high after 50% water change do another 50% change?

If things are progressing and you can see nitrites are dropping (albeit slowly), then I wouldn't do a water change. If you think the cycle has stalled, then yes do a change. What's your pH currently? Try to make sure it stays high (around 8.2), as this will help the bacteria grow.

 

[CezzaXV]

I started doing water changes during my nitrite phase so that it was low enough that it was readable. Helped to keep me sane when I could see that something was happening. It's not necessary to do, but it doesn't hurt to either.

 

[Xraymark]

I think as the lock man said if you can measure the nitrites dropping then leave alone.

If its been static for a while then I would be tempted to do a 50% water change.

 

[Welshweeks]

No sign of nitrites dropping but as they have only been present for 8 days and the ammonia that I've been adding daily is being reduced from 4.0 to 2.0 in 12 hours I didn't think the cycle had stalled? Total time of cycling so far is 19 days and I was lucky enough to have some mature media donated to me on day 4.