Cycle Help?

[Joinerlavin]

Ok so I have set up my tank and the dust has settled. I have just been testing a bucket of water to test for ammonia and see how much to add to the tank, whilst reading through the online instructrions on here, "fishless cycle". It says first add ammonia to raise levels up to 5ppm then wait for it to drop tp 1ppm, how long does this take.

And any tips for me welcome,


Thanks ppl.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

that's a big question! the speed is dependant on a massive number of variable so it's really impossible to predict.

sometimes it takes a few weeks before you see any movement, sometimes it's just a few days. you just have to add it, keep testing and wait and see!!!

 

[Joinerlavin]

ok thanks.

 

[Schmill]

erm, just want to check, (quite possibly purely because I am reading your original post wrongly), but you aren't waiting for it to drop to zero in the bucket are you?...

 

[Joinerlavin]

lol no, I may be thick, but I am not that thick, I used the bucket to test how much ammonia I needed to get to 5 ppm.

 

[Schmill]

lol, good good, just wanted to check, would hate to think of you sitting there staring at a bucket of cold water for several weeks
In that case as MW says, all you can do really is add it and see
In my experience it usually takes the amount of time that it take you to get fed up with it and believe it's never going to drop, plus a day or 2

 

[Joinerlavin]

lol ok thanks