fishless cycle question

[clutterydrawer]

You're forgetting about one factor in that theory though. Your ammonia won't continue to build up higher and higher. if you have 5ppm one day 24 hours later when you go to add more ammonia the bacteria will have already started working on the ammonia that was in the tank and the levels won't be anywhere near 5ppm anymore.

I know, I was thinking like this:

- I put 5ppm in on friday
- It was down to about 1.5 ppm on sunday
- adding another 5ppm dose would surely bring it up to 6.5 ppm

Then every day however was left from the previous day _might_ bring it up to unmanageable levels. Or would the bacteria colony increase fast enough to deal with it? I heard if there was to much ammonia it would inhibit the growth of the bacteria.

 

[Sky042]

You're forgetting about one factor in that theory though. Your ammonia won't continue to build up higher and higher. if you have 5ppm one day 24 hours later when you go to add more ammonia the bacteria will have already started working on the ammonia that was in the tank and the levels won't be anywhere near 5ppm anymore.

I know, I was thinking like this:

- I put 5ppm in on friday
- It was down to about 1.5 ppm on sunday
- adding another 5ppm dose would surely bring it up to 6.5 ppm

Then every day however was left from the previous day _might_ bring it up to unmanageable levels. Or would the bacteria colony increase fast enough to deal with it? I heard if there was to much ammonia it would inhibit the growth of the bacteria.

yes another dose would bring it to 6.5ppm but the next day it'll likely be down to 1-2ppm again. and by this time you're seeing nitrites which is where you reduce the ammount of ammonia you add.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Aaah...do you have any opinion on what I should do now? I started on Friday, by sunday nitrites were at about 3.0ppm, now ammonia is about 1.5 and so are nitrites. I don't know what's going on.

 

[Sky042]

Aaah...do you have any opinion on what I should do now? I started on Friday, by sunday nitrites were at about 3.0ppm, now ammonia is about 1.5 and so are nitrites. I don't know what's going on.

well if you've got nitrite readings just keep going. that phase can take a while keep bringing your ammonia back to ~5ppm each night and just ride it out. Do not do anything else to the water(i.e. water changes or other chemicals.)

 

[clutterydrawer]

thanks...sorry for being so useless

 

[luxum]

It's actually high nitrite levels that are inhibiting to the colony that converts the nitrite, the ammonia converting colony doesn't seem to be as sensitive.