Fishless Cycle

[walt8880]

[Glad you found some ammonia. You can use the Aquarium Calculator at the top right of this page to calculate how much ammonia to add to bring your tank up to a certain ppm.

-FHM

That's cool. I didn't know that was there.

I had already done the calculation and amazingly enough, the numbers were the same. Proof again that "mathematics still works".

 

[fatheadminnow]

-FHM

 

[walt8880]

This morning results -

Ammonia - < 0.10
Nitrite - ~ 3
Nitrate - ~ 10

Added 5ml 10% ammonia solution. Ammonia now back up to 5. Will see how long it takes it to go away.

Shrimp juice has been thrown away. I am really glad to be rid of the smell but it was working before I found the ammonia.

 

[waterdrop]

Its better to believe the ammonia test result than to think that the math or calculator should dictate how much. The stated ammonia percentages are never accurate really and are always changing because the ammonia gas is so volatile. You sound confident about your 5ppm, but note that its better to be a little low, like 4ppm rather than to be reading it wrong and it be 8ppm, since of course that encourages a different species of bacteria.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[walt8880]

Its better to believe the ammonia test result than to think that the math or calculator should dictate how much. The stated ammonia percentages are never accurate really and are always changing because the ammonia gas is so volatile. You sound confident about your 5ppm, but note that its better to be a little low, like 4ppm rather than to be reading it wrong and it be 8ppm, since of course that encourages a different species of bacteria.

~~waterdrop~~

I calculated the amount to add and then verified the result with a test about 2 hours later. It is on the low side of 5.

If the concentration of the ammonia I bought really was 30 %(I suspect 27-28%), then I trust the calculation as much as the test, but will use both to verify results, and they seem to corroborate each other. If the ammonia in the solution evaporates any, it will only lower the concentration and reduce the effect of each add. I would think that over the limited time period of the cycle, this will be a minor problem, if any .

 

[walt8880]

Its better to believe the ammonia test result than to think that the math or calculator should dictate how much. The stated ammonia percentages are never accurate really and are always changing because the ammonia gas is so volatile. You sound confident about your 5ppm, but note that its better to be a little low, like 4ppm rather than to be reading it wrong and it be 8ppm, since of course that encourages a different species of bacteria.

~~waterdrop~~

I calculated the amount to add and then verified the result with a test about 2 hours later. It is on the low side of 5.

If the concentration of the ammonia I bought really was 30 %(I suspect 27-28%), then I trust the calculation as much as the test, but will use both to verify results, and they seem to corroborate each other. If the ammonia in the solution evaporates any, it will only lower the concentration and reduce the effect of each add. I would think that over the limited time period of the cycle, this will be a minor problem, if any .

 

[walt8880]

It is now 24 hours since last ammonia addition to bring level up to 5. Current test results are

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - ? - off the chart high
Nitrate - 20+

Will add 5 ml ammonia solution again this morning and check level in an hour or two. Hopefully we are making progress here.

 

[walt8880]

More of the same this morning

ammonia - 0
nitrite - off the chart
nitrate -20++

more ammonia added. will see how long it takes for nitrite rise to stop and start going down.

 

[waterdrop]

You are in the second phase of fishless cycling called the "nitrite spike." Don't know how you got there so fast but it looks like you are there.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[walt8880]

You are in the second phase of fishless cycling called the "nitrite spike." Don't know how you got there so fast but it looks like you are there.

~~waterdrop~~

Repeat result this morning

ammonia - 0
nitrite - hign off chart
nitrate - ~50

another 5ml ammonia solution going in.

I am surprised to be here so soon also. I only surmise it is because of the mature filter media I got from my friends tank but I really don't know.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yup, that is the only logical explanation as to why you are cycling so fast! Mature filter media FTW!


-FHM

 

[walt8880]

This is getting boring. Same results again this morning.

Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - off chart
Nitrate - ~50
ph - 8

Added ammonia again.

I have not been reporting here but I also check ammonia after 12 hours, and it has gone to 0 at that point each day, but wait until 24 hour check to add more.

 

[waterdrop]

It also helps if you say "Day X" (where X is the day of fishless cycling you are on) at the beginning of each results report. The nitrite spike phase sometimes takes several weeks.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[walt8880]

Will do from now on. This is Day 8

 

[waterdrop]

For most people nothing whatsoever has happened by day 8 or even day 14. For your MM to put you in the nitrite spike right off is pretty good!

~~waterdrop~~