Fishless Cycle

[Clammie]

I seem to be a little bit stuck on my fishless cycle.
I'm using Boots Household Ammonia 9.5% concentration.
Filter is an Eheim 2217 with (First to last in water path):
Ehfimech
Blue sponge
Alfagrog
White floss
It's a 110 US Gallon tank.
No lights, no plants.

Tap water test results:
Ammonia Level - 0
Nitrite Level - 0
Nitrate Level -0
pH - 5.5/6

Here are my results from the past 11 days:

Day 1
Ammonia Level - 4.9 mg/l
Nitrite Level - 0 mg/l
Nitrate Level - 0 mg/l
pH - 6/6.5
Ammonia Added - 20ml
Day 2
Ammonia Level - 2.4
Nitrite Level - 3.3
Nitrate Level - 110
pH -6/6.5
Ammonia Added - 0
Day 3
Ammonia Level - 2.4
Nitrite Level - 3.3
Nitrate Level - 110
pH -5.5/6
Ammonia Added - 10ml (I was adding enough ammonia to bring it back up to 4.9 until I was told to do the add and wait method instead)
Day 4
Ammonia Level - 1.2
Nitrite Level - 3.3
Nitrate Level - 110
pH - Didn't test for some reason.
Ammonia Added - 17.5ml
Day 5
Ammonia Level - 1.2
Nitrite Level - 3.3
Nitrate Level - 110
pH - 5/5.5
Ammonia Added - 0 (Using the add and wait method here)
Day 6
Ammonia Level - 1.2
Nitrite Level - 0.1
Nitrate Level - 110
pH - 4.5/5
Ammonia Added - 0
Day 7
Ammonia Level - 1.2
Nitrite Level - 0
Nitrate Level -5
pH - <4.5
Ammonia Added - 20ml
Day 8
Ammonia Level - 2.1
Nitrite Level - 0.8
Nitrate Level -50/110
pH - <4.5
Ammonia Added - 0
Day 9
Ammonia Level - 4.9
Nitrite Level - 0
Nitrate Level - 0
pH - <4.5
Ammonia Added - 0
Day 10
Ammonia Level - 4.9
Nitrite Level - 0
Nitrate Level - 5
pH - <4.5
Ammonia Added - 0
Day 11
Ammonia Level - 4.9
Nitrite Level - 0
Nitrate Level - 5
pH - <4.5
Ammonia Added - 0.

Would really appreciate any help!

 

[PDSimon]

I'm a bit confused by your cycle too! for example why has your ammonia gone up on day 9 even though you havn't added any ammonia?

 

[Clammie]

Sorry, day 8 was supposed to read 4.9. Typed that up wrong.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Clammie,

In a fishless cycling setting, the autotrophs aren't going to grow in that pH or are going to grow only very slowly. The best practice method we use for indirectly raising pH during a fishless cycle is to add kitchen baking soda (not baking powder) (sodium bicarbonate) at a rate of 2 to 3 teaspoons to each 50L. Since this is going to respresent a lot of baking soda in a US 110G tank, let me say that we know that about 1 teaspoon per 50L will raise KH without raising pH and that often in smaller tanks we recommend 3 teaspoons (equals one tablespoon) per 50L just because its easy to communicate and seems to work. So you might take that information and start at a lower dose and see how it goes.

The ideal pH for maximum growth of the beneficial bacteria is 8.0 to 8.4 at a temperature of 84F/29C.

~~waterdrop~~