Fishless Cycle

[Skins]

I am new to fish keeping and i would like to get things right.
I currently have a roma 240(210LTR in Aquarium). I have had it for 1 week and have been doing a fishless cycle(fish food), putting in 2 or 3 pinches of food a day and testing every other day for Ammonia(API reactant test kit).
I can't seem to get more than 0.50ppm when i have been advised to get around 3ppm, the aquarium has no plants yet and i have not been putting on the T8 lights.
Am i doing things right or am i missing something.

Kind regards, Keith.

 

[ellena]

It's much easier to control the levels if you use bottled ammonia rather than waiting for food to decompose and provide ammonia.
If you're in the UK, Boots and Homebase stock it.
Here's a link to a fishless cycling guide; have a good read and adapt what you're doing. You're right not to add plants yet and keep the lights off to avoid algae

 

[toshapetriji]

`^^^^^^^

agreed