Fishless Cycling?

[robyngunston]

Please help I am not sure if I am doing this right?
I started my first ever fishless cycle about three weeks ago if not longer....and I am not sure I am doing it right? I put enough ammonia in the tank to take it between 5-6ppm as requested. To be honest I found the tetra ammonia test kit very hard to match the colour chart so it could have be over that?
It took quite a long time for this to come down but eventually it did....I think it look about 2 weeks at which point I added more ammonia to bring it back up to 3-4ppm? A few days later I then tested the Nitrite just to see if there was any present? And there was... can't remember the exact reading but it was quite high already. Not off the chart yet though. A week pasted and the Ammonia was coming down quite slowly. I was then away for a week so I was unable to test the water until I got back.... On returning the ammonia was at about 0.25 so I added some more to take it to 3-4ppm. I then tested the Nitrate just to see if there was any present and it read 25! (Which made me feel a little better as that means the second stage of bacteria are growing, right?) I then tested the Nitrite but I couldn't seem to get a reading at all? Could it have dropped already? Do I now need to wait until the Ammonia is dropping from 3-4ppm to 0 in 12 hours?

 

[Ginge]

Please help I am not sure if I am doing this right?
I started my first ever fishless cycle about three weeks ago if not longer....and I am not sure I am doing it right? I put enough ammonia in the tank to take it between 5-6ppm as requested. To be honest I found the tetra ammonia test kit very hard to match the colour chart so it could have be over that?
It took quite a long time for this to come down but eventually it did....I think it look about 2 weeks at which point I added more ammonia to bring it back up to 3-4ppm? A few days later I then tested the Nitrite just to see if there was any present? And there was... can't remember the exact reading but it was quite high already. Not off the chart yet though. A week pasted and the Ammonia was coming down quite slowly. I was then away for a week so I was unable to test the water until I got back.... On returning the ammonia was at about 0.25 so I added some more to take it to 3-4ppm. I then tested the Nitrate just to see if there was any present and it read 25! (Which made me feel a little better as that means the second stage of bacteria are growing, right?) I then tested the Nitrite but I couldn't seem to get a reading at all? Could it have dropped already? Do I now need to wait until the Ammonia is dropping from 3-4ppm to 0 in 12 hours?

Not sure about the nitrite but you do need to wait until the Ammonia is dropping from 3-4ppm to 0 in 12 hours.

 

[robyngunston]

Not sure about the nitrite but you do need to wait until the Ammonia is dropping from 3-4ppm to 0 in 12 hours.
[/quote]

Thanks Ginge!
At this rate I might have to wait forever. Just can't wait to put some fish back into my tank...I miss the little guys

 

[mark.w.jones]

If you went away for a week and didnt get anyone to add ammonia for you then a lot of your bacteria would have died off as they wouldve had nothing to feed off of. This might explain some of your strange results. Also if youre finding your test kits difficult to read id highly recommend getting the Aquarium pharmaseuticals API freshwater master test kit which has liquid tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH in it. Its also dead easy to read as well. Your ammonia should be dropping from 5ppm to zero in 24 hours or less after about a week or so of fishless cycling. It then takes about twice as long for the nitrite levels to drop. You obviously continue your additions of ammonia in this time. I was adding ammonia to 5ppm every morning before work and checking levels when I got back in the evening. The nitrite seems to take forever to go and its really frustrating as it sticks at the same level for weeks. Just be patient and keep going but try not take take any more breaks as every time you dont add ammonia for a day you will lose bacteria which adds more time on to the process.

Good luck

 

[robyngunston]

If you went away for a week and didnt get anyone to add ammonia for you then a lot of your bacteria would have died off as they wouldve had nothing to feed off of. This might explain some of your strange results. Also if youre finding your test kits difficult to read id highly recommend getting the Aquarium pharmaseuticals API freshwater master test kit which has liquid tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH in it. Its also dead easy to read as well. Your ammonia should be dropping from 5ppm to zero in 24 hours or less after about a week or so of fishless cycling. It then takes about twice as long for the nitrite levels to drop. You obviously continue your additions of ammonia in this time. I was adding ammonia to 5ppm every morning before work and checking levels when I got back in the evening. The nitrite seems to take forever to go and its really frustrating as it sticks at the same level for weeks. Just be patient and keep going but try not take take any more breaks as every time you dont add ammonia for a day you will lose bacteria which adds more time on to the process.


Hi JonesyUK, thanks for the advice.
I am using the add and wait method, so I'm only supposed to be adding ammonia everytime it drops to almost 0...hence why I thought it would be okay while I was away. Do you think the add daily method is better?
I promise to be patient and thanks again for the advice

 

[mark.w.jones]

What I described was the add and wait method in my case as after 4 days my 5ppm ammonia was being converted within 12hours which meant I neeed to raise it again every day. You are right though. You don't need to add any more ammonia to your tank if it's still stuck at 5ppm, I should have said that. Raising it further has been shown to inhibit bacterial growth in some cases. Just keep up your daily water tests really is all I can suggest and give a big cheer when you get a 0ppm ammonia reading one day. If after a week or so your ammonia still hasn't dropped an iota and you havnt added anymore ammonia then something is not right and you'll need to look at other factors that may be preventing bacteria from growing.