Fishless Cycling

[SLIM]

Hi everyone

Im currently in the process of cycling my 60 litre tank using pure ammonia and just need some advice and reasurance im doing things right.
Im at about week 3 of cycling and im adding 3-4ppm of Ammonia daily as the Ammonia levels drops to 0 in 24 hours exactly.
My PH is 8.2 Nitrites are off the charts and my Nitrates are only about 0.50.
Iv had these same results now for about a week.
Is this normal and do i just need to be patient or should i lower the amount of Ammonia im adding daily?
The reason for my concern is that to my understanding the Ammonia should be dropping to 0 within 12 hours not 24 hours, and my Nitrites have shown no sign of dropping.

Thank you, il look forward to your replies

Paul

 

[Skins]

Hi everyone

Im currently in the process of cycling my 60 litre tank using pure ammonia and just need some advice and reasurance im doing things right.
Im at about week 3 of cycling and im adding 3-4ppm of Ammonia daily as the Ammonia levels drops to 0 in 24 hours exactly.
My PH is 8.2 Nitrites are off the charts and my Nitrates are only about 0.50.
Iv had these same results now for about a week.
Is this normal and do i just need to be patient or should i lower the amount of Ammonia im adding daily?
The reason for my concern is that to my understanding the Ammonia should be dropping to 0 within 12 hours not 24 hours, and my Nitrites have shown no sign of dropping.

Thank you, il look forward to your replies

Paul

Hello Paul
It looks like you are at the Nitrite spike stage, for now i would dose up your ammonia to 2ppm every 24hrs so that you don't end up with to much nitrogen in the tank. When the nitrite starts to get processed to nitrate you can then start to increase your daily ammonia dose again.

Keith.

 

[SLIM]

Brilliant cheers Keith il do exactly that thanx alot

 

[Si_B]

Hi Paul.

I've just gone through this, and the nitrites just dropped from off the scale (>5ppm) to zero overnight.

I was pleasantly suprised when that happened!

Took about a week for me, so you may well be nearly there.

Si.

 

[SLIM]

Hi Paul.

I've just gone through this, and the nitrites just dropped from off the scale (>5ppm) to zero overnight.

I was pleasantly suprised when that happened!

Took about a week for me, so you may well be nearly there.

Si.

Ah i hope so! Im at about day 6 into my Nitrite spike so hopefully it will be anyday now. Did you continue adding 4ppm of Ammonia until the Nitrites dropped or did you lower the Ammonia too 2ppm??
Keith on the post above kindly suggested lowering the ammonia to 2.0 every 24 hours until the nitrite drops and then up the ammonia to 4ppm again which i have begun to do today, but im concerned in doing this im goin to be starving the bacteria as my tank will process 2ppm of ammonia in 12 hours easily.
Which means for 12 hours a day the cycle will be starved!

 

[karin]

Paul,

For the future post this in the New Freshwater Tank section. That is where all the cycling questions are posted and you will get more coverage, it is an active part of the forum.

 

[Skins]

Hello Paul,
Your A-Bacs will be fine. They will only start dying off when they havn't had any food source for 24hrs+

Keith.

 

[SLIM]

Hello Paul,
Your A-Bacs will be fine. They will only start dying off when they havn't had any food source for 24hrs+

Keith.

Brilliant! Cheers mate for all your advice and knowledge. Il continue to add 2ppm daily and will post back on here when my tank is finally cycle and hopefully will have some pics to show you.

Thanx again