Fishless Cycling

[EthanF]

ok I've started fishless cycling the 30litre I have received from a friend, previously established but emptied.
my results in the first hour (after I added around 2.5 ml of ammonia)
ammonia: approx. 7-8ppm
nitrite: approx. 0.50 ppm ???
nitrate: approx. 0-1ppm
 
just wondering on what stage im now on because im used to starting from
ammonia: 5-8ppm
nitrite:0
nitrate:0
 
 

 

[fluttermoth]

First of all, that's way too much ammonia. For small tanks you need only cycle with 2 or 3 ppm; over 7 or 8 you get the 'wrong' kind of bacteria growing anyway.
 
Apart from that, just wait it out; as you have some nitrite showing already, your cycle should go quite quickly

 

[EthanF]

oh okay thanks for the info

so maybe a PWT to lower the ammonia ?

 

[DJH584]

Have a look at the calculator page on this link http/www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm
 
At the bottom is a calculator for the amount of ammonia required. The default is 5ppm but that can be changed to any figure you wish.
 
And yes a PWC would be advisable.

 

[EthanF]

just asking but is 8ppm also not advisable for a 60litre as I use 8 and everything seems to be working okay?

 

[fluttermoth]

There;s a risk with cycling as high as 8ppm that you'll get a lot of nitrifying bacteria that will only work in those high ammonia levels. When the levels go down, those bacteria die off, and you'll be more or less uncycled again.
 
Also there's really no point in cycling to as high as that in a 60l; there's nothing you could realistically put in there that would produce that much ammonia!

 

[EthanF]

okay thanks

 

[EthanF]

okay I have water changed the 30litre to approx.4ppm and I have just finished about a 15-20% water change on the 60 which mathematticly should bring it down to around 4-6 ppm ill test it in 15 mins

 

[fluttermoth]

 
What are you thinking of keeping?

 

[EthanF]

I have a topic about it lol
 
But 10 harlequin Rasbora and 1 male dwarf gourami
then after the tank has matured so around 6 months was thinking of putting 6 pygmy cories in however my opinion is still open for this decision, so if you have any ideas please say... although I do like the pygmy's

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Unless one seeds a tank pretty heavily, dosing to 8 ppm is asking for trouble most of the time.
 
I would change about 25-30% of the water to get it down towards 5 or under. I would not dose more ammonia until it drops close to 0 or if nitrites top out and start down. Then I would dose about 3 ppm every 3 days or so until the cycle completes.
 
However, if you are well seeded the ammonia will drop fast, the nitrite won't peak too high and will do so faster. In this case you could up the dose closer to 4 ppm. Depending on which case you have, I would do the "final cycle test" using 3 or 4 ppm (based on the maint. dose) and expect it to clear and read 0/0 in between 12 and 24 hours. If it does you are cycled, if it doesn't you are not, and should continue the dosing pattern above until you can clear it.

 

[EthanF]

okay thanks for all the advice