Initial Water Parameters

[Gav_B_UK]

Hi

I've just started cycling my tank and a few questions regarding water parameters:

1) I'm using fishless cycling and read all the notes on here. I've just put my second dose of Ammonia solution in this evening and my ammonia level has gone up to 7.3ppm. This is the highest my test kit goes! What do I do about monitoring above this leve...do I just keep recording that reading until it starts to drop?? Is there a test kit that goes higher?

2) My initial PH reading was 8. I went to the LFS and asked what I could use to lower it a bit and they recommended a powder called 'Alkaline Regulator'. I've now put a dose of this in twice. Initially it had no effect and now the PH has increased to 9. So, it seems as though its not working. What should I use to adjust PH???

3) I have a 210 Litre tank. How long should it take for me to start seeing some changes in Nitrite/Nitrate using the fishless cycling method??

Thanks in advance...

 

[diburning]

In the fishless cycling method, you shouldn't add too much of the ammonia stuff. YOu should add a little so that it shows up on test kits then you look for a nitrite then a nitrate spike. then when all 3 of them are 0 again, you can add fish.

Make sure you aren't reading the test wrong. A high alkalinity is ok. A high ph is not. Make sure that the product you are using can bring up low ph AND bring down high ph at the same time. The alkalinity is a buffer.

I have no idea. Should take at least 2 weeks.

 

[dthoffsett]

You want to add enought ammonia to reach 5ppm, anything higher than that can stall the cycle. I'd recommend doing a couple of larger (75% or more) water changes until you ammonia reads under 5, wait a day, and then carefully add a couple of drops at a time, until you reach 5ppm. Then you add that number of drops until you get traceable nitrites, then add half the amount of ammonia until ammonia and nitrite read zero for a week, nitrates go through the roof. Do a 75% water change and add fish.

Unless you are keeping fish that are very sensative to PH (rams, discus, etc), under no circumstance would I add any powder or chemical to change the PH level. It's better for fish to have a stable PH rather than trying to change it to a certain number. Besides, if you get your fish from your LFS, they most likely have the same water parameters you do, and you know they're not dumping powders in their tanks. Also, your PH will fluctuate when your cycling because of the high ammonia levels.

Good luck, and I feel your pain, I added way too much ammonia to my 75gal due to a faulty ammonia test. It set my cycling back a bit, but I'd rather get it right w/o fish.

Added: When you get you ammonia to around 5ppm, you should have a NitrIte spike in around a week.

 

[Captain Retardo]

About the length of time: It tooke me 1 week (and I didn't even seed my tank) to entirely do my fishless cycle...It is good if your temperature is VERY HIGH and you have A LOT OF AERATION, ask for some gravel from your fishkeeping friends or from the lfs.

 

[Gav_B_UK]

So....can you clarify....

This is what I have currently done:

- Add enough ammonia to reach 5ppm on day 1 (20ml of my solution).
- On the second day I added the the same dosage again (20ml of my solution).
- and I planned on each day after that on adding the same until I started to see nitrites and ammonia was
descreasing each day...at which point I was going to half my dosage.

What I am doing seems pretty much the same as what everyone is saying....and what the various articles are telling me...am I mis-understanding......

If I was to restore ammonia to 5ppm each day (rather than dosing the same each day) and keep it at that level until nitrites spike...would that make more sense??? I think I'm confused.

 

[caino]

No i had this experience, dont keep adding the ammonia u initially used because your levels will rocket all the way to the moon i found this out, just add enough to keep your ammonia at ~5ppm then when you notice your nitrite spike cut back to half doses just to keep feeding the bacteria that convert the ammonia

 

[Captain Retardo]

I was to restore ammonia to 5ppm each day (rather than dosing the same each day) and keep it at that level until nitrites spike...would that make more sense???

Yes, that's the way I did it, otherwise your Ammonia would go WAY to high

 

[dwarfgourami]

There are two methods here: either the add-and-wait method or the add-the-same-dose-every day method. Most of the people on the forum seem to follow the first of these, but I did actually follow the second as described by Gav and it took me 10 days. It's a year ago now, and I can't quite remember the dosage, I have a feeling I may only have brought the initial ammonia reading up to between 3 and 4 ppm and then kept adding the same dose every day until the nitrite spike and then halving the dosage. I wish I'd kept proper notes!