Migthegreek - Fishless Cycle Log

[Deleted member 55926]

OK, well it looks like the ammonia today is down to about 1ppm, so what do I do now? Should I wait for it to hit 0, or when should I start testing for nitrites?

 

[OldMan47]

Wauiting is the usual process Migthegreek. The thing is that if you still have any measurable ammonia, you are still growing your bacterial colony.

 

[Deleted member 55926]

OK, well it's nearly there (0.5ppm today). So do I wait for it to completely hit 0? Won't the bacteria die if I don't 'feed' them more ammonia?

 

[OldMan47]

As long as you can get a reading of ammonia there is enough to keep growing bacteria. If you feel better about it, go ahead and dose back up. It will work either way.

 

[Deleted member 55926]

When I add more ammonia, what amount am I going for? I read in the beginners' Fishless Cycle thread 3-4ppm but you recommended someone add 2ppm during the nitrite spike or something in a different thread. Can you explain this for me?

 

[JustFrozen]

When I add more ammonia, what amount am I going for? I read in the beginners' Fishless Cycle thread 3-4ppm but you recommended someone add 2ppm during the nitrite spike or something in a different thread. Can you explain this for me?

this is a great question. a lot of times we're told what to do but not necessarily why, and this is something i've been wanting to know myself, as i'm currently in the nitrite spike phase. my understanding of it is that during the nitrite spike phase, the only goal is to get enough nitrite-processing bacteria to get the level of nitrite down to zero. if you keep dosing the full amount of ammonia, it's only going to keep the nitrite off the chart for longer. really what you want is to just give enough ammonia so the ammonia-processing bacteria dont die off. it probably wont hurt the cycle to add the full amount but there's already plenty of nitrite in the water without adding a full 5ppm of ammonia every day, so i guess you are just delaying the day that you will see the nitrite hit zero. WD or OM or someone please let me know if this is correct

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yup, that is correct, JustFrozen. Also, when we add up to 4-5 ppm of ammonia, when the cycle has finished, the 4-5 ppm of ammonia that our bacteria are processing is enough enough ammonia to colonize enough bacteria to handle a full bio-load of fish. In other words, if done properly, a completed fishless cycle will allow the person to add the full stocking of fish to the tank without any worries of an ammonia or nitrite spike. Now, even though the cycle is finished and you have added fish, you should still monitor the water parameters for a week or so, just to be on the safe side.

But like JustFrozen said, during the nitrite spike, if we were to continue to add up near 5 ppm of ammonia, the nitrite would be off the charts. So, the 2 ppm is enough to keep the ammonia bacteria alive while the nitrifying bacteria can catch up, while keeping nitrite at a more controlled and easy to measure level. Once nitrite begins to drop to 0 ppm, you can than start re adding ammonia back up 5 ppm.

-FHM

 

[Deleted member 55926]

Right, so the ammonia and nitrite have two separate groups of bacteria. I wasn't clear on that.

the 2 ppm is enough to keep the ammonia bacteria alive while the nitrifying bacteria can catch up, while keeping nitrite at a more controlled and easy to measure level. Once nitrite begins to drop to 0 ppm, you can than start re adding ammonia back up 5 ppm.

So when do I add 2ppm ammonia? I'm probably almost at 0 ammonia tonight, so do I add 2, or am I waiting for the nitrite to sky rocket first?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yes, there are two separate kinds of bacteria that grow in our filters. One for ammonia and the other for nitrite.

Wait until your nitrite starts to go up. Once you have a decent amount of nitrite in the tank, then go ahead and add 2 ppm of ammonia. Once nitrite starts to drop to 0 ppm, go ahead and start to add ammonia again up to 5 ppm.

For every 1 ppm of ammonia processed, it turns into roughly 2.7 ppm of nitrite. And from there it turns into 3.6 ppm of nitrate.

So, 1 -> 2.7 -> 3.6. So you can see why there has to be more nitrifying bacteria to handle the nitrite load, as it is more than the ammonia. Nitrite also takes a little long to drop to zero than ammonia does during a fishless cycle because you have to colonize more nitrifying bacteria to do so.

-FHM

 

[Deleted member 55926]

OK, day 8 today and it's:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0.2ppm

So do I not add ammonia yet? How much nitrite am I waiting for? The fishless cycle guide says add 3-4ppm ammonia when the ammonia hits 0. Maybe that guide should be updated or changed if this isn't the case, as I'm getting quite confused.

What do I do now?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Have you been checking and adding ammonia at the 24 hour mark?

If so, when that 24th hour come around I would do another 4-5 ppm of ammonia, as your nitrite is not that high right now.

-FHM

 

[Deleted member 55926]

Have you been checking and adding ammonia at the 24 hour mark?

If so, when that 24th hour come around I would do another 4-5 ppm of ammonia, as your nitrite is not that high right now.

My readings are every 24 hours, yes, at 8pm GMT. Just now it was 0 ammonia, so do I wait 24 hours from now before putting 4-5ppm or do I add it this evening?

 

[fatheadminnow]

You always add the ammonia at the 24 hour mark, that is if it is at or near 0 ppm, and in your case it is. So, at the 24 hour mark add up to 4-5 ppm of ammonia. The next day at 24 hours, see what your nitrite reading is and from there you will know weather or not to add only 2 ppm of nitrite.

-FHM

 

[OldMan47]

Since you have reached zero ammonia for the first time, it is time to dose back up. A single ammonia dose will not cycle any tank.

 

[Deleted member 55926]

How much nitrite am I waiting for to reduce my ammonia dosage to 2ppm? Do I need to wait for it to go off the scale? (5+ ppm)