My Fishless Cycle

[chardonnay1000]

Hi, Im currently 9 days into a fishless cycle and have been adding 25 drops of ammonia per day. the nitrite is sitting at .25mg with no sign of a spike yet, it has been like this for about 7 days. I have the temp at 30, i have added live plants, but still nothing much happening. I have another tank fully cycled with gravel, ornaments etc in..but am treating for septecmia so dont want to use anything out of that tank to speed things along. Am i doing everything right?

 

[Squid]

I've done a fishless cycle with the add and wait method, which worked successfully. I have often wondered about the add daily method since i read an article in PFK. One part of the article said:

Can you overdo it?
Yes. Adding too much ammonia will mean that it takes longer for the bacteria break it down. Nitrobacter are inhibited by ammonia. And you could add so much that you exceed the carrying capacity of the filter.

I wonder if this is the case?

Alternatively, check your PH.. mine plummeted down due to the bogwood and or cycling, but when i did a largeish water change this seemed to kick the cycle back off again..

Good Luck
Squid

 

[chardonnay1000]

Have just checked and my PH is 8.5, same as my tap Ph. Would this affect the cycle? Should i try to bring it down to about 7.

 

[Squid]

No, i don't think your PH is the problem..

What is the level of ammonia at the moment? off the chart?

This may be just a case of sitting and waiting. It hasn't been too long yet. Once the bacteria that break down the ammonia are in full flow, it will be a little while before the nitrite munching bacteria are present. I have been told that they often take twice as long as the ammonia munching lot..

Frustrating isn't it.

Good Luck

Squid.

 

[chardonnay1000]

Ammonia is sitting at .8mg, the highest it has been so far. i added 25 drops again at bout 11 am today. Perhaps i am just too impatient?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

if you're just getting your highest ammonia reading then that is in the process of spiking, this will happen before your nitrite spike so just be patient.

however if you want to speed things up then check out this thread for someone living in your area who can donate some mature filter media to you

 

[chardonnay1000]

Thanks but living in the lake district is probably the most way out place you can prob get, all are at least a 2 hr drive! thanks any way, poss with the ammonia spiking it may mean im on my way..fingers crossed

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thanks but living in the lake district is probably the most way out place you can prob get, all are at least a 2 hr drive! thanks any way, poss with the ammonia spiking it may mean im on my way..fingers crossed

aah fair enough, didn't look at your location

ah well sure there's plenty of other benefits to living in such a beautiful area!

but yeas you seem to be on your way, just give it time

 

[chardonnay1000]

Ha ha yeh it rains alot it truely is a lovely place to live tho. hopefully i wont have too long to wait for my tank to cycle. looking at sand and plants hmm, not fun.

just one more question....once my ammonia hits top of the spike, is this when i reduce my daily ammonia to roughly half of what im currently adding?

 

[zoekin8yg]

it takes longer than 9 days so i wouldnt worry! My tanks been cycling for 3 weeks and its still not finished. I add fish food rather than pure ammonia though

 

[chardonnay1000]

3 weeks?

Ive read posts on people adding prawns? does this really work?

 

[zoekin8yg]

I personally wouldnt add prawns but fish food is fine, they break down into ammonia etc it mimicks the waste that the fish would produce if they were in the tank.

 

[Sammie7]

I don't believe that you are supposed to fishless cycle a tank with live plants. Most people that are going to use plants will plant heavily and add a small bioload of fish. The plants use the ammonia produced by the fish and there is no characteristic spike like in normal cycling. We call this "silent cycling." Also I think that plants can get ammonia burns from the pure ammonia.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

I don't believe that you are supposed to fishless cycle a tank with live plants. Most people that are going to use plants will plant heavily and add a small bioload of fish. The plants use the ammonia produced by the fish and there is no characteristic spike like in normal cycling. We call this "silent cycling." Also I think that plants can get ammonia burns from the pure ammonia.

hmmm i've never heard of that, have you any more details on this method?

in think you'd have to have an established planting of about 75% of the tank for them to use up enough ammonia to prevent a spike and therefore prevent any damage to the fish.

not disputing the method as the theory holds, I'd just like to see a bit more detailed information on it.

you can fishless cycle with anything that adds ammonia to the tank, the problem with prawns and fish food is it takes time to break down into the water therefore you can't be certain you've added the right amount. With pure ammonia it's in the water straight away and you can almost instantly get a correct ammonia reading.

 

[Sammie7]

I don't believe that you are supposed to fishless cycle a tank with live plants. Most people that are going to use plants will plant heavily and add a small bioload of fish. The plants use the ammonia produced by the fish and there is no characteristic spike like in normal cycling. We call this "silent cycling." Also I think that plants can get ammonia burns from the pure ammonia.

hmmm i've never heard of that, have you any more details on this method?

in think you'd have to have an established planting of about 75% of the tank for them to use up enough ammonia to prevent a spike and therefore prevent any damage to the fish.

not disputing the method as the theory holds, I'd just like to see a bit more detailed information on it.

you can fishless cycle with anything that adds ammonia to the tank, the problem with prawns and fish food is it takes time to break down into the water therefore you can't be certain you've added the right amount. With pure ammonia it's in the water straight away and you can almost instantly get a correct ammonia reading.

Google "silent cycle"
http/www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm