New To This And My Fishless Cycle ...

[lukert]

HI ALL
 
 
Started fishless cycling on the 8th april ... The tank I added 52 litres of water and added aqua safe decholrinator ...

The filter is eheim 2008 internal its a preowned tank but the bacteria in filter would of died off due to it being sat around for months.
I added fish food daily 
I received my API TEST KIT on the 13th and results are as follows:

ammonia: 1.0
NO3 80PPM
NO2 0.50
PH 7.6


15/4

AMMONIA 2.0 
NO2 0.50
NO3 80

16/4 I got some ammonia 5% vol ingredients just says ammonia 5%
but tests in the morning around 11am prior to adding ammonia

AMM 2.0
NO3 80
NO2 0.50

ADDED AMMONIA AROUND 5PM DID the test around 740pm

and ammonia was just a bit darker than 4.0

tested today 17TH 

AMMONIA the colour looks darker than 4.0 but not as dark as 8 so id say it must be around 5-6 ish

NO3 80
NO2 2PPM

Is this good the NO3 has stayed the same but it seems that my ammonia has risen alot id have thought it would of gone down not up ??

help please

FORGOT TO ADD:

I added the heater to as i read it helps speed up the cycle IM NOT using the heater when i get my fish as get alot of power cuts in the winters

 

[Boyden]

The Ammonia will drop but not until the appropriate bacteria colonise your filter sponge etc.  It can take a while for a fishless cycle to level out to 0 0 0.  
 
I hope this helps
 

 

[attibones]

It took my ammonia only a week to drop, then two weeks for my nitrIte to drop. Give it some more time.

 

[Welshweeks]

It's probably not easy to put a timescale on the process as my 180L to 32 days (start to finish) and my 40L is taking FAR longer!

 

[lukert]

Id assume I shouldnt add any ammonia for today as readings are above 4? And shall i check readings tomorrow and add more if its dropped below 4ppm??

 

[Welshweeks]

I wouldn't add any more until it reaches a max of 1ppm (I only dosed when ammonia was zeroing) and there's also debate whether there's any need to dose above 2ppm depends on how many fish your putting in on the initial stocking.

Keep an eye on your PH

 

[lukert]

Ok Ph was 7.6 couple days ok ill check now ...
Im going for a few golden minnow thingys

Tested... A lil bit darker than the 7.6 so id says its probs around 7.3-5
Same as my tap water

Thanks for help and info to all

 

[Welshweeks]

PH can drop when cycling if you do check the PH don't do it straight after dosing ammonia as it can give a false reading I believe.
 
I think you may need to keep an eye on the nitrates when nitrites are reducing too. I think that's what screwed my fishless cycle that I'm currently doing on a 40L tank!

 

[lukert]

Ok. Nitrites are going up a bit at mo so id assume as the nitrates are staying the same Then its ok at the moment?

 

[Welshweeks]

Yes I would say so. Nitrites will probably go off the scale and generally take twice as long as ammonia to drop as these are being "topped up" every time your ammonia is being processed. 

 

[Welshweeks]

Obviously as nitrites go down nitrates will go up!