Ok yes a cycling question...

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So should I keep my tank a 3ppm of ammonia until it reaches 0 or should I add 1ppm of ammonia each day until it comes back as 0? And no Avel I'm not going to do the "natural way" 😂
 
Add 3 ppm ammonia and test every third day. Don't add any more ammonia until you reach a day when ammonia is less than 0.75 and nitrite is more than 2.0. Then add another 3 ppm ammonia. Once you reach this stage, tell us and we'll help you through the next stage.

If you add too much ammonia it will make a lot of nitrite and you run the risk of it getting so high the cycle stalls.
 
Add 3 ppm ammonia and test every third day. Don't add any more ammonia until you reach a day when ammonia is less than 0.75 and nitrite is more than 2.0. Then add another 3 ppm ammonia. Once you reach this stage, tell us and we'll help you through the next stage.

If you add too much ammonia it will make a lot of nitrite and you run the risk of it getting so high the cycle stalls.
Ok... So it goes day 1: add 3ppm ammonia, wait and test, day 2: nothing, day 3: nothing, day 4: test and if ammonia over 0.75 and nitrite over 2.0 then wait but if under that add 3ppm ammonia and repeat steps above until its all 0
 
Yes that's right. If just one is right you need to wait until both are right. But if both fit those targets add another 3 ppm. Just to warn you, it took 21 days for me to reach those targets, but most cycles go faster than mine did.

Once you have reached that target and have added the 3 ppm you now start testing every second day. This next bit is difficult to explain properly. At this point you will have a lot of ammonia eaters but not many nitrite eaters so you have to stop the ammonia eaters making too much nitrite till the nitrite eaters have grown a lot more. You do this by restricting the amount of ammonia you add. The ammonia eaters won't starve, they can go for weeks with no food.
So you've added the second 3 ppm dose of ammonia and you are testing every second day. When you have an ammonia reading of zero, make a note but do nothing. Two days later if you still have zero ammonia you add more ammonia but not as much - just enough to get 1 ppm. So that's a third of the amount you added the first and second time.

Once you've added this 1 ppm dose, start testing every day.
**Test every day and wait until ammonia is less than 0.25 and nitrite is well under 1 ppm. Both must be under those readings. When you get there, add more ammonia - a 3 ppm dose this time. Test after 24 hours.
If both are zero, the cycle is finished. But if one or both are not zero, repeat from ** until you do get double zeros.
 
Yes that's right. If just one is right you need to wait until both are right. But if both fit those targets add another 3 ppm. Just to warn you, it took 21 days for me to reach those targets, but most cycles go faster than mine did.

Once you have reached that target and have added the 3 ppm you now start testing every second day. This next bit is difficult to explain properly. At this point you will have a lot of ammonia eaters but not many nitrite eaters so you have to stop the ammonia eaters making too much nitrite till the nitrite eaters have grown a lot more. You do this by restricting the amount of ammonia you add. The ammonia eaters won't starve, they can go for weeks with no food.
So you've added the second 3 ppm dose of ammonia and you are testing every second day. When you have an ammonia reading of zero, make a note but do nothing. Two days later if you still have zero ammonia you add more ammonia but not as much - just enough to get 1 ppm. So that's a third of the amount you added the first and second time.

Once you've added this 1 ppm dose, start testing every day.
**Test every day and wait until ammonia is less than 0.25 and nitrite is well under 1 ppm. Both must be under those readings. When you get there, add more ammonia - a 3 ppm dose this time. Test after 24 hours.
If both are zero, the cycle is finished. But if one or both are not zero, repeat from ** until you do get double zeros.
Sounds good! Thanks!
 
Once you reach this stage, tell us and we'll help you through the next stage.
Sometime next week I'll be stressed with beginning the cycle! I wanted to say that so that way you guys can be ready for my stress during that time and so you guys have an idea of when I'm starting. Thanks for the read
 
Sometime next week I'll be stressed with beginning the cycle! I wanted to say that so that way you guys can be ready for my stress during that time and so you guys have an idea of when I'm starting. Thanks for the read
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
 
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Huh😕
 
Just out of interest how big is your tank and how much Ammonia do you add. I'm trying to get my head around this process.
 
Just out of interest how big is your tank and how much Ammonia do you add. I'm trying to get my head around this process.
Its a 20H (24"x12"x16" LxWxH) and since I didnt take decor and stuff into account I'm just going to do like 1.5 ml instead of the 2.25 ml recommended
 
Its a 20H (24"x12"x16" LxWxH) and since I didnt take decor and stuff into account I'm just going to do like 1.5 ml instead of the 2.25 ml recommended
I thought this was an accurate scientific approach to cycling that had to be done to the book for it to work.
 
I thought this was an accurate scientific approach to cycling that had to be done to the book for it to work.
What do you mean? I am going to get it to 3ppm but I just don't want to accidentally over-do it with 2.25ml
 

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