Starting A New Fishless Cycle

[Trollfest]

Hi, I'm very new to all this!
I have a got a 64l tank, set up with 11 plants and a stocking full of gravel from a friends established tank. I have sourced some pure ammonia and have the API master test kit. I have read up on what to expect regarding levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I haven't added any ammonia yet and am a bit scared to! How much do I add to start with and do I need to be increasing the amounts as I go? How often do I need to test and will a fishless cycle remove the need for water changes?

 

[OldMan47]

A fishless cycle will be easier than a fish-in cycle as far as water changes. The longer you wait to start, the harder the cycle will become. The friend's sample of gravel will help get you going if you start right away. If you delay, the bacteria in that gravel sample will slowly die off and the gravel will not give you the boost that it should. You only add enough ammonia to get around 4 or 5 ppm and then stop and monitor for the ammonia to start processing. It is not unusual for that to take a week or more to really get going but your gravel sample may speed that up. Once you drop down to near zero ammonia, you add some ammonia back in to raise the levels to around 4 or 5 ppm again and wait for the next drop. The second drop will be quicker than the first and eventually you will be adding ammonia daily to keep the process going. Water changes come at two times. They come if you have a pH drop, to bring the pH back up, and they come at the end of the cycle to remove the built up nitrates.

 

[Trollfest]

Aah, added 3ml of ammonia last night as per the aquarium calculator instructions and got up this morning to a massive algal bloom. I checked the levels when I returned from work and the ammonia was about 0.5ppm and the nitrites and nitrates were 0. I did a 50% water change and switched off the lights. What now? Has it cycled or has the algae eaten all the ammonia?