The ammonia level has really started to spike in my tank. I know that this is all part of the cycle, but how much of a water change should I be doing? No fish, cycling without them. Yesterday I did about a 20% water change.
Ammonia Spike
- Thread starter CandiBug2
- Start date
What?
If you are cycling without fish, surely the ammonia is only from your additions, right? If no fish are in the tank, don't bother with changing water, that is only to keep from killing fish. Just add less ammonia. You don't want to go over 5 ppm. You also need to monitor the pH to be sure it doesn't fall below safe levels and kill off the very bacteria you are trying to grow.
If on the first day you add a tablespoon of ammonia to get the tank up to 5 ppm, then the next morning, there is 5 pm of ammonia still, don't add any more. If the next day it is 3 ppm, add enough to get it back to 5 ppm. What you are trying to do is to get the tank to consume 5 ppm in 24 hours. So, boost it to 5 ppm, and hope that it goes to zero by morning.
When the nitrites show up, begin adding half the amount of ammonia, so that original one tablespoon becomes 1/2.
You are done when that amount of ammonia is all gone by morning and there is no nitrate either.
Be sure to check this with the original sources, as I fish-cycled the first tank and just moved filters and gravel to the next 4 tanks.
If you are cycling without fish, surely the ammonia is only from your additions, right? If no fish are in the tank, don't bother with changing water, that is only to keep from killing fish. Just add less ammonia. You don't want to go over 5 ppm. You also need to monitor the pH to be sure it doesn't fall below safe levels and kill off the very bacteria you are trying to grow.
If on the first day you add a tablespoon of ammonia to get the tank up to 5 ppm, then the next morning, there is 5 pm of ammonia still, don't add any more. If the next day it is 3 ppm, add enough to get it back to 5 ppm. What you are trying to do is to get the tank to consume 5 ppm in 24 hours. So, boost it to 5 ppm, and hope that it goes to zero by morning.
When the nitrites show up, begin adding half the amount of ammonia, so that original one tablespoon becomes 1/2.
You are done when that amount of ammonia is all gone by morning and there is no nitrate either.
Be sure to check this with the original sources, as I fish-cycled the first tank and just moved filters and gravel to the next 4 tanks.
I thought that I had read somewhere that when cycling I had to do water changes every day. I am using ammonia. Maybe I crossed what I read with something else. I just thought that I had to do daily water changes. I hope I didn't ruin anything!
Nope...you shouldn't have caused any problems with the water change, but like
anonapersona said, they aren't necessary.
Just keep the level at 5ppm as mentioned and you should be fine. The one thing I don't agree with is cutting the dose in half when you get nitrites. Keep the level of ammonia at 5ppm so that you have a nice strong biological filter....
anonapersona said, they aren't necessary.
Just keep the level at 5ppm as mentioned and you should be fine. The one thing I don't agree with is cutting the dose in half when you get nitrites. Keep the level of ammonia at 5ppm so that you have a nice strong biological filter....