Fishless Cycling...

[Luca Brazzi]

Am I doing this wrong? When I started fishless cycling I just added enough ammonia all at once to get a reading of 5ppm in my tank. Should I have added it little by little instead?

[carpguy]

You're doing it right. All at once to 5ppm and then maintenance doses to get it back to 5 once it starts to drop. Here is the Chris Cow article (http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/cycle2.shtml) on fishless cycling with all the details.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Thats what I did a few days ago when I started my fishless cycle. Don't worry, it's not as confusing as it might seem.

[Luca Brazzi]

I read the article and it seems that I am still doing something wrong. I added enough ammonia to get 5ppm, but then that was all, I didnt keep adding more... I have just been waiting to see if the ammonia would drop (and nitrites rise). According to the article I should be adding more ammonia everyday whether it drops or not. So in otherwords, if I start out adding enough ammo to get 5ppm on day 1, then on day 2 I just add the same amount again, and if it was already at 5ppm, it would now be at 10ppm. Right? Its been about 1 and 1/2 weeks since I started, and it seems like I am getting some nitrites although its hard to match up the colors on the No2 card with my sample.

[quick061]

no, you want to add just enough ammonia to keep it at 5ppm. when the level of ammonia starts to drop add just enough to get it back up to 5ppm but no more.

eventually when you start to see nitrates then go ahdead and drop that level down to 3ppm though.

[Luca Brazzi]

Then I was doing it right?
Maybe its the way the article was worded. It did say... record how much to get to 5ppm , then add that amount daily until the nitrite spikes.

[MP]

Yes, that's what Chris said in the article. You understood it correctly.

I, however, could never see any reason to do it this way, so I just add enough ammonia (to about 5ppm or so) and wait till it starts dropping. Only then I proceed with regular additions.

Daily dosing in the beginning of cycle serves no purpose, IMO.
You may add all ammonia in once. At the same time, you should be reasonable. Overloading with ammonia will only lead to extra headaches with never disappearing nitrites later or some other problems like pH depression in poorely buffered tanks or depression of the second colony by the excess of ammonia.

I discussed it with Chris after he published the article, but, for some reason, he decided to leave it as is.

[carpguy]

I just went back through both articles and you're right, that's what he says to do. I've always understood it to be start at 5ppm, and then each day add enough to get back to 5ppm. Eventually the bacteria will be built up enough to handle the whole dose in less than 24 hours. At this point you're back to adding the original dose daily. (Your also at the end of the ammonia spike).

The article definitely doesn't read that way, but getting into higher concentrations can be bad for the bacterial colonies. I know the maintain at 5ppm method works, but my fishless lasted just over 4 weeks, not 3. Since I have no idea what the right answer would be, I just emailed Chris Cow and asked him.

I'll post his response if I get one.

EDIT: that email could not be delivered to that address. I'm going to stay with the maintain at 5ppm method.

[JSchmidt]

You don't need for the tank's concentration of ammonia to exceed 5 ppm. You certainly don't want to get to really high concentrations, as this is pretty much believed to inhibit the second stage (nitrite-eating) bacteria.

At the beginning of a fishless cycle (i.e., before the ammonia eaters establish themselves) you will little or no ammonia for a while. Only after you notice ammonia decreasing do you need to add any more, and then only enough to take the tank back up to 5 ppm.

It sounds like you're doing fine.

Good luck,
Jim

[NJ Devils Fan]

What I have been doing so far is I take a test of the ammonia. For a few day's now, it's been at 4 ppm when I've checked. So I add 1 ppm of ammonia to the tank(for me it's 3 table spoons). I just took a nitrite test, and I think I saw the tiniest trace of nitrites which is a very good sign. :)

[JSchmidt]

The first sign of nitrites IS exciting. It's like you finally get some confirmation that this stuff is actually working the way you've been told it will. Unfortunately, establishment of the nitrite-eaters often takes as long (or longer) than establishment of the first stage bacteria.

Hang in there!

Jim

[FBCoach]

Hey All,

Today is my 15th day of the fishless cycle on my 50 gal. tank. NitrItes are down to 0.25 ppm and the tank will dispose of 5 ppm ammonia in less than 24 hours. I hope to be down to 0 ppm ammonia and 0 ppm nitrites by this weekend.

I make sure I have 5 ppm ammonia in the tank everyday. For the first two days I didn't have to add any ammonia and by the end of the first week I was adding the original amount everyday and waiting for the nitrite spike. And spike they did after about a week. This week they have been off the charts until yesterday when they were at 2 ppm and today at 0.25 ppm. I was afraid they would never come down but when they did they dropped fast. I'm hoping I'm pretty close to being done.:D

See ya,
Coach