Fishless Cycle Question...

Brody3665

AC Members

Jun 16, 2005

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• Jan 23, 2007

• #1

I have successfully completed a fishless cycle before by adding ammonia but this time I ran into a problem. I thought I was towards the end of the cycle, my ammonia was staying at 0 and I had nitrites. Now I have 0 nitrites and have gone back to getting ammonia readings again. I have not dosed the tank with ammonia for about 10 days and now I am stuck.

Any help...

 

Squawkbert

Senior padder

Oct 3, 2006

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• Jan 23, 2007

• #2

10 days of no NH3=dead bacteria.
You're starting over.

 

Mgamer20o0

BobsTropicalPlants.com

Staff member

Jun 4, 2003

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• Jan 23, 2007

• #3

you need to be adding ammonia every couple days. you need to keep the ammonia at 3-4 ppm. when it goes from 3-4 ppm to zero in 24 hours your cycled. right now its like you just filled up the tank like its brand new.

 

Brody3665

AC Members

Jun 16, 2005

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• Jan 23, 2007

• #4

I was adding the ammonia just like you stated but the last time that I added it, it never went back to the zero mark...

 

R

Reddog80p

Permanently Dechlor'd

Nov 18, 2006

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• Jan 23, 2007

• #5

Brody3665 said:

I have successfully completed a fishless cycle before by adding ammonia but this time I ran into a problem. I thought I was towards the end of the cycle, my ammonia was staying at 0 and I had nitrites. Now I have 0 nitrites and have gone back to getting ammonia readings again. I have not dosed the tank with ammonia for about 10 days and now I am stuck.

Any help...

Click to expand...

Yup you basically starved the bacteria. That's why when you finish "fishless" cycling you add almost all of your fish. The ammonia produced by the newly stocked fish feeds the bacteria. If the bacteria has nothing to eat it dies. You will have to start redosing the tank.