Getting back into the hobby!

[courtneypie]

I've been out of the hobby for about four years now, and BF and I just decided we missed having fish, so we're setting up my old 10gal in our apartment (the 60gal has to stay at my mom's for now).

Re: cycling: I got a bit of gravel from the guy at the LFS and all related accessories (the only thing I seem to be missing is a thermometer, but I'm just going to order one tonight). I'd been adding fish food, and after testing yesterday, my ammonia came out to 0.25ppm. I only just discovered the method where you add 100% ammonia yourself, so I picked some up tonight. My question is this: how much ammonia do I add to my 10gal tank? And should I siphon out the fish food I'd been adding for the past few days?

(As an aside, I think I'm set on a small group of harlequin rasboras and pygmy cories.)

 

[calivivarium1]

Leave the fish food in it; don't bother siphoning it out. As for how much ammonia to add; I don't remember. It's been awhile since I have cycled a tank with 100% ammonia. You should be able to search for a formula online, but IIRC about a teaspoon per 10gal should be a good starting point. You want your PPM of ammonia to be 4-5ppm (again, I think I am remembering the numbers correctly). I have previously cycled the tank with a piece of ham or a shrimp in a cheese cloth...

 

[NeverFadeAway86]

I would try 1 or 2 drops first, when I cycled my 40 G with ammonia, 1 teaspoon sent the levels off the charts

 

[Brian Feeder of Fish]

In theory, would any amount of ammonia work but just not as efficiently? I haven't used ammonia to cycle a tank, and I just wondered.
Brian

 

[NeverFadeAway86]

from what I was told is that if the ammonia dose is to high it can stall the cycle by having to many NitrItes

from what I understand the BB that converts NitrItes into NitrAtes takes longer than from Ammonia to NitrIte

 

[Brian Feeder of Fish]

from what I was told is that if the ammonia dose is to high it can stall the cycle by having to many NitrItes

from what I understand the BB that converts NitrItes into NitrAtes takes longer than from Ammonia to NitrIte

Ah, thanks. Wondered about that.
Brian

 

[tanker]

About 2 drops per gal would be correct. Keep measuring every day till ammonia drops to zero, then add again.
After that you will need to measure for Nitrites. Ect, ect.