One last cycle question please???

[wildgator25]

I dosed the aquarium to 5ppm Ammonia Friday. Got a reading of 4ppm Ammonia, 5 ppm Nitrite Sunday morning. Now got a reading of 2 ppm Ammonia, 5 ppm Nitrite, and 5 ppm Nitrate. Do I need to dose any more Ammonia to the tank? Or do I wait another day or two and let it come down closer to 0? Please help me!!!!!

 

[cgrabe]

I believe you need to add enough to keep the ammonia at 5ppm until the cycle completes and Amonia and Nitrates stay near 0. If you don't continue to add ammonia, the bacteria will have no food source.

 

[JSchmidt]

When I fishlessly cycle, I dose the tank everyday with however much ammonia is needed to get back to my target concentration (usually 5 ppm).

I would add enough ammonia to get back to your 5 ppm target. Also, you probably just made a typo, but the cycle is over when ammonia and nitrItes get to zero (not nitrAtes). Nitrates will continue to rise until you do a water change. Ammonia and nitrites, however, will drop to zero as the cycle completes.

Make sense?

Jim

 

[cgrabe]

I distinctly remember making a point to say nitrites rather than nitrates and I still managed to screw it up.

 

[wildgator25]

Thanks to the both of you for your help. I promise that once I get done with this fishless cycle, I will post exact step by step process in wildgator language for those like me who just can't get it into their heads. lol