Should I add ammonia?
- Thread starter garyroach
- Start date
no...ammonia is deadly to your fish...just add your fish gradually and keep up on your water changes. The bacteria will colonize for the fish you add, as you add them and they produce waste.
Yes, I've read that you can fully stock the tank if you do a fishless cycle. But, then, most people say to add fish gradually. I'm so confused! :nilly:
Anyway, i think I'll add either another angel to replace the one that died (for a total of two) or four silver dollars and see how that goes.
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
While you could theoretically stock the tank in full after a serious fishless cycle (of course it depends on how much ammonia you were using) I would say it's still best to add fish gradually. Better to lose some bacteria with less available waste than to potentially overload the system with too much.
It's too bad there isn't a means of testing how much bacteria is present in order to know how much waste (stocking numbers) can be handled by your biofilter. That is why it's best to be gradual. It errs on the side of caution.
It's too bad there isn't a means of testing how much bacteria is present in order to know how much waste (stocking numbers) can be handled by your biofilter. That is why it's best to be gradual. It errs on the side of caution.
One of the main reasons for doing a fishless cycle is that it allows one to stock fully a tank at the end of the cycle.
If you do not, then the bacteria built up to be sufficient to handle a full load will immediately begin to die back until it has downsized to the level needed to handle the lesser load.
If you are going to add fish gradually, then the amount of ammonia being used for the fishless cycle can be much less and the cycle will go faster. You would only need to create bacterial colonies large enough to handle the inititial partial load.
Of course you will then be working against the whole reason for fishless cycling and will subject not only new fish added, but those already in the tank, to ammonia and nitrite with each new addition. That is basically undoing the benefits of fishless cycling.
If you do not, then the bacteria built up to be sufficient to handle a full load will immediately begin to die back until it has downsized to the level needed to handle the lesser load.
If you are going to add fish gradually, then the amount of ammonia being used for the fishless cycle can be much less and the cycle will go faster. You would only need to create bacterial colonies large enough to handle the inititial partial load.
Of course you will then be working against the whole reason for fishless cycling and will subject not only new fish added, but those already in the tank, to ammonia and nitrite with each new addition. That is basically undoing the benefits of fishless cycling.
I also have to add that I am a big fan of qt'ing new fish before adding them to a tank, especially a larger one that would be costly to treat in its entireity.
TwoTank and Jinkz have said it all. IF you do a large fishless cycle 4ppm+, you should fully stock the tank when the cycle is complete (0 Ammo, 0 NO2, + NO3 in 24 hrs). If you do a smaller fishless cycle or (gulp) a fishie cycle, stock gradually.
Thanks, guys. Good stuff. But, sometimes the lfs stores don't have all of the fish in stock that you want to put in the tank. Last week I put two angels in the tank. Unfortunately one died. This week I'm adding four silver dollars. I'll add another angel when the lfs gets them back in stock.
Totally understood. It's good to see that you're being smarter at this than I was! Since you are obviously being particular and have your stocking chosen, add slowly to avoid problems. The fish will provide the ammonia and if you add slowly, the bacteria colonies will grow with the amount present. What size tank and what are you going to stock it with? Pardon me, but I need to live vicariously...
