One of the biggest mistakes made by those new to doing fishless cycling is that they mix different methodologies. All this does is confuse one. It is essential to success that one pick a method and then stick to it.
Dt. Tim now suggest that his method should only need 3 ammonia additions in most cases. But we also need to understand that the exact conditions and parameters in a tank determine the time frame of any cycle.
Essentially, once you have chosen the methodology you will use, do not even consider any other methods. You need to either succeed or fail with the chosen method. Mix methods and the odds are failure at worst and confusion, stress and taking more time than needed at best.
The methodology here will always work if one follows it to the letter. It is based exclusively on test results to guide one through the steps. But if one tries to mix this method with how Dr. Tim does it, oops is the likely result.
Also, over the years I have followed Dr. Hovanec's research and thinking, I have seen modifications made to the instructions. His greatest weakness was that it might have become necessary to do diluted testing to know where nitrite levels really are. I believe his changes have reduced that possibility. He is adding less ammonia now than a decade ago. The method here removed any need to do diluted testing. When followed, the method here makes it impossible for nitrite to rise to the level where it stalls a cycle.
When it comes to accomplishing things in our tanks, there are usually multiple ways to do them. As long as these are safe for the fish and, even better, improve conditions, they are fine to use. And solutions generally need to be tank specific. That is why testing during cycling is essential. 3 ppm of ammonia is the same concentration whether the tank is 5 gallons or 500 gallons.
I always suggest that one keeps a diary of cycling. The reason for this is that cycling is a process. Where one might be in the process will determine if ammonia and nitrite are rising, holding steady or dropping. It is a series of test results which enable one to understand where in the process things are and thus what the next step should be. One days worth of readings is not usually informative when one cannot determine from them where in the process things stand.
I am aware of a variety of ways one might use to cycle a tank. This includes a plain vanilla cycle to planted cycle and or the seeding of bacteria. I refuse to call the use of plants a silent cycle because it that is not what it is. Plants use ammonia and plants also host nitrifying bacteria. So they act like seeding being added to a the plain vanilla cycle to make it go faster. And they also change what test results will be during the process. For a number of years I did my fisless cycling a tank at a time and using household ammonia (with no scents etc.).
When I create cycled filters in a bio-farm and then use them to set up and fully stock a new tank, I cannot say when I do this in a matter of hours that the tank wasn't cycled. I would say similar things about using bottled bacteria or a lot of plants to make a tank safe in less time. Somebody cultured the bacteria in the bottle as if they were cycling. Plants have been grown and naturally become hosts to which the bacteria can attach.
In the end, a cycled tank is one which is stocked with fish etc. and in which neither ammonia or nitrite is present in testable amounts using our hobby kits. Of course those kits must be used properly and not be past their expiration dates. And it doesn't matter why the readings are 0, whether it is 100% bacteria as the reason or it is mostly plants doesn't matter. What matters is the 0/0 ppms when we test.
Dr. Tim;s instructions are very clear, just follow them and cut out anything else in your thinking. It should then become a lot easier to know what to do. Here they are. Remember his ppm are using the
Nitrogen scale, you need to adjust the numbers higher using the
total Ion scale most hobby kits employ):
Whatever the source of your ammonia, the following is the way to proceed. Add the ammonia solution to the aquarium so that the ammonia concentration is between 2 and 3 mg/L (but, as mentioned, do not go above 5 mg/L). Record the amount of liquid you added. If you are not using DrTim’s One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria, wait 2 or 3 days and measure the ammonia and nitrite. Continue measuring ammonia and nitrite every 2 or 3 days until you start to see some nitrite. This is a sign that the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are starting to work. Add half the initial amount of ammonia you added to the water on day 1. Continue measuring ammonia and nitrite every 2 or 3 days. Around day 9 to 12, the ammonia will probably be below 1 mg/L, maybe even 0, but nitrite will be present. Nitrite does not spike until somewhere between days 14 and 20. You want to be careful adding more ammonia because you do not want the nitrite-nitrogen over 5 mg/L as this will start to poison the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Add a little ammonia every few days (1/4 dose), making sure the nitrite does not go above 5 mg/L. Once you start to see the nitrite decrease, it will drop pretty fast. The cycle is completed when you can add the full dose of ammonia (2 to 3 mg/L-N) and overnight it all disappears to nitrate with no sign of nitrite. Now you can start to add fish.
I use 1.280 as the multiplication factor for Total Ammonia since most of it is NH4 . -N below indicates it uses the Nitrogen scale
| NH3 = NH3-N * 1.21589 |
| NH4 = NH4-N * 1.28786 |
| NO2 = NO2-N * 3.28443 |
| NO3 = NO3-N * 4.42664 |
