ammonia = zero, after 1 week?

[meowmeow2d]

Hi, new to having fish and learning about cycling.

I have a 5 gallon tank. I am doing a fishless cycling. I've been putting in fish pellets and blood worms everyday for 1 week to create ammonia. I tested ammonia after 7 days and it's at zero. Nitrite and nitrate is also zero. Tested again at 8 days and everything is still zero. Is there something wrong?

I had previously set up another 5 gallon tank back in October, without cycling (guy at Petsmart gave me some API Stress Zyme and Stress Coat). I decided to test the waters in this tank. And ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is also at zero. The betta seems to be doing fine.

Can anyone give me some insight?

Thanks,

 

[Sgooosh]

welcome to the forum

how many plants do you have in there?
it really could just be that the plants are soaking everything up and the cycle is stil building

what test kit?

 

[meowmeow2d]

welcome to the forum

how many plants do you have in there?
it really could just be that the plants are soaking everything up and the cycle is stil building

what test kit?

No live plants, just plastic plants and decorations.

API master test kit.

 

[Kolykaf]

I don’t do fishless cycles with fish food but I’d guess that you’re not using enough for it to cause an ammonia spike in a week and/or your tank isn’t warm enough. I’d raise the temp to 80 and give it a few more days. If you’re doing a fishless cycle, it’s easier to add pure ammonia. You can get Dr Tim’s ammonium chloride for a few dollars and add the appropriate number of drops per the directions to get the desired ammonia level. Fish food will eventually work, it just takes a bit longer.

 

[meowmeow2d]

I don’t do fishless cycles with fish food but I’d guess that you’re not using enough for it to cause an ammonia spike in a week and/or your tank isn’t warm enough. I’d raise the temp to 80 and give it a few more days. If you’re doing a fishless cycle, it’s easier to add pure ammonia. You can get Dr Tim’s ammonium chloride for a few dollars and add the appropriate number of drops per the directions to get the desired ammonia level. Fish food will eventually work, it just takes a bit longer.

Thank you. Water temperature is at 80. Can't find Dr. Tim's at the local petstores and Amazon delivery is for end of month. Ugh...ok I will just keep waiting for that ammonium spike.

 

[Essjay]

You need to remove the food before it goes mouldy and add more. It takes a while for the food to decompose. I would order some Dr Tim's ammonium chloride, then when it arrives add the recommended dose and follow the instructions here

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

Hopefully you will have grown both bacteria by then, so it should go pretty fast form then.

With fish food there is no way to know exactly how many bacteria have grown. If there aren't enough by the time the ammonium chloride arrives you'll know there aren't enough and can grow some more.


Fish stores don't sell ammonia/ammonium chloride because most of them don't believe in fishless cycling.