Been On Holiday Through Cycling

[Junior Gent]

Hi guys

I started cycling my tank and it took 10 days to reduce 5ppm's of ammonia to 0.5ppm. Nitrites started appearing in this time. I left it a couple more days as i were going away on holiday for 8 days, i tested the ammonia and it had reduced to 0.25ppm and even more nitrites were in the tank (although i cant remember the readings for nitrites). I decided to put 1.5ml of ammonia in my tank the night before i left. My previous dose was 1ml as i only have a 30 litre tank. I hoped this would last the period i were away. I have come back to readings of no ammonia, no nitrites and high levels of nitrates. So i immediately put a 1ml dose of ammonia in. My reading of this is my tank is reducing levels of ammonia and nitrites very swiftly and producing nitrates as a consequence, im very happy with this, i have only used new filter meterial and added nothing but ammonia and a dechlorinator (at the start). Im hoping that my lack of ammonia to feed the bacteria hasn't killed them back.

Has any one been in this situation? An offer any advice, or should i just keep monitoring the ammonia?

 

[CezzaXV]

Either the bacteria will have died back or they won't - all you can do is keep monitoring and carry on as normal now you're back.

 

[Junior Gent]

fingers crossed it starts dropping, i think ill leave it a couple of days to check on the progress

JG

 

[doresy]

As I see it you are 20 days into a cycle and you have the right idea... Ok, so you have produced ammonia processing bacteria which has dealt with 5ppm of ammonia down to zero but are unsure exactly when that was.....no real harm done.

Dose back up to 5ppm and monitor in a day or so. As cycling from scratch can take a couple of months anyway, starting again wont be so hard or though it's my guess things will get back under way pretty quickly once ammonia is re introduced....