Cycling tank question

[Gordons]

Hey everyone In process going a fishless cycle. Have been dosing with dr Tim cloride. What would my next step to finish the cycle. Just seeded the filter with media from other tank. How close am I and what would be my next step

 

[gwand]

You want to see 0 ppm nitrite and ammonia 48 hours after dosing ammonia at 1 ppm. I like to see this happen two times in a row. Then I perform a large water change to lower nitrate levels and begin to add fish.

 

[AJ356]

You want to see 0 ppm nitrite and ammonia 48 hours after dosing ammonia at 1 ppm. I like to see this happen two times in a row. Then I perform a large water change to lower nitrate levels and begin to add fish.

It should really be that within 24 hours, but you definitely on the right track if takes 48 hours.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't bother testing nitrate until the filter has finished cycling. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading. Wait until the ammonia and nitrite have both gone up and come back down to 0ppm, then start testing for nitrate.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Testing for nitrate is difficult. So what many tests will do it turn the nitrate in nitrite and then test for that, However, If one had nitrite in the water then that would get counted as being nitrate. So before you test for nitrate, you need to know the ppm for nitrite. Them you can subtract that number from the nitrate test result.

However, there is no need to test for nitrate when doing a fishless cycle. Once you can clear the ammonia you are adding in 24 hours and also get 0 for nitrite, you are cycled. Then you should do a large water change as much as you can. Any nitrate left when you fill the tank back up will be minimal unless you have it coming in with your tap water.

If you are dosing the ammonium chloride according to to his directions for cycling, the 2 ppm he suggests is measured on the nitrogen scale and API tests measure using the total ion scale. So Dr. Tim's 2 ppm dose on the API kit would read as being 2.56 ppm.

Also, you need to do the high range pH test. Your result looks to bee the highest number, so higher levels can only read that high.

Finally to get an accurate value yhe tunes bend to be heald agains the whiye area on the card next to the bars for what the vial is testing. Thie is how one gets the most accurate reading.