Filter Maintenance and a few more...

[Danny Boy]

During a fishless cycle should I be doing any maintenance on the filter?

My gut would say no, as I'm trying to build up effectively an eco-system in the filter, so should I just leave it be?

I also seem to be getting some confliciting advice (always going to happen I guess...)

I'm currently following the 'alternative recipe' method to be found on this site. That is, I initially raised the ammonia levels to 4/5ppm, noted how much ammonia this took, and then added that same amount every day.

However, yesterday when I mentioned that I was having cloudy water troubles, I was told that I should NOT be adding more ammonia at this stage, but rather having achieved 4/5ppm I should let it come back to 0, and then raise it again whenever necessary to 1 or 2ppm.

Which is the 'right' method? It certainly seems that with not adding ammonia today (tank currently reading 8+ppm ) the water is clearer.

 

[rdd1952]

You shouldn't do anything to the filter as that is where the majority of your bacteria will colonize. If you rinse it during cycling, you will be washing away part of those bacteria. I believe I am the one that told you not to add any more ammonia. There are almost as many cycling methods out there as there are fish species. Personally I don't believe in the need to add ammonia every day. You will end up with a tank that is cycled for way more fish than you can actually keep in it and the excess bacteria will simply die off. It will also take much longer for the tank to cycle.

Think of adding all the ammonia in another sense. Today you start your cycle and add enough to start and raise the ammonia level to 5 ppm. Tomorrow you add the same amount and since there are no bacteria present yet, your ammonia level is now about 10 ppm. The next day you add more and now you are pushing 15 ppm. You are probably doubling or more likely tripling the time required for the ammonia cycle to end. On top of that, you are also running the nitrite level to an absurd level too and that level already takes the longest to end. I bet that everyone in this forum that posts that their cycling process is stuck or taking forever is using the "add daily" method.

I have cycled 3 tanks using the "add once" method with great results. They all took about 3 weeks, 1 week for the ammonia to drop and another 2 for the nitrite to finish. Below are a couple links to sites that show the "add once" method.

Note paragraph "Sources of Ammonia"
Another slightly different method

Plain and simple, there isn't "A" way to cycle fishlessly. If it works for you and you have the patience to wait the extra time, then the "add daily" method will work fine.