Fishless Cycle Worries And Questions

[friendlyfishy777]

Hi all,

I’m extremely nervous about starting my fishless cycle. I would love some advice and reassurance as I have read so much information online that my head hurts and I feel more confused than ever (due to conflicting information). Please help me as I go on this journey for the very first time. I hope to have alive and very happy fish at the end of it.

Equipment details:

Fluval Roma 200 Aquarium
Fluvial 205 External Filter
Heater
Test Kits

Other stuff: Have put one and half inch layer of black aquarium sand in tank (purchased from Pets at Home), along with some tank ornaments. And live potted plants will be put in later today as I was told this will help in the cycle.

When I first filled up the tank the water became extremely cloudy within a few hours and after a few days with no improvement I decided to empty all the water and start again. Even though I had washed the sand I am guessing I hadn’t washed it as well as I had thought. Since refilling the tank (24 hours ago) the water is much clearer but a little cloudiness remains. I have been told that this is quite normal and nothing to worry about.

What I plan to use for the fishless cycle:

Homebase Household Ammonia 9.5% solution
Plastic Pipette which holds up to 1 ml of liquid

Worries/Questions:

I’ve read that I should put enough Ammonia in for it to read as 5ppm and then keep it at 5ppm, but elsewhere I’ve read it is better to have a reading of only 1ppm as any higher actually demises the growth of healthy bacteria, slowing down the cycling process. Which is correct?

I’ve read I should check Ammonia and Nitrite readings every single day, but some say it should be every other day?

Most sites say add so and so amount of drops, but what does this equal if using a pipette? (in ml)

Before I had read about the use of pure Ammonia to cycle I had purchased a tube of EVOLUTION AQUA PURE POND at the advice of a LFS. He said it worked unlike bottled cycle stuff as it had a food source (they are supposed to be slow release bacteria gel balls). He said I should put 24 balls into my filter to kick start it. Do you think I should use this as well as putting the Ammonia in? I am keen to do anything possible to speed up the process, as long as it doesn’t put any fish at risk.

I’ve read that to cycle a tank there needs to be plenty of oxygen in the water, which is why an air pump (which I haven’t purchased yet) is recommended to speed things up. But if I’ve read correctly when doing fishless cycling I should heat up the water to 24c or there abouts (is that heating temp correct?). But doesn’t that make it that there is less oxygen in the water?

My current readings before fish are as follows:

NITRITE 0 ppm
NITRATE 20 ppm
AMMOINIA 0.25 ppm
PH 7.6

Should I be worried?

 

[Katch]

Your filter will provide more than enough surface movement to oxygenate the water.

We dose to 5ppm until nitrites show up then we back off to 1-2ppm.

There is a calculator somewhere that will give you a rough ammount of ammonia to add. I'll try and find it. edit - http/www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm -- 10 mls or thereabouts for your tank.

You want your temperature up to 29 degrees to help the bacteria along and you can add bicarbonate of soda (baking aisle of the super market) to raise your pH a little. This also helps. I would add a heaped teaspoon and retest your pH after a few minutes. Aim for pH 7.8.

Re-read the fishless cycle guide in my signature. Think of your cycle in 3 phases. 1. waiting for ammonia to turn into nitrite. 2. waiting for nitrite to turn into nitrate. 3. waiting for both things to happen in 12 hours.

after that, it's fish time.

Phase 1 will take 2 or 3 weeks. Phase 2 will take 4-6 weeks and the final phase usually completes a week or so later.

Crack on with getting your parameters right and add you first dose of ammonia.

Add ammonia every 24 hours if it needs it to keep it at 5ppm for now. Once nitrites start showing up come back for more help and advice.

EDIT - I wouldn't put that pond pure in any tank of mine.

 

[lucasluke]

Firstly, don't be nervous. It is very easy once you get going. Start a thread on here and post your results daily and everything will tell you exactly what to do! Everything sounds fine with all your equipment. Firstly, take out the live plants. They eat your ammonia which makes it so the bacteria do not get it and expand there colony. Firstly start by putting 4ppm or 5ppm ammonia in. Both of these amounts are fine. Then wait until it drops down to around 0.25ppm. After it has dropped top it back up to your original amount. Keep repeating that till your cycled. Check your levels everyday because one day your ammonia may drop real fast and you don't dose it again because you didn't test it.

I have no idea on the pond stuff - someone else will have to take a look. Yes, it helps with having plenty of oxygen but it really isn't necessary. When cycling heat the water up to around 30c. This is optimal for bacterial growth. If you have an airstone you will be fine on oxygen.

Your readings are fine - most tapwater has some nitrates in. As for the ammonia you have a little in but I am no expert on that subject so I am sure someone else can help.

Click here for info on cycling.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/113861-fishless-cycling/

Oh and before I forget, you should take a look at the beginners resource centre in this section.

Good luck!

 

[Joekoing]

How are you dosing with Ammonia?

 

[Overload]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/113861-fishless-cycling/ is the guide I followed using the "add and wait" method.

Quick highlights:

Add 5ppm of ammonia to your tank (I calculate dose in ml using this calculator
Test for ammonia everyday until that reaches below 0.25ppm and then test for nitrite as well. Dose upto 2ppm
Test ammonia and nitrite everyday, when ammonia reaches less than 0.25ppm redose to 2ppm untill nitrite reaches zero
Dose to 3ppm and test ammonia and nitrite till both reach zero in 24 hours
up dose to 4 then 5 ppm as reaching double zeros
When reaching double zeros for 5ppm in 2h hours start 12 hour testing (test every 12 hours dose every 24)
When getting double zeros 12 hours after dosing start 7 day "qualifying week"
After 7 straight days of 12 hour double zeros tank is cycled and ready for fish

Best temp: 29-30C

Test for PH and nitrate one a week unless cycle seems to stall (a water change might be needed at this stage)

 

[HayzH]

Hi all,

I’m extremely nervous about starting my fishless cycle. I would love some advice and reassurance as I have read so much information online that my head hurts and I feel more confused than ever (due to conflicting information). Please help me as I go on this journey for the very first time. I hope to have alive and very happy fish at the end of it.
stick with us ...we'll help you all the way...

Equipment details:

Fluval Roma 200 Aquarium
Fluvial 205 External Filter
Heater
Test Kits which kits do you have?? API are the most used kits on here, but liquid form..the strips are pretty much useless!!!

Other stuff: Have put one and half inch layer of black aquarium sand in tank (purchased from Pets at Home), along with some tank ornaments (in now) and live potted plants (will be put in later today). When I first filled up the tank the water became extremely cloudy within a few hours and after a few days with no improvement I decided to empty all the water and start again. Even though I had washed the sand, I am guessing I hadn’t washed it as well as I had thought. Since refilling the tank (24 hours ago) the water is much clearer but little cloudless remains. I have been told that this is quite normal and nothing to worry about.
leave OUT the plants..they will absorb the ammonia and delay the cycle!

What I plan to use for the fishless cycle:

Homebase Household Ammonia 9.5% solution
Plastic Pipette which holds up to 1 ml of liquid
API master testing kit

Worries/Questions:

I’ve read that I should put enough Ammonia in for it to read as 5ppm and then keep it at 5ppm, but elsewhere I’ve read it is better to have a reading of only 1ppm as any higher actually demises the growth of healthy bacteria, slowing down the cycling process. Which is correct? if you look up in the beginners section on fishless cycling, you will see 2 different methods of adding Ammonia...the best option is the "Add and wait" method, where you calculate (also in the beginners resource centre) by the dimentions of your tank this will tell you how much Ammonia to add to the tank to take it to 4-5ppm....then you simply WAIT till the Ammonia reads 0ppm..then you dose back up to 4-5ppm..etc

I’ve read I should check Ammonia and Nitrite readings every single day, but some say it should be every other day? Totally up to you...but i check/ed every 24 hrs...in Stage 1, later in the latter stages you will be testing every 12hrs but only dosing every 24hrs! (all will become clear by then)

Most sites say add so and so amount of drops, but what does this equal if using a pipette? This is the "add daily" method...but we mostly recommend the "add and Wait" method.

Before I had read about the use of pure Ammonia to cycle I had purchased a tube of EVOLUTION AQUA PURE POND at the advice of a LFS. He said it worked unlike bottled cycle stuff as it had a food source (they are supposed to be slow release bacteria gel balls). He said I should put 24 balls into my filter to kick start it. Do you think I should use this as well as putting the Ammonia in? I am keen to do anything possible to speed up the process, as long as it doesn’t put any fish at risk.
in my latest purchase..i found these gel things inside the filter.....on starting my fishless cycle...my results show they didnt do a THING for my bacteria...so dont bother..they are useless..and they just want you to spend more money!!!

I’ve read that to cycle a tank there needs to be plenty of oxygen in the water, which is why an air pump (which I haven’t purchased yet) is recommended to speed things up. But if I’ve read correctly when doing fishless cycling I should heat up the water to 24c or there abouts (is that heating temp correct?). But doesn’t that make it that there is less oxygen in the water? Airstones are not needed for Cycling tanks, they are brilliant for decoration...but thats it! your filter should be set to agitate the water or bubble this will be fine for keeping the water oxygenated
the water should be heated to about 28-30c, the bacteria love breeding in warmer climates on your filter sponges.

I am hoping and praying that someone here has already set up the very same tank I’m about to set up using the same Ammonia, so can tell me roughly how many ml of Ammonia to put in. see calculator thread in the beginners section

My current readings before fish are as follows:

NITRITE 0 ppm
NITRATE 20 ppm
AMMOINIA 0.25 ppm
PH 7.6

Should I be worried?do some prelimalary tests on your tap water...after dechlorination and leave it standing for 24hrs first xx

 

[CezzaXV]

I was somewhat scared at first, but there's no need to be.

It is alot of information to take in all at once. The best thing to do is dose your tank up to 4-5ppm of ammonia. Then keep testing every 24 hours to monitor the ammonia levels. When you get a 0 or 0.25, come back and do some more reading. This is what I did, and it means you don't suffer from information overload

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Thank you everyone!! I feel so much better now.

Today I plan to start, after a very busy last week which wasn't very suitable.

Will start a cycle log!

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Firstly, don't be nervous. It is very easy once you get going. Start a thread on here and post your results daily and everything will tell you exactly what to do! Everything sounds fine with all your equipment. Firstly, take out the live plants. They eat your ammonia which makes it so the bacteria do not get it and expand there colony. Firstly start by putting 4ppm or 5ppm ammonia in. Both of these amounts are fine. Then wait until it drops down to around 0.25ppm. After it has dropped top it back up to your original amount. Keep repeating that till your cycled. Check your levels everyday because one day your ammonia may drop real fast and you don't dose it again because you didn't test it.

Down to 1.0 Ammonia reading, so guess not long now until I up the amount again!
Though, do I still dose with the 10ml I started with or should it be a tiny bit less accounting for the 0.25ppm reading when I redose?

 

[CezzaXV]

When you get your first 0, you should get 0 every 24 hours then (or at least I did). Lower your dosage of ammonia to 1-2ppm then until you get your first 0 for nitrite.

 

[Kevros]

I was somewhat scared at first, but there's no need to be.

It is alot of information to take in all at once. The best thing to do is dose your tank up to 4-5ppm of ammonia. Then keep testing every 24 hours to monitor the ammonia levels. When you get a 0 or 0.25, come back and do some more reading. This is what I did, and it means you don't suffer from information overload

+1

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Sorry for asking this but I feel I have to double check everything. just to make sure I read the fishless cycle post correctly.
Yesterday the ammonia reading dropped to 25ppm or a bit below (the colour looked rather yellowish) so for the first time I re-dosed the ammonia back to 5ppm.

My question is this is where I start checking for nitrites daily, yes?
Apologies for what must seem like stupid questions when there is a post all about fishless cycling - but as I said in my first post, I'm very anxious.

My heartfelt thanks for everyone's help and support thus far.

Edit:

Tested for Nitrite, current reading is 2.00ppm

 

[HayzH]

Sorry for asking this but I feel I have to double check everything. just to make sure I read the fishless cycle post correctly.
Yesterday the ammonia reading dropped to 25ppm or a bit below (the colour looked rather yellowish) so for the first time I re-dosed the ammonia back to 5ppm.

My question is this is where I start checking for nitrites daily, yes?
Apologies for what must seem like stupid questions when there is a post all about fishless cycling - but as I said in my first post, I'm very anxious.

My heartfelt thanks for everyone's help and support thus far.

Edit:

Tested for Nitrite, current reading is 2.00ppm

now your ammonia has dropped to nr 0, your nitrites will start to rise an eventually spike (it will go straight to deep purple in the bottom of the test tube)

Add the ammonia dose (slightly lower to 2/3ppm) at the same time every day(eg:9am) until these Nitrites (and Ammonia) eventually go back to 0 in 24 hrs.THEN up your Ammonia dose back up to 5ppm until the Ammonia and Nitrites eventually BOTH go back to 0 in 12 hrs (eg:9am/9pm). This then starts your qualifying week, where you must get double 0's in 12 hrs consecutively for 7 days in a row, then a big water change and you are then ready for fish. HTH xx