Fishless Cycling Update

[faildeadly]

So Dagobah is currently going through it's fishless cycle which started last Sunday.

Stats are as follows:

Avg Temp: 23C / 73F
Ammonia: 4ppm
Nitrite: Nil
Nitrate: Nil
pH: 7.4

Oddly my tap water has the same pH. I thought ammonia messed about with pH levels? Also I originally dosed to 5ppm ammonia (using the calculator on here, although I never tested as I didn't have my kit then) If my figures were correct initially and I did indeed dose to 5ppm, can I assume the plants have taken some of it? (Although it's highly likely that I only dosed to 4ppm as the test has stayed the same since I got it on Wednesday).

TTFN.

 

[Easy]

I would bring the temp up to 85 F

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Aka 30 c
And may the force be with you!

 

[4seasons]

Personally I wouldn't dose ammonia up past 2ppm. It makes less of a nitrite spike and therefore you can cycle quicker. 4ppm won't hurt anything but you may get off the chart nitrites and then have a PH crash later if you keep dosing that high.

 

[faildeadly]

So what do you reckon? When ammonia drops to zero just re-dose to 2ppm?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I like the sound of 3 ppm better for some reason so it's the number I always recommend. I feel like it's high enough to allow you to fully stock your tank all at once but low enough not to lengthen the cycle by too much. I've got nothing scientific to base that on it's just a mix of personal experience and what I've read on the forum.