Fishless Cycling

[juhill]

Hi

I started cycling my 35l tank on 23rd August by adding enough ammonia to get it to around 5ppm. I check it every day or so and if anything, my test result seems to be getting a bit darker meaning my ammonia levels are going up, not down. I'm using API Master Kit.

Am I going mad or will it get better? I know it's supposed to take around a month or so but it's a bit discouraging seeing it going in the opposite direction!

thanks

 

[Skadunkadunk]

How long have you been cyclying the tank for?

 

[juhill]

How long have you been cyclying the tank for?

Since the 23rd of August

 

[fUbAr]

are you waiting the full 5 mins to take the reading every time?

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

This might help you out ;-}

 

[juhill]

Hi, thanks for replying.

fUbAr - Yes, I set a timer for the 5 minutes.



ImperfectFaerie - I'm using the add and wait method from that thread. I just don't understand why it looks like it's going up instead of down. It's only a little darker. Perhaps I'm getting obsessed because I'm desperate to get some fish

 

[heresmike]

You say it takes a month, and you're only a week into it...

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

I'd agree... it takes awhile to get fully cycled. Our 30 gallon has been on the add and wait method for a month now, and it's only starting to look like it'll be ready in a week or two LOL- patience! It's hard, I know, but it'll give you a lot of time to research your stocking list ;-}

 

[juhill]

I'd agree... it takes awhile to get fully cycled. Our 30 gallon has been on the add and wait method for a month now, and it's only starting to look like it'll be ready in a week or two LOL- patience! It's hard, I know, but it'll give you a lot of time to research your stocking list ;-}

Yeah, I know. It's just that I hadn't read anywhere about the ammonia levels going up and it worried me a bit.

Trouble with having more time to research fish is that my fish list is growing and I've only got a small tank! I'm already planning my next one, how big, what fish, where I'm going to put it... At least I'll be able to cycle it with stuff from the other tank

My kids are bored stiff and won't let me within 100m of a lfs and are threatening to take away my internet access!

 

[robyngunston]

I'd agree... it takes awhile to get fully cycled. Our 30 gallon has been on the add and wait method for a month now, and it's only starting to look like it'll be ready in a week or two LOL- patience! It's hard, I know, but it'll give you a lot of time to research your stocking list ;-}

Yeah, I know. It's just that I hadn't read anywhere about the ammonia levels going up and it worried me a bit.

Trouble with having more time to research fish is that my fish list is growing and I've only got a small tank! I'm already planning my next one, how big, what fish, where I'm going to put it... At least I'll be able to cycle it with stuff from the other tank

My kids are bored stiff and won't let me within 100m of a lfs and are threatening to take away my internet access!

Try diluting it by 50% with normal tap water (in other words using 50% tank water and 50% normal tap water) and then multiplying the result x 2....I found this helped me when reading high ammonia levels on the API test kit......as when the ammonia levels were high I found it very difficult to get accurate comparisons?

Good luck with the cycling!

 

[juhill]

Try diluting it by 50% with normal tap water (in other words using 50% tank water and 50% normal tap water) and then multiplying the result x 2....I found this helped me when reading high ammonia levels on the API test kit......as when the ammonia levels were high I found it very difficult to get accurate comparisons?

Good luck with the cycling!
[/quote]

Thanks Cory Cat - great idea.

Just did as you said and my reading was in excess of 4.0 before x by 2! But previous tests didn't look anywhere near as dark as the 8.0 reading on the API chart. Sounds like I have way too much ammonia in there. Should I do a 50% water change to bring the levels down?

thanks again

 

[robyngunston]

Try diluting it by 50% with normal tap water (in other words using 50% tank water and 50% normal tap water) and then multiplying the result x 2....I found this helped me when reading high ammonia levels on the API test kit......as when the ammonia levels were high I found it very difficult to get accurate comparisons?

Good luck with the cycling!

Thanks Cory Cat - great idea.

Just did as you said and my reading was in excess of 4.0 before x by 2! But previous tests didn't look anywhere near as dark as the 8.0 reading on the API chart. Sounds like I have way too much ammonia in there. Should I do a 50% water change to bring the levels down?

thanks again
[/quote]

That's exactly what happened to me the first time I tried to cycle my tank and I think I put loads of ammonia in and didn't even realise as the test kit always seemed to read around 4??
Yeah, you could do a 50% water change...if I remember correctly that is what I did as well? This won't affect your bacteria growth as they are not in the water but in the filter.