Fishless Cycling

[kiriyama]

Hi, recently set up a new tank and used cloned media.
Hopefully going to pick up some ammonia today.
Do you just add a set amount each day/week and test until levels at 0? That way you know filter bacteria doing it's job?
How much would I add to 46ltr tank?
Any advice gratefully received

 

[nork]

Hi, recently set up a new tank and used cloned media.
Hopefully going to pick up some ammonia today.
Do you just add a set amount each day/week and test until levels at 0? That way you know filter bacteria doing it's job?
How much would I add to 46ltr tank?
Any advice gratefully received

I would suggest you use the Calculator up at the top of this page to figure out how much ammonia you'll need to add (the tool for this is at the very bottom of that Calculator page). It'll all depend on the size of your tank coupled with the strength of your ammonia (9%, 10%, etc (the bottle should tell you the strength)) You'll need to find ammonia without dyes, scents, etc. If you're in the US and have Ace Hardware stores nearby, you can find 10% ammonia there for cheap.

There are different fishless cycling methods using ammonia, and I don't speak for everyone here, but it seems the "Add and wait" method is the preferred method in this community.

You can read the instructions for it here: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

 

[kiriyama]

Cheers for the link nork , very useful and informative, I assume it's ok to leave my plants in and rocks?

 

[nork]

kiriyama,

If you're referring to live plants, then understand that I'm by far not an expert on the subject, so don't take this and run with it, but I was informed by multiple people on this forum that it's ok, and sometimes almost suggested, to put your plants in during the cycling period. Of course this may depend on the number and types of plants you have, so please wait for somebody with more know how to come along and answer before you start planting away.

If you're talking about fake plants, then yes, setup your tank the way you'll want it when your tank is stocked, including substrate, decor, filters, heaters, etc.

 

[OldMan47]

If you have live plants and come back wondering how your cycle is going, be sure to mention the plants. When we test for chemicals, most of us are looking at the tests telling us about ammonia conversion. Plants will also use ammonia for their growth so it will impact how we interpret your numbers.