Half Way Through A Cycle - 3 Days Away

[Tom26]

Hi Guys,

I'm half way through a fish less cycle, my tank is now processing ammonia in 24 hours but hasn't done the nitrite yet. I'm going away tomorrow evening until Sunday and was wondering whether the bacteria would last if I put the normal levels of ammonia in tomorrow night and then don't top it up until Sunday? Or would I need to do something else to ensure it's maintained? Being only a couple of days I was hoping that the bacteria would be ok but let me know...

Thanks

 

[Miss Wiggle]

hi there, your bacteria colony is quite delicate at the moment and not giving it any food (ammonia) for 3 days could set you back a bit in your cycle. however you can't overdose significantly either as if you go over 8ppm of ammonia it's a different species of bacteria that will start to develop and that's not what you want either.

the best solution is to get someone else to dose up the tank daily with it's 5ppm of ammonia - do you have anyone that can do this for you while you're away?

 

[Tom26]

To be honest we don't we've just moved in to a new house in a new area and so there isn't anyone at the moment and we're both away for the weekend, bit worried as I don't want to set it back significantly

 

[Miss Wiggle]

OK, you have a choice then really

A - add 5ppm of ammonia before you go and keep your fingers crossed. you will have some die off from your bacteria colony but it probably won't put you back to day 1. you might just find that it takes a few days before you ammonia is processed in 24 hrs again.

B - find some sort of slow release of ammonia to try to tide it over for the few days. you can pick up automatic fish feeders for a few quid from most fish shops, set this up to drop a pinch or two of flake food into the tank every day while you are away, this will break down slowly over the few days and give off some ammonia which will hopefully sustain the colony until you get back. however when you get back you'll need to do a water change and gravel vac to pick up the decomposing food from the floor of the tank. it should work but it's obviously not a very well controlled or precise way of dosing ammonia so really you don't know how much you are putting in which could cause problems.

if it was my tank i'd choose option A and just be prepared to be patient for a few days longer on your total cycling period, option B is a bit risky and uncontrolled for my liking but it will maintain ammonia going into the tank so the choice is yours.

 

[Timmy_Bee]

i must say i think i would go with option B - or the bigger version of getting some prawns and putting them in your tank (in tights) to decomp.
I dont think a few fish flakes a day would be close to 1ppm, let alone 5...