Help getting ammonia to drop in 24 hours?

[Darryl2000]

I believe my tank is nearly cycled, however I am at one last hurdle in regards to my ammonia dropping.

For nearly two months I've been dosing the ammonia to 3ppm and then testing the water 24 hours after. Usually it reads about 2ppm. About 72 hours after, the ammonia is at 0.25ppm.

This has been the result every time I've tested it, so I'm beginning to think my cycle has stalled.

What do I need to do to get the ammonia converting within 24 hours?

I've just measured all my parameters and they are as follows:

• Tank size - 105L
• Tank temp - 25°C
• pH - 7.4
• Ammonia - 0.25 ppm
• Nitrite - 0 ppm
• Nitrate - 80 ppm
• GH - 257ppm

Any advice is appreciated, thank you.

 

[Essjay]

Which test kit are you using, and what is the light type when you do the test - daylight, LED bulb, fluorescent tube etc? It is known that fluorescent tubes make the water look greener than it really is with the API ammonia tester, for example.

Have you tested your tap water for ammonia? Or a sample of pure water (maybe spring water)? If spring water also shows 0.25 then the cycle has finished.

 

[Colin_T]

Drain the tank and refill it with dechlorinated water. Let it run for 24 hours and add a bit of ammonia. See what happens after 24 hours.

You can probably add some fish but drain and refill the tank first.

 

[Darryl2000]

Which test kit are you using, and what is the light type when you do the test - daylight, LED bulb, fluorescent tube etc? It is known that fluorescent tubes make the water look greener than it really is with the API ammonia tester, for example.

Have you tested your tap water for ammonia? Or a sample of pure water (maybe spring water)? If spring water also shows 0.25 then the cycle has finished.

I'm using daylight when reading it.

I'm using the API test kit, and I know that it's rare that it reads 0ppm exactly so I'm happy to say my tank is cycled when it can go from 3ppm to 0.25ppm in 24 hours.

However as I said in my post it's taking about 3 days to drop and has been like that for the past two months, I assumed that the ammonia eating bacteria would multiply enough that it could reduce it from 3ppm to 0.25 in 24 hours.

 

[Essjay]

Hmmm, it's usually nitrite that seems to hang around forever.

I think I'd follow Colin's suggestion to empty the tank and refill then add a dose of ammonia. And see what readings you get next day for both ammonia and nitrite.

 

[Darryl2000]

Hmmm, it's usually nitrite that seems to hang around forever.

I think I'd follow Colin's suggestion to empty the tank and refill then add a dose of ammonia. And see what readings you get next day for both ammonia and nitrite.

Thanks, I'll give that a try

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I believe my tank is nearly cycled, however I am at one last hurdle in regards to my ammonia dropping.

Would I be right in thinking that you're attempting the fishless, plantless cycle method?

 

[Darryl2000]

Would I be right in thinking that you're attempting the fishless, plantless cycle method?

Sorry I must've missed your response, but yes that's correct.

 

[Linkandnavi]

Sorry I must've missed your response, but yes that's correct.

Have you had success?