Help With Fishless Cycle!

[Malawakiwhite]

So got an 0ppm Ammonia reading this morning and 3.3 nitrite spike. I've been putting in 10-12 drops of 9.5% ammonia since the nitrites appeared does that sound about right? because just read another credible article that said I should test once I add the new ammonia to get a reading. The first article never said this. Oh and it's 240ltr or about 50 uk gallons.

 

[waterdrop]

The number of drops of ammonia can't mean anything to us because the end result of dosing ammonia varies with every tank (for one thing, as soon as you uncap the ammonia some of it begins to gas off from the bottle, so the percentage doesn't necessarily stay accurage.) So you have to test after you dose (at least occasionally) to be sure your ammonia concentration is in range. Test anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes after dosing to ensure the concentration has evened out from circulation.

Now that you are getting nitrite(NO2) going pretty high, you can lower the ammonia dosing concentration from the usualy 4-5ppm down to only 2-3ppm for the duration of the "nitrite spike" stage of fishless cycling. Once nitrite is also dropping each day like ammonia does then you'll be in the 3rd and last stage and you can ease the dosing back up to 5ppm for the finish. You always want to finish the fishless cycle at 5ppm so that the colonies will be as robust as possible before the big water change and adding fish.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Thanks Waterdrop that's answered a lot of my thoughts, great advice - I'm on it

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Hi all, so haven't posted an update for a while, I've just been patiently cycling my tank and not much happening. Nitrites seem to have been 5+ for an eternity but today a breakthrough nitrites reading 0.8 so the end could be near and I'm newly excited at stocking my tank soon!!!

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Finger's crossed I'm almost there. How does it look to the experts?

 

[waterdrop]

Is it droppng to .8 at 24 hours after dosing or 12 hours after dosing and how much are you dosing?

The nitrite spike stage where it just sits at the max for a long time is the second of 3 phases of fishless cycling. Usually what happens is that it finally one day is not still testing to be the max when you test at 24 hours after dosing. It begins droppng to zero ppm each day. That means you are entering the third phase.

In the third and last phase you raise the dosing back up (if you lowered it for the nitrite spike stage) to maybe 4 or 5ppm and you begin also testing at 12 hours after dosing. Over the next days you should see the amount of nitrite that remains when you do this 12 hour test go slowly down until it is just a trace. Or it will go down to zero and then bounce back and forth between zero and one or something.

When it finally seems to sit steady at 12-hour double-zero readings (ie. both ammonia and ntrite(NO2) test as zero ppm 12 hours after dosing the tank to 4-5ppm) then you are in to your "qualifying week" where you simply ensure that the biofilter can repeat this feat every day and meanwhile you double-check your final plans for being able to get the fish you want for your big water change and first stocking.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Yes from Day 29 you see in brackets PM I tested at 12 hours. I've gradually increased the dose back up to 5ppm so I'll see how it see you it does the next couple of nights. Thanks Waterdrop.

 

[Malawakiwhite]

My tank has done really well, 3 days with double zeros at 12hr testing. I've ordered my fish for next Wednesday delivery. Hopefully I won't get a setback. My feelings were I can always ring him Sunday and postpone if it doesn't behave.

 

[waterdrop]

Once your fishless cycle is past 30 days and you've seen several days in a row of double-zeros at 12 hours (in other words, it has passed several days of the qualifying week) then you just have to make a judgement call if you see a blip. An 0.25ppm blip at this stage is usually insignificant and especially if you've ordered in special fish and they are in it would just make sense to go ahead and get them.

~~waterdrop~~