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[Essjay]

You need to feed the ammonia eaters while waiting for the nitrite eaters to grow. The old way of fishless cycling said to add 3 ppm every time ammonia dropped to zero, but this made so much nitrite that the cycle stalled. TwoTankAmin did a lot of research in the literature and realised that yes, you do need to add ammonia to feed the nitrite eaters but that the amount could be kept to a minimum so nitrite never got too high. So he wrote the method on here so that if followed exactly the ammonia eaters would thrive but nitrite wouldn't stall the cycle.

Add 3 ppm ammonia. It's usually the same as was added to start the cycle, but in your case you added too much at the start (post #57). You added 5 ml and the reading was off the top of the scale. After changing half the water the level was OK. So try adding 2.5 ml ammonia, wait half an hour for it to mix in then test for ammonia to see what the level is. if it's 3 ppm-ish that's good. If it's too low, add a bit more. Make a note of how much you add altogether, whether that 2.5 ml is enough or whether you add a bit more - you need to know because you will add more ammonia later on.

This stage is the tricky one to explain. Once you've got the ammonia level right, test every two days. Ammonia is the important one now because you need to wait until you have zero ammonia. When you get that zero ammonia, wait 2 days and test again. If that ammonia reading is also zero you are ready for the next stage. But you need to wait until you have zero ammonia and then zero ammonia again 2 days later.

 

[777james777]

You need to feed the ammonia eaters while waiting for the nitrite eaters to grow. The old way of fishless cycling said to add 3 ppm every time ammonia dropped to zero, but this made so much nitrite that the cycle stalled. TwoTankAmin did a lot of research in the literature and realised that yes, you do need to add ammonia to feed the nitrite eaters but that the amount could be kept to a minimum so nitrite never got too high. So he wrote the method on here so that if followed exactly the ammonia eaters would thrive but nitrite wouldn't stall the cycle.

Add 3 ppm ammonia. It's usually the same as was added to start the cycle, but in your case you added too much at the start (post #57). You added 5 ml and the reading was off the top of the scale. After changing half the water the level was OK. So try adding 2.5 ml ammonia, wait half an hour for it to mix in then test for ammonia to see what the level is. if it's 3 ppm-ish that's good. If it's too low, add a bit more. Make a note of how much you add altogether, whether that 2.5 ml is enough or whether you add a bit more - you need to know because you will add more ammonia later on.

This stage is the tricky one to explain. Once you've got the ammonia level right, test every two days. Ammonia is the important one now because you need to wait until you have zero ammonia. When you get that zero ammonia, wait 2 days and test again. If that ammonia reading is also zero you are ready for the next stage. But you need to wait until you have zero ammonia and then zero ammonia again 2 days later.

Okay, thank you. That makes sense.

So I have added 2ml of ammonia…

(I thought it best to put a little less in just incase as I can always add a bit more as opposed to start emptying water etc if I put too much in.)

I will give the ammonia a test in half and hour / an hour and get back to you.
Thanks again I really appreciate the help.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Right… @Essjay @CaptainBarnicles

Boiling hot water wash test tubes, new syringe, perfect accurate measurement, 5 minutes stood still, properly shook bottles… results below

That's more like it!

This next bit, although a faff, shouldn't take too long. When ammonia and nitrite read 0 you'll be good to go

 

[777james777]

@CaptainBarnicles @Essjay
Fingers crossed!

So after adding 2ml of ammonia, leaving for an hour to mix with the pump going I have tested again. It went to 2ppm.

So I have added another half a ml (total 2.5ml) and will let that mix in too, then test again in the morning.

 

[777james777]

Ok re-tested this morning and we have a reading of 3ppm @Essjay @CaptainBarnicles

What’s the next stage now? Is it test in 2 days and then another 2 days and so on until ammonia has given a reading of 0 twice in a row?

What comes next

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Test again in a couple of days and keep doing so until it reads 0 for ammonia, then you'll have to add a bit more ammonia to the tank water. You'll have to keep doing that until the ammonia and nitrite tests come back at 0 after your little ammonia snack. When you reach that stage, massive water change and then fish and plants

 

[777james777]

Test again in a couple of days and keep doing so until it reads 0 for ammonia, then you'll have to add a bit more ammonia to the tank water. You'll have to keep doing that until the ammonia and nitrite tests come back at 0 after your little ammonia snack. When you reach that stage, massive water change and then fish and plants

Ok cheers,

I will test again on Thursday morning, then saturday morning (Am i testing for just ammonia, or also nitrite and nitrate?)

 

[Essjay]

The method on here states
If at any time after the first ammonia addition you test and ammonia is under .75 ppm and nitrite is clearly over 2 ppm, it is time to add more ammonia . Add the same full amount as you did the first time. Now, begin to test the ammonia and nitrite levels every other day.

This ^ is what you've just done.


The method continues
After the second ammonia addition while waiting for nitrite to rise, peak and drop, the bacteria will need a maintenance feeding. Give the bacteria a “snack” by adding 1/3 of the full dose when you get two consecutive every other day ammonia test readings of 0 ppm,.

This is the next stage. The bit in bold is the two zero ammonias two days apart. I haven't said yet what to when you get those 2 zeros, but the quote from the method above tells you - you add a smaller dose of ammonia. That's why I said to make a note of how much ammonia you added yesterday so you know how much to add next time.

 

[777james777]

The method on here states
If at any time after the first ammonia addition you test and ammonia is under .75 ppm and nitrite is clearly over 2 ppm, it is time to add more ammonia . Add the same full amount as you did the first time. Now, begin to test the ammonia and nitrite levels every other day.

This ^ is what you've just done.


The method continues
After the second ammonia addition while waiting for nitrite to rise, peak and drop, the bacteria will need a maintenance feeding. Give the bacteria a “snack” by adding 1/3 of the full dose when you get two consecutive every other day ammonia test readings of 0 ppm,.

This is the next stage. The bit in bold is the two zero ammonias two days apart. I haven't said yet what to when you get those 2 zeros, but the quote from the method above tells you - you add a smaller dose of ammonia. That's why I said to make a note of how much ammonia you added yesterday so you know how much to add next time.

Okay great.

Yes I made a note that I added 2.5ml of ammonia.
So I will give it 2 days and then test again.
Sorry just to confirm, am I testing for just ammonia, or nitrite and nitrate as well?

 

[Essjay]

You can test for nitrite if you like. Usually at this stage nitrite is off the top of the chart and nitrate is still at tap water level, and nitrite stays off the top of the chart till after the 2 zero ammonias. But as you are showing nitrate above tap level you must already have some nitrite eaters so it's possible (not likely but possible) that your nitrite level will start to drop sooner than usual.

 

[777james777]

You can test for nitrite if you like. Usually at this stage nitrite is off the top of the chart and nitrate is still at tap water level, and nitrite stays off the top of the chart till after the 2 zero ammonias. But as you are showing nitrate above tap level you must already have some nitrite eaters so it's possible (not likely but possible) that your nitrite level will start to drop sooner than usual.

I will give it a couple of days and then just test for everything, ensuring my tubes are washed thoroughly.
I have different syringes for different things so as not to contaminate anything.

 

[777james777]

@Essjay @CaptainBarnicles

48 hours later - todays results

Ammonia 0.50
Nitrite 3ppm
Nitrate 15 ppm (approx)

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Awesome, time for another snack dose of ammonia

 

[Essjay]

Not quite yet - there needs to be 2 zero ammonias two days apart

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I'm way more impatient than most of the newbs. I'm the one that stands in front of the tank shouting 'COME ON!'