Put my mind at rest...

[Danny Boy]

I know it's very early days...I'm less than a week in to the fishlesss cycle in my new tank, but I thought I'd post early results and check everything is as it should be.

I'm adding 5 drops of Ammonia everyday, in a ten gallon (40L) tank. The tank is planted very lightly, just the one planted on a piece of bogwood.

Results so far...

I've tested for 5 days in a row, Ammonia started at 0.25ppm, then rose to 0.5 and has now dropped back to 0.25 (shouldn't this be rising with what I'm adding?)

Nitrites were initially at 0.5, but have now dropped back 0.25 and are steady.

Nitrates went from 0 to 5 very quickly, but today appear to be at 0 again.

I know, I know, I know this is a long process and probably to early to get any decent results anyway, but thought I would check.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I think you need to be adding more ammonia to your tank. The directions I have read say to add enough ammonia to get your tank up to 5 ppm when you begin...

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=73365

I personally use the "alternative recipe" in the second article.

 

[Danny Boy]

Thanks very much...seeing as that article is a revision of the original one I read, I'll give it a go though.

It's a little risky though, how can I give a rough guess of what's going to take the ammonia up to 5ppm??

5 drops? 30 drops? 600 drops?

I'll experiment, but would like an idea to save either using up my entire test kit, or pushing the ammonia levels far too high!

Any ideas??

 

[tttnjfttt]

well, if 5 drops = .25 change, 20 drops would be 1 ppm, so 100 drops...

I am using 15 mls in my 10 gal right now (thats 3 teaspoons), but be careful because there is no gaurentee the concentration of the ammonia is the same.