When to add more ammonia...

[Danny Boy]

Ok, this attempt at fishless cycling is going much better.

I brought the tank up to 4ppm of ammonia, and am NOT adding to it dayly.

Test results from this cycle so far:

Day 1 pH 8 Ammonia 4ppm Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0

Day 2 pH 8 Ammonia 2 Nitrite 0.25ppm Nitrate 0

Day 3 pH 8 Ammonia 2 Nitrite .25 Nitrate 0

Day 4 pH 8 Ammonia 2 Nitrite .5 Nitrate 5ppm

Day 5 (today) pH 8 Ammonia 1 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 5

Should I allow the ammonia levels to drop back complete to zero before adding more? Or should I now be bringing them back up to around 2ppm? Surely if there's a period where it's 0, the bacteria feeding on it will die, and stall the cycle?

 

[rdd1952]

You should try to keep it around 1 to 2 ppm until the nitrite drops. You can go ahead and add enough to raise it back to 2 ppm or just wait till it drops all the way to zero. Once it finally does go to zero and you add back to 1 or 2, it should drop back to zero in a matter of 12 to 24 hours.

 

[Danny Boy]

Thanks rdd, I was hoping you'd reply...I'm following your method of cycling afterall. )

I think I'll pop it up to 2ppm again, and wait for the nitrite to drop. Having said that, I think the nitrite will continue to rise for a while yet...

 

[rdd1952]

Having said that, I think the nitrite will continue to rise for a while yet...

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It definitely will. Before it finally drops, it will be off the chart high (it was deep purple on my test kit, well over 6). But just like overnight, it will drop back to about 1 to 3 ppm and be to zero within another 12 to 24 hours. It worked exceptionally well for me in my 75 gallon, about 7 days for the ammonia to drop to zero and about another 2 weeks for the nitrite to drop. Just keep feeding the ammonia every time it drops back to zero to raise it back to about 2. You'll be finished before long.