chappers said:Thanks for the feedback, I read somewhere that I should have a certain level of fish per gallon to set my ammonia levels at a certain level for best cycling? I believe it was 1 hardy fish (platy, danio etc) per 2-3 gallons, is this BS?
Also is water temperature a factor in this?
Of course, more fish equals more ammonia and etc on down the line. I think the 'fish per X gallon' thing is a guideline at best and a catastrophe waiting to happen at worst. Different fish have different bio-loads. Mollies, for instance, have a relatively large bio-load for their size, Tetras not so much. Try to find a balance. If your ammonia is going above 0.25ppm leave it be. Once you no longer see any ammonia and nitrites then add a few more fish. Keep an eye on the toxin levels and allow your BB to ramp up to the current bio-load. Then add a few more fish and repeat until you are stocked. That's the good thing about FISHLESS cycling, once you are done you can just add your whole stock because your tank will probably never see the amount of ammonia used to do a fishless cycle.
As far a temperature goes. Temperature and pH play a roll in how toxic a given level of ammonia is. Jetajockey did a real nice write up here...
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/your-guide-to-ammonia-toxicity-159994.html