Help! Need advice on fishless cycling

[Ethan7474]

So I wanna check if my tank is ready and I wanna know how many drops of pure ammonia do I add to my tank to add up to 4 ppm??

 

[Masha]

Google "aquarium ammonia calculator" I'm on my phone so a little more difficult to post a link

 

[jlk]

Here's the link to the ammonia calculator- scroll to the bottom of the page. What size tank is this? If its something smaller (5-10g), you honestly do not need to dose beyond 2ppm.

Calculator

 

[Ethan7474]

Here's the link to the ammonia calculator- scroll to the bottom of the page. What size tank is this? If its something smaller (5-10g), you honestly do not need to dose beyond 2ppm. Calculator

Ok thanks also my tank is a 30 gal .. Will 2ppm be ok?

 

[jlk]

You can honestly dose to 2ppm without an issue unless you plan on pushing your stocking limits right from the start. If you wish to develop a greater set of bacteria that can handle 4ppm, it will be easy to accomplish at the end of your cycle, too.

Once your tank is converting 2ppm easily, increase the ammonia dose by .5ppm each day for a few days and your bacteria will adjust upwards in accordance with the increase in ammonia dose. Please ask if you have any questions!

 

[Ethan7474]

You can honestly dose to 2ppm without an issue unless you plan on pushing your stocking limits right from the start. If you wish to develop a greater set of bacteria that can handle 4ppm, it will be easy to accomplish at the end of your cycle, too. Once your tank is converting 2ppm easily, increase the ammonia dose by .5ppm each day for a few days and your bacteria will adjust upwards in accordance with the increase in ammonia dose. Please ask if you have any questions!

Oh ok.. Well I plan on just starting off wit a clown fish then work my way up to more fishes gradually.. So would I have to keep adding ammonia?.. Also what's a good time frame that the bacteria should break down the ammonia?

 

[jlk]

Oh ok.. Well I plan on just starting off wit a clown fish then work my way up to more fishes gradually.. So would I have to keep adding ammonia?.. Also what's a good time frame that the bacteria should break down the ammonia?

A clown fish? What type of clown fish are you considering?

When your ammonia drops below 1ppm (preferably to zero), dose it back up to 2ppm. It may take awhile before you see an initial drop. The hardest part is waiting.

 

[Ethan7474]

A clown fish? What type of clown fish are you considering? When your ammonia drops below 1ppm (preferably to zero), dose it back up to 2ppm. It may take awhile before you see an initial drop. The hardest part is waiting.

So I tested the water and the ammonia level dropped pretty much to zero.. And nitrites are at .25 ppm and nitrates are high up to 80 ppm ... These results are from after dosing my tank wit 3.0 ppm of pure ammonia.. Does this mean my tank has cycled?

 

[jlk]

Still in the cycling process but doing well! Once your ammonia and nitrite steadily drop to zero in a 24hr period from the initial ammonia dose, its safe to say your cycled. Steadily means this occurs every day for a couple of days in a row.

Still curious as to what type of 'clown' fish your considering?

 

[Ethan7474]

Still in the cycling process but doing well! Once your ammonia and nitrite steadily drop to zero in a 24hr period from the initial ammonia dose, its safe to say your cycled. Steadily means this occurs every day for a couple of days in a row. Still curious as to what type of 'clown' fish your considering?

Awesome! Should I do a water change or just wait?? So I should keep dosing my tank with ammonia?.. Oh just the typical clown fish like nemo lol and the black and white one too

 

[jlk]

Awesome! Should I do a water change or just wait?? So I should keep dosing my tank with ammonia?.. Oh just the typical clown fish like nemo lol and the black and white one too

Dose your tank once a day. You do realize clown fish are saltwater fish?

 

[threnjen]

Your profile pic looks like a tank with live rock. Are you cycling a saltwater tank? If so you'll want to back out of the Freshwater section and scroll up to Saltwater section of the forum for your questions.

 

[Ethan7474]

Your profile pic looks like a tank with live rock. Are you cycling a saltwater tank? If so you'll want to back out of the Freshwater section and scroll up to Saltwater section of the forum for your questions.

Oops! Yea I'm cycling my saltwater tank.. Didn't know I was in a fresh water forum.. So is this ammonia steps wrong for saltwater?

 

[jlk]

Ok, your thread makes more sense now! You honestly had me a bit worried! I went ahead and moved this thread to "Saltwater-Getting Started" so the saltwater experts can better advise you on your journey! Good luck!!