Need cycling advice

[bootz]

is it normal for a 30 gallon tank to get an ammonia reading of 2-3ppm after 12 teaspoons of pure ammonia into the tank?

 

[nxb161]

not sure to be honest, but see posts on raw shrimp cycling method. I used it for both my tanks. Basically put a couple shrimps from the seafood section of your grocery store (raw) into some type of mesh bag. Put them in your tank. The bag makes it easy if you want to take the shrimp out. I actually didn't use a bag for mine, but left it in for the hermit crabs to finish off after the cycle was complete. The shrimp decomposes giving off constant fuel for bacteria growth.

 

[bootz]

yeah i read about the shrimp but everyone recommender the pure ammonia method

 

[mfdrookie516]

wow, 12 teaspoons??? That seems like a tremendous amount. If I remember correctly, it only took a lid full (from the bottle of ammonia) to get up to 4ppm in my 55g. Are you sure you tested correctly?

 

[bootz]

yup i have the api testing kit. could it be because my ammonia is old and lost potency?

 

[Cylias]

Why cant you let this cycle naturally happen without adding chemicals to help it along? I didnt have to add ammonia to my tank to cycle it which is why I don't understand this method. But so many people are apparently doing it.

 

[bootz]

i have dry rock and dry sand, and i dont wish to put fish through a tank that isnt cycled

 

[Cylias]

I don't have access to dry sand or rock at my LFS. My rock was already partially done curing since it was in a tank at the LFS so it just naturally started a cycle in my tank when it was added. Makes sense now though that you wanna add ammonia to a tank in that situation.

 

[Brad.Sedore]

i wouldnt really consider ammonia a chemical so much as an extraction and the "natural" way you described can lead to a shock of your tank going from no bioload at all to the load of a fish.

Bootz which ammonia are you using. chances are its a diluted ammonia and thats what i used with my tanks. that seems about right to me if its the same product

 

[Purevil21]

I couldn't tell you, I used cured rock for my cycle. 2-3ppm is a decent amount of ammonia, how high were you wanting them to be?

 

[bootz]

well i found out the reason cause i just purchased some new ammonia and success! so no worries i figured it out