Cycling a 55 Gal tank

[NCKayaker]

I'm a beginner. A friend gave me a 55 gallon tank. I cleaned the tank, added gravel, artificial plants, and setup 3 air stones. I'm using an Aqua Clear model 70 power filter and an Eheim 300 watt heater. My water temp is steady at 78 degrees. My testing shows 0 ppm Nitrite, PH of 7.8, and 0 ppm Ammonia. I've been running the filter for 1 week thus far (no fish of course). My initial question is:
How much 100% ammonia should I add to the tank to start the cycling process?
I want to do this right. I want the water to be as perfect as I can make it before I purchase any fish. Please help.

Thank you

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi. Firstly, ensure that your ammonia doesn't contain any surfactants (soap) or added fragrance. Amo Kleen is a typical ammonia that is safe to use. If in doubt, shake the bottle, if it foams don't use it. Secondly, you will probably only find 10% ammonia, the rest is water. This is well strong enough for cycling a tank.
Get a gallon of water in a bucket and measure in enough ammonia to give 4ppm. Then do the maths to work out how much your tank needs. It's worth writing these figures on the bottle for future reference.
Dose the tank to 4ppm and do the waiting game. There are lots of threads about fishless cycling and lots of articles on the web. Patience is your friend.


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[ScotJudd]

Ps: there is no such thing as a stupid question on here. People contribute from all over the world and half of them are still probably in bed ?. Keep asking, people are keen to help.


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