Fishless cycling with ammonia

[An t-iasg]

I have found liquid ammonium chloride, NH4Cl (26% solution) and granular ammonium chloride online to start my fishless cycle. Which one is better? Is one better for a planted tank? Is the 26% solution too strong? It seems like the granular would be easier to store (mix it up fresh as needed) but may be a pain to mix up.

I plan on cycling my planted tanks. All three have been fallow for a month (all my bettas died ) so after the fallow period, I'm sure there is no bacteria left, and none of my tanks have any to "borrow".

 

[Simpte]

If the tank is planted, just add fish.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If they have a decent amount of plants, just slowly stock with fish. Get a few, wait a week while testing daily. If still ok, add a couple more, let sit a week while testing. Just get a small bioload going first and let it go a few weeks, then slowly add again. The bacteria will slowly come back, but the plants will help buffer the spikes to a minimal if any. And don't overfeed.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks guys and I know that's the usual procedure to cycle a planted tank (just add fish!) but I guess I left some info out. The three tanks are 5 gallon tanks that I will be stocking with three bettas, OR two bettas and maybe a few rasboras and ghost shrimp. It's going to be too hard to try to keep up with three cycling tanks at once!

I have cycled my tanks with a betta before. Sometimes it only took two weeks, and one time it took a month. One time a betta didn't make it through the cycling - he laid at the bottom with his gills moving rapidly. I now think he was sick to begin with, and I did try to treat him, but it was too late. I never want to experience that again. I would rather use ammonia to get a head start. I know that with the plants, and also the light bio-load of the bettas, I don't have to add tons of ammonia.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

With the betas in the tank, I wouldn't add any ammonia. Just cycle with the fish. And since they are small tanks, it won't be much to do an occasional PWC if you see the ammonia getting to about .5ppm. But more than likely, you might not even see ammonia rise at all if you have enough plants.

 

[malkore]

Plain, un-scented, no additives added household ammonia is all you need, and most hardware stores should carry it.

if you can't find that, then liquid ammonium chloride would be the next best option.

This of course assumes the tanks are still fallow, which from your PM, I'm assuming they are.

 

[An t-iasg]

Yes, the tanks are still fallow (live plants but no fish). I looked at the hardware store and all they carry is ammonium hydroxide. I didn't look at the grocery store. I could do that. I don't think my photosynthesis level is quite high enough to just add fish, but if the tanks (plants) do use the ammonia quickly, then that's good, obviously...I just don't want to try cycling again with a betta if I can do it another way. The cycle can be unpredictable in length and in ammonia levels, as we all know. Most of my bettas handled it, but one didn't (in a planted tank) and I don't want to have a repeat of that episode.

 

[PrettyFishies]

When do you start testing for nitrite?

 

[rich311k]

I start testing as soon as ammonia starts going down.