Hello, I am currently cycling a 55 gallon tank. Currently the tank just contains Pool Filter Sand and various rocks. The tank has been cycling for approximately 3 weeks with regular doses of Seachem Stability. At the moment the ammonia is at 0 PPM, however the nitrites are at 2.0 PPM and the nitrates are at 160 PPM. The water is also very cloudy. At this point should I leave the tank alone and see if both the nitrites and nitrates naturally come down? Or should I perform a water change? Your tips are much appreciated, thank you in advance.
Fishless Cycling Advice for 55 gallon
- Thread starter bobbydean
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
How much ammonia are you dosing and how often?
Nitrate will only come down in certain circumstances, like a very heavily planted tank.
Nitrate will only come down in certain circumstances, like a very heavily planted tank.
I squeezed a filter pad from an established tank into the water upon starting the cycle but since then I have just been doing daily doses of seachem stability. Do you recommend I start dosing it with fish waste from my established aquarium as well as fish food?
You have been dosing ammonia by adding fish food?
If you havent been dosing ammonia in any form, then i don't know where your nitrate is coming from.
Typically on a fishless cycle you want to dose ammonia to 2ppm. Every time it drops to below 1ppm redose to 2ppm. You are cycled when that 2ppm of ammonia cycles out to 0ppm ammonia and nitrite within 24 hours.
The problem with fishfood dosing is how much to feed to get to 2ppm.
As you are seeing nitrate and that is the end product of the cycle, there must be ammonia in your tank somewhere.
Typically on a fishless cycle you want to dose ammonia to 2ppm. Every time it drops to below 1ppm redose to 2ppm. You are cycled when that 2ppm of ammonia cycles out to 0ppm ammonia and nitrite within 24 hours.
The problem with fishfood dosing is how much to feed to get to 2ppm.
As you are seeing nitrate and that is the end product of the cycle, there must be ammonia in your tank somewhere.
At the start of the cycle the ammonia was very high in my tank (I assume from the filter waste I added and the rocks). I was only adding stability for about 2 weeks. Ammonia is now at 0 PPM. I will try adding more ammonia to the tank to see if that will cycle out to 0 ppm for both ammonia and nitrite. Thank you for your responses.
Get some ammonium chloride like Dr Tims. You can dose much more accurately with it than fishfood.
https://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution-for-Fishless-Cycling.html
https://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution-for-Fishless-Cycling.html
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