Fishless Cycling For Dummies

[maxima423]

oh, you are saltwater? o woops i skipped that part, cycling a SW tank i have no clue

 

[Stickleback]

it is Jaylam who is going SW.

Before reading your comment about not doing the 1 day,2 day thing, I have started doing that, so might as well continue.

Yesterday before adding Cycle (bacteria) the Ammonia was 4ppm, NO2 was 0ppm.
Today Amm was 3ppm, and NO2 was .25ppm!

Could it be starting so early....day 5 of cycle?

 

[Tarkus2112]

Just curious:

I know to start a fishless cycle you add ammonia until you get a reading of 5ppm. Let's say it takes 150 drops to reach 5ppm

My question is:

Do I keep adding 150 drops of ammonia everyday until I see NITRITES, or do I only add ammonia when the ammonia level in the tank drops to 1ppm. So then I only add enough to bring it back to 5ppm, which would be 4ppm or 120 drops?

I keep reading different answers.

 

[johnarthur]

Has anyone used Start Smart? It's new on the market and is supposed to immediately cycle an aquarium.

 

[Stickleback]

Just curious:

I know to start a fishless cycle you add ammonia until you get a reading of 5ppm. Let's say it takes 150 drops to reach 5ppm

My question is:

Do I keep adding 150 drops of ammonia everyday until I see NITRITES, or do I only add ammonia when the ammonia level in the tank drops to 1ppm. So then I only add enough to bring it back to 5ppm, which would be 4ppm or 120 drops?

I keep reading different answers.

I know what you mean about different answers

I read that 4ppm was enough, and I brought it up to 4ppm over 2 days, and then tested every day. When I observed the Ammonia level dropping I added just enough to keep it at 4ppm....some days adding 1ml, some days 2ml, keeping it at 4ppm right through the point where nitrites start to rise dramatically, and right through the point where nitrites start then to fall.

When you can add Ammonia to 4ppm one day, and BOTH Ammonia and Nitrite read zero within 24 hours (after nitrite gradually rising then falling) THEN you are CYCLED !

It took my 15g just over three weeks this way....

 

[johnarthur]

If you don't want to take a chance with ammonia, you can use some flake food, a piece of raw fish or shrimp, gravel or filter media from an established aquarium and of course bottles of bacteria. No doubt the ammonia works well, but you can easily over do it.

 

[neilanh]

You only dose as the level drops. Dose up initially to between 3 - 5 ppm. (3, 4, 5, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference). Then, once the ammonia level falls to 1 or so, dose again to get back into the 3-5ppm range.

The idea is just to keep "food" in there for the bacteria to eat, that's it. Absolute numbers aren't important, what is important is that they don't "starve"

 

[Tarkus2112]

Another dumb question:

Does having the tank lights on or off affect the cycling process?


I'm curious because I decided to leave mine off until I get fish. It seems like a waste to have them on 8-12 hours a day with nothing in the tank to look at.

 

[mfdrookie516]

not dumb at all. leave them off until you have fish. all they'll do is cause algae problems right now

 

[Tarkus2112]

not dumb at all. leave them off until you have fish. all they'll do is cause algae problems right now

Thanks. That's what I figured but I'd rather be safe then sorry. haha

 

[johnarthur]

It seems like lights would promote the growth of beneficial bacteria as well as algae. After the cycle is fully established, a partial water change should get rid of unwanted nutrients. What do you think?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Nope, bacteria grow with or without lights. A pwc might get rid of some of the excess nutrients, but once algae takes hold, it can be a beast to get rid of it.

 

[johnarthur]

Thanks. I didn't know that.

 

[mandy2936]

Very nice thread! It's very helpful and I like the humorous tone
Not sure if this has already been pointed out, but twice you say that a safe level of Nitrates is <20. That means above 20, when I'm pretty sure you mean below. if I am correct...

> is the less than sign
< is the greater than sign

For someone who does not know, they might go ahead and add fish because they have a Nitrate reading above 20.

Just wanted to point out that little typo.
Overall, great post!

 

[Aquarium1]

<20 means less than 20 because the number you want, x, would be put on the other side. Ex. x<20, the number desired is below 20. However the variable is typically implied in this case and isn't necessary. That's how I see it anyway, HTH lol.

 

[elysekuf]

Or you could remember the old-fashioned way...

< = less than because it looks like an 'L'

 

[Aquarium1]

Haha thanks . I stink at explaining mathematics :| lol.

 

[Stickleback]

Well explained !

Found this when trying to put my explanation into words

 

[mfdrookie516]

Or you could remember the old-fashioned way...

< = less than because it looks like an 'L'

or the pacman way... the chomper is going for the big number

 

[mandy2936]

Yeah.. that's how I had always remembered it? The Pacman always wants to eat the bigger number so <20 looked like greater than to me. Haha okay I guess I'm wrong.. I never liked math! lol.