aklaum
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello all,
This is my first post. I am cycling a new 20 gallon tank with the fishless cycling/household ammonia method. I have gone with the general theory of taking the ammonia up to 5ppm and letting it get back to 0ppm and then adding enough ammonia to get it back to 5ppm. It took about 2 weeks for the ammonia to move at all. Finally one day it started to go down.
Once it hit 0ppm I added more ammonia and took it back to 5ppm. 10 hours later it was back to 0ppm. Excellent! I thought. I tested for nitrites. Off the chart. Wonderful! I thought. I did this cycle two more times and each time it went from 5ppm to 0 in about 10 hours. Go bacteria go! I thought.
Then I went for another cycle. I took it back up to 5ppm expecting the same kind of turnaround. It is now 4 days later and it has just now gotten back to 1ppm. Serious reduction in ammonia consumption speed. I tested for nitrites again. Still just off the scale of my test kit but far less hot pink than before. Maybe 11ppm?
Nothing has changed in the tank. I have it set at 85 degrees and I have a temporary powerhead installed oxygenating the heck out of the water.
I'm not sure what this means or where to go from here. What could be happening?
Also if I do get through this 5ppm ammonia cycle, how much can I stock the tank when it is complete? People have said that one of the benefits of fishless cycling is that you can fully stock the tank once the cycle is complete. Would this be true in this case or have I only simulated a few zebra danios and should only add fish slowly once the cycle is complete.
Any help would be appreciated.
This is my first post. I am cycling a new 20 gallon tank with the fishless cycling/household ammonia method. I have gone with the general theory of taking the ammonia up to 5ppm and letting it get back to 0ppm and then adding enough ammonia to get it back to 5ppm. It took about 2 weeks for the ammonia to move at all. Finally one day it started to go down.
Once it hit 0ppm I added more ammonia and took it back to 5ppm. 10 hours later it was back to 0ppm. Excellent! I thought. I tested for nitrites. Off the chart. Wonderful! I thought. I did this cycle two more times and each time it went from 5ppm to 0 in about 10 hours. Go bacteria go! I thought.
Then I went for another cycle. I took it back up to 5ppm expecting the same kind of turnaround. It is now 4 days later and it has just now gotten back to 1ppm. Serious reduction in ammonia consumption speed. I tested for nitrites again. Still just off the scale of my test kit but far less hot pink than before. Maybe 11ppm?
Nothing has changed in the tank. I have it set at 85 degrees and I have a temporary powerhead installed oxygenating the heck out of the water.
I'm not sure what this means or where to go from here. What could be happening?
Also if I do get through this 5ppm ammonia cycle, how much can I stock the tank when it is complete? People have said that one of the benefits of fishless cycling is that you can fully stock the tank once the cycle is complete. Would this be true in this case or have I only simulated a few zebra danios and should only add fish slowly once the cycle is complete.
Any help would be appreciated.