Newbie, tonight is the night.

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Tested last night. I think I may have overdosed the ammonia a bit. Level was still 4 possibly 8.

Didn't any any more ammonia. Tested this evening (and got someone else to check the colour. We think it is now definetly 4. Think I'll leave it go to 0 before adding any more ammonia.

Was only worried, since it appeared to be be going down the day after I added the ammonia for the first few days. Then I've hit a patch where I have had 3 or 4 days of the same value without adding any more ammonia.
 
Tested last night, think Ammonia level is still 4+. So really thinking I may have overdosed it a lot. So leaving it, until it reaches 0. No Nitrites to report.
 
Last night's readings still look to be in the +4 range. I must have overdosed it then, given I haven't had to add any ammonia since last Thursday or Friday. Either that or I have no bacteria in there at all.

If the Ammonia level hasn't dropped below 4 by the weekend, then I'll do PWCs until it is below 4 and then start again.
 
Tested last night (twice) Still seems in +4 to +8 range. Tonight is a week since I last put ammonia in. If it is still +4 tonight, then I'll try a 50% water change and retest.
 
I'd do a big PWC and dose back into the 2-3ppm range. That way you'll have wiggle room before the cycle stalls from excess ammonia.
 
Cheers Jim

Tested last night, Ammonia was still +4 / +8. But for the first time Nitrites appeared, it wasn't quite 0.25 but definetly more purple than blue.

Tested again today. Same values. So I have done a 30% water change (i.e. just one bucket load). I'll test again this evening, then tomorrow afternoon. If ammonia hasn't dropped to 2 or below, then I will do another PWC tomorrow.
 
Tested again this morning. Ammonia still high. Nitrites showing a little.

So i did a 60+% water change. Retested a little while ago. Reading for ammonia was around 1.

So much happier. Have now added a few drops of ammonia. I might test again in an hour or might leave until tomorrow.

Hopefully back on track again.
 
Tested last night. Ammonia level was about 1. So added some more drops. Retested about 3 hours later and Ammonia level was around 2.

So having trouble guaging how much ammonia to put in.

Due to water change, Nitrites appear to have disappeared.
 
Now I'm confused. ha ha. Useful site. (additionally confused by the tank dimensions saying my tank is 44L and the box the tank came in saying it is only 26.8L. I took the dimensions off the side of the box)

It takes me 125 drops to get 5ml of liquid. (so 25 drops per ml)

My tank is 26.8 litres (I believe). My ammonia is 9.5%.

So I need (to get the tank to 4ppm) 1.13ml. => 28.25 drops.

That seems a lot, since less than half of that threw it to 8ppm where it stayed for over a week without any more ammonia added, before I did the massive water changes.

I've tested it tonight and it appears to be at +2. The last two nights I have been putting 6 drops in. (Nitrites haven't returned yet).

I'm undecided tonight whether to leave the ammonia and see if it drops below 2 and then dose tomorrow, or throw more in now and see if it drops to around 2 tomorrow again (which it has the last two nights).
 
I did add more ammonia, enough to make it register 4. Tested last night. Looked to have dropped to 2 again. Added more ammonia. Nitrites still not reregistering.
 
Tested last night. Ammonia still 4, so didnt add ammonia. Nitrites and nitrates still both 0.

Have to remember patiece. Ha ha
 
So for the last week. Nitrites are still not registering. Ammonia levels are either 2 (in which case I add some more ammonia) or 4 (in which case I don't).

Noticed when I first put the plants in, that there was a very small snail on the glass. It had disappeared by the time I got the net.

Saw it again last night. It is about 4 times the size it was, it appeared to be cleaning the plant. It has now disappeared again.

Tank is starting to look dirty. Haven't done a water change in 3 weeks. Should I be doing them, during the cycling period? (I sure that is what has stalled by cycle after my ammonia overdose (when I was seeing nitrites)).
 
No PWCs during a fishless cycle unless you overdose the tank or need to break a nitrite stall. You're just wasting ammonia if you do.
 
Chees jim. I did a big water change a few weeks ago when it looked like i overdosed on ammonia.

Worried about my readings again. Withoit making any changes it does appear to be ping ponging between 4 and 8 without me adding any more ammonia.

Not sure if this has anything to do with some of my plants dying, or the snail that appeared in there.

I am replacing the bulb today for one for plants, and i will remove the snail, if i ever find him again.
 
A week later and my ammonia levels are still going between 2 and 4 without me doing anything at all.

0 Nitrites too.

Brian the snail is possibly Briony. Given I have about 10 more snails today.

Should I remove all the snails?
 
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