Ammonia dosage?!?

[Tyler3533]

Hello all I I'm about to start my fish less cycle either today or tomorrow. And I'm starting to get overwhelmed.

My set up is:
-29 gallon tank (30x12x18)
-aquaclear 50
-tetra air pump whisper 40 (2 air stones)
-100 watt Aqueon heater
-API master water test kit
-ace hardware ammonia 10%

I figured out that I need to dose tell I reach 4ppm. After I use prime and let the tank run for alittle. My question is do I add ammonia every day or do I wait tell it reaches zero then dose again. If so would I dose to 4ppm again or lower.

 

[rotorhead22]

ACE ammonia is 10% ammonium. Use the calculator to determine how much ammonia to add to your tank to reach your 4 ppm target. Use a syringe from Walgreens or CVS (pharmacy) to measure out the required amount.

http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm

Hope this helps

 

[Tyler3533]

Does this look correct?

 

[rotorhead22]

Take baseline measurements of your water: Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and pH. Your target pH will depend on what fish you plan to stock in your tank once it is cycled.

You can dose up to 4 ppm and then measure after a couple of days initially; some folks will dose to 2 ppm ammonia initially. Once your ammonia drops to about 2 ppm, dose back up to 4 ppm then check your ammonia, Nitrites, and pH after 24 hours. At some point you will start seeing a spike in Nitrites as your colony of Nitrosomonas bacteria grows and converts the ammonia to NO3 (Nitrite). The time it takes to start getting Nitrites depends on your filtration and setup (decor and substrate). It could be a couple of weeks or it could be a month. Your Nitrites will be converted to Nitrates once another bacteria colony begins to grow (e.g Nitrobacter) and feeds on the Nitrites, oxidizing them into NO4(Nitrates).

Having good flow rates from your filter (6 to 10 times the size of your tank volume per hour is recommended) is important; powerheads can also be used to move water around in your tank. A 10 gallon would need 60 to 100 gal/ hr flow rate. Filter media type is very important. Foam and especially ceramic biomedia has lots of porosity and surface area where the beneficial bacteria can colonize. The more bacteria the better your tanks ability and efficiency in converting your fish's poisonous waste (ammonia) into the lesser toxic by-product, Nitrates. Aeration in your tank is also important since the beneficial bacteria is not anaerobic.

When your tank is able to convert 4 ppm ammonia to 0 ammonia and 0 Nitrites in 24 hours, your tank will be cycled. You will typically make partial water changes (50 - 70%) throughout your cycle especially when you see your pH values drop; stable pH and temperature is important. If your Nitrates get to >100 ppm during your cycling you will also want to do a PWC. In a cycled tank with fish, Nitrates are usually kept below 20 ppm but even 80 ppm is okay.

Hope this helps and good luck. There are other guides available like Library Girl's that can help.

 

[rotorhead22]

Does this look correct?

Yes, you'd just add about 4.5 ml. I was adding about 9.5 ml to my 55 gallon. Good luck.

 

[Tyler3533]

Take baseline measurements of your water: Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and pH. Your target pH will depend on what fish you plan to stock in your tank once it is cycled.

You can dose up to 4 ppm and then measure after a couple of days initially; some folks will dose to 2 ppm ammonia initially. Once your ammonia drops to about 2 ppm, dose back up to 4 ppm then check your ammonia, Nitrites, and pH after 24 hours. At some point you will start seeing a spike in Nitrites as your colony of Nitrosomonas bacteria grows and converts the ammonia to NO3 (Nitrite).

So after my ammonia drops to 2 ppm I dose up to 4ppm again. Do I keep adding ammonia tell it reaches to 0 in 24 hours. Also at which point do I switch and start adding only up too 2ppm. When should I stop adding ammonia. At the end of the cycle? Sorry for the questions. Just really just to figure it out.

 

[rotorhead22]

When it drops to 2 ppm you can dose back up to 4 ppm ammonia. Once you start getting Nitrites and Nitrates and you get 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite 24 hours after dosing ammonia to 4 ppm, you are done.

I mentioned that you can dose up to 2 because some people do that at the beginning (then dose back up to 2 when it gets to 1 ppm). When Nitrates start appearing then start dosing up to 4 ppm ammonia. This is the stepwise process and just an option. I started at 4 ppm ammonia and it worked just fine.

Either way, when you get to 0 ammonia and 0 Nitrite within 24 hours after dosing your ammonia, that is it. You then do a 90% water change adding your water conditioner and then add fish.

 

[Tyler3533]

When it drops to 2 ppm you can dose back up to 4 ppm ammonia. Once you start getting Nitrites and Nitrates and you get 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite 24 hours after dosing ammonia to 4 ppm, you are done.

I mentioned that you can dose up to 2 because some people do that at the beginning (then dose back up to 2 when it gets to 1 ppm). When Nitrates start appearing then start dosing up to 4 ppm ammonia. This is the stepwise process and just an option. I started at 4 ppm ammonia and it worked just fine.

You then do a 90% water change adding your water conditioner and then add fish.

Well I'm starting with 4ppm but I've read that you should only dose up to 2ppm after a certain amount of time. And do I not add prime during or before the cycle?

 

[rotorhead22]

I've got a plot of my 55 gallon Nitrogen Cycle in my profile.

 

[Tyler3533]

Do I add prime during cycling? Because does prime lower ammonia levels?

 

[rotorhead22]

Only when you do the water changes. The chlorine would kill your bacteria otherwise.

 

[Tyler3533]

Only when you do the water changes. The chlorine would kill your bacteria otherwise.

So I don't add prime when I fill the tank?

 

[paytertot]

So I don't add prime when I fill the tank?

No you do. Anytime you add new water.

 

[Tyler3533]

Oh. Ok. Because I was getting confused with whether or not that will mess up the cycle since I'll be adding ammonia and doing a fish less cycle

 

[paytertot]

Oh. Ok. Because I was getting confused with whether or not that will mess up the cycle since I'll be adding ammonia and doing a fish less cycle

Here this will help a lot

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/the-a...-Guide-and-FAQ-to-Fishless-Cycling/Page1.html

 

[jlk]

Prime will NOT affect your cycle be it fish-in or fishless. It does not remove ammonia or nitrites- it simply converts them to a less toxic form for a period of 24-48hrs. Your good bacteria use the less toxic form just easily as the toxic forms of ammonia & nitrite. As already mentioned, you have to add water conditioner any time you add new water to the tank or chlorine/chloramines will kill off your good bacteria.

 

[Tyler3533]

Thanks for that. But I've read that many of times. Because people post that link a lot.

 

[Tyler3533]

Prime will NOT affect your cycle be it fish-in or fishless. It does not remove ammonia or nitrites- it simply converts them to a less toxic form for a period of 24-48hrs. Your good bacteria use the less toxic form just easily as the toxic forms of ammonia & nitrite. As already mentioned, you have to add water conditioner any time you add new water to the tank or chlorine/chloramines will kill off your good bacteria.

Ok how long do I let my tank run from when I dirt set it up to put the prime in. Then the ammonia?

 

[jlk]

Ok how long do I let my tank run from when I dirt set it up to put the prime in. Then the ammonia?

I am not sure what you are asking here- when to add prime? Before you fill your tank, add a dose of prime for your tank size then fill it. If its already filled & you havent added prime yet, do so asap. You then can add ammonia based on your tap water readings. For example, if your tap water reads .50ppm ammonia, you want to add a 3.5ppm ammonia dose to reach 4ppm. If it reads zero, you add the full 4ppm dose.

 

[Tyler3533]

I am not sure what you are asking here- when to add prime? Before you fill your tank, add a dose of prime for your tank size then fill it. If its already filled & you havent added prime yet, do so asap. You then can add ammonia based on your tap water readings. For example, if your tap water reads .50ppm ammonia, you want to add a 3.5ppm ammonia dose to reach 4ppm. If it reads zero, you add the full 4ppm dose.

So I can add ammonia right after the tank is filled and everything is on?