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Recent content by spoonman
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You are on your way! Keep it up. Shouldn't be long now. It is good that you are processing the ammonia fast. Now the nitrite will start to process and you will be done!
I always continue to dose to 4ppm every day until it goes to 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrites in 24 hours. Then do the water changes and add fish. That is what your fish will do once they are in the tank.
Keep dosing the ammonia back to 4ppm. The ammonia is simulating fish waste. That will be constant. Just keep in mind that you will only reduce the nitrate by the percent that you change each time. ie... two 50% water changes doesn't equal one 100% water change. say you start with 80ppm...
How much water you remove will determine the nitrate levels. I would do one huge one. If you have 80ppm nitrates and do a 50% water change, you will bring them down to 40ppm and so on. Once the bacterial colony is established you could conceivably change all the water and be ok. I would do...
I would dose to 4ppm and see what happens in 24 hours. If you are cycled it will go to 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrItes and some nitrAtes. Then you will know without a doubt you are cycled. I would remove the shrimp also.
My 120 gallon with 30 gallon sump took 2 capfuls to reach 4ppm. Then test every day to see how long it takes for it to come down. You should see the nitrItes come up and the nitrAtes come up last. When you can process 4ppm of ammonia to 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrItes and large number of nitrAtes...
I would dose with pure ammonia and then test every day. That is the only way to be sure what your levels of ammonia are....That's just my take on it.....