Another cycling question

[33miles]

Ok...need some advice from the braintrust...

I started the fishless cycle on the 27th of November. I got the reading on the test kit (API master test kit) to 5 ppm by adding 1/4 tsp. of ammonia. Tested again in 24 hours with a reading of 1 ppm and added another 1/4 tsp. of ammonia to bring it back to 5 ppm. I've tested every day since then in 24 hr. intervals (4 days) and it has stayed at 5 ppm and I haven't added any additional ammonia since the second day.

I've read that you should add ammonia every day, but I'm fearful of overdosing the ammonia.

Am I on the right track or have I missed something???....

Tank is 10g
Water temp is 84 deg
Non planted

 

[missileman]

I would be more fearful of over dosing than under dosing.
Amonia is food for the bacteria, any amonia reading is unconsumed food.
Having more than a minimum amount doesn't mean you will have more bacteria.
I wouldn't add any until you start to see a drop in the amonia level.
You can speed the cycle up with an old filter, substrate or even squeezings from a foam filter from an established tank or add Bio-Spira.
Bio-Spira absolutely works but it is a gamble that the store you bought it from handled it properly and you don't end up with a bag of dead bacteria.
I started a fishless cycle on Nov 28. Added 1/2 teaspoon of amonia in a 75 gallon tank, added Bio-Spira about 2 hours later. Amonia was about 3ppm. Yesterday I had just over 1ppm amonia and about 1 ppm nitrite.
When I get home tonight I will add more amonia but only enough to get to about 2ppm or so.

 

[neilanh]

You're on track. Only add ammonia if the ammonia level starts to decline, to maintain it at around 3-5ppm. Too much ammonia can be a bad thing, so just keep it there. Eventually the ammonia will start to convert to nitrIte, and this is the time that you'll need to be adding ammonia every day or so, to keep feeding those bacteria while the different type of bacteria that converts from nitrIte to nitrAte get established.

 

[33miles]

Ok thanks.....I'll be patient and keep testing.....just wanted to make sure



.

 

[jonnythan]

Why would the ammonia drop from 5 to 1 ppm in one day, then stay at 5 ppm for several more days without adding any extra?

 

[33miles]

Why would the ammonia drop from 5 to 1 ppm in one day, then stay at 5 ppm for several more days without adding any extra?

My thoughts exactly....that's why i posted the question...????

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Why would the ammonia drop from 5 to 1 ppm in one day, then stay at 5 ppm for several more days without adding any extra?

Bad Test? (Defect in the test or the tester)

It does sound impossible that without any input, ammonia would go from 5 to 1 and bounce back to 5. The easiest explination I can think of is that the level never really went to 1. If something was odd or went wrong taking that one test, it would make sense why only one test has ever shown a value of 1 while all the rest have shown a level of 5.

 

[jonnythan]

Well if adding 1/4 teaspoon brought it to 5.... then he had a "bad test" and added another 1/4 teaspoon.. and it stayed at 5....

That makes no sense either.

He read 5 ppm after adding 1/4 teaspoon ammonia. Then the next day he added another 1/4 teaspoon after reading 1 ppm. Now he reads 5 ppm all the time.

 

[33miles]

It does sound impossible that without any input, ammonia would go from 5 to 1 and bounce back to 5......

It didn't 'bounce back' to 5......I added more ammonia.......and it's been stable at 5 since then.

 

[missileman]

Mine did exactly the same thing .
I think the activated carbon filter might have effected the initial dose?(I missed the part about removing the filter when I started)
But once it stabilized it stayed fairly steady.

 

[33miles]

Mine did exactly the same thing .
I think the activated carbon filter might have effected the initial dose?(I missed the part about removing the filter when I started)
But once it stabilized it stayed fairly steady.

Cool.....thanks missileman.....