Fishless Cycling Question?

[Stephen Rollins]

Have a 60 gallon tank that im going to fish-less cycle here soon. Got a new baby that will be born here in two day so I have to wait a bit.
Question is : I have been doing a lot of research on fish-less cycling. If I'm right I am suppose to add ammonia to the water and wait for 1 hour and test it till I get a reading of 4 ppm. Test it every day till I get readings of nitrites and continue to dose to 4 ppm. Once I start seeing readings of nitrates then dose down to 2 ppm or ammonia. When my ammonia converts to to zero in a 24 hr period and have traces of nitrites and nitrates still, still dose 2 ppm. If nitrites spike do a water chance to get the numbers down. When readings of 0 in nitrites and ammonia and only have reading of nitrates. Then the cycle is done.

Am I right or not ?

 

[Kal1877]

I think you got the basic idea

 

[Stephen Rollins]

I think you got the basic idea

I sure hope so. When I get it started I'll post the test results to get more input

 

[jlk]

You have a general idea but what works in one persons tank (or 10 peoples tanks) may not necessarily work in yours. Everybodys water is a bit different and everybodys cycles are a bit different as well. Also different things need to be considered such as the size of your tank and the planned stocking. A 5g tank that will house a single betta does not need to be cycled to 4ppm while a 75g that will be intentionally overstocked with cichlids may be cycled at 5ppm or more. Quite a few different variables! Also, one thing you did forget to mention was ph- this is critical in a cycling tank & needs to be checked daily for changes in order to prevent cycle stalls. When your ready to take on a fishless cycle, let us know & we can help point you in the right direction for what you have planned! Congrats on the new baby!!!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html

Calculator

 

[Stephen Rollins]

You have a general idea but what works in one persons tank (or 10 peoples tanks) may not necessarily work in yours. Everybodys water is a bit different and everybodys cycles are a bit different as well. Also different things need to be considered such as the size of your tank and the planned stocking. A 5g tank that will house a single betta does not need to be cycled to 4ppm while a 75g that will be intentionally overstocked with cichlids may be cycled at 5ppm or more. Quite a few different variables! Also, one thing you did forget to mention was ph- this is critical in a cycling tank & needs to be checked daily for changes in order to prevent cycle stalls. When your ready to take on a fishless cycle, let us know & we can help point you in the right direction for what you have planned! Congrats on the new baby!!!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/the-almost-complete-guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html

Calculator

Thank you jlk .
I have been reading other threads and seen that you give a lot of help to people out there. When I start the cycle I'll be sure to keep updating and hope your here to help. This is my first aquarium.

 

[jlk]

Happy to help!

 

[Stephen Rollins]

Happy to help!

These are the stock lists I'm thinking of

 

[jlk]

This is one area I can not advise on- I am afraid my experience is limited coldwater tanks & cycling. I only have general knowledge of tropicals & do not have the experience to advise in these matters in respect to stocking. Hopefully, Mumma.of.two or Librarygirl (or another one of our experienced members) will come along & can further advise you!

 

[Stephen Rollins]

This is one area I can not advise on- I am afraid my experience is limited coldwater tanks & cycling. I only have general knowledge of tropicals & do not have the experience to advise in these matters in respect to stocking. Hopefully, Mumma.of.two or Librarygirl (or another one of our experienced members) will come along & can further advise you!

I was just wanting to let you know the stock options in case it made a difference in the cycle

 

[jlk]

Thanks! Cycling to 4ppm is meant to handle most tanks stocking plans without an issue. I will suggest though researching your proposed stock & asking questions as well. The stock advisors are not foolproof- they are only designed as general guidelines for fish.

 

[Stephen Rollins]

Can I use this ammonia for cycle

 

[jlk]

This stuff has surfectants, fragrances & dyes. The ammonia you want to use should only list ammonium hydroxide & water. Try the Ace Hardware store locator to see if one is somewhere near you or try Dollar Tree.

 

[Stephen Rollins]

This stuff has surfectants, fragrances & dyes. The ammonia you want to use should only list ammonium hydroxide & water. Try the Ace Hardware store locator to see if one is somewhere near you or try Dollar Tree.

Thank you for the fast response. I almost bought it.

I just read on another site that the Walmart brand great value ammonia is used by aquarium enthusiasts
What do you think?

 

[jlk]

My cell cut me off before I finished writing! This stuff has ingredients you do not want in your tank & will be hard to get out if you did use it. Just look for basics- water & amm hydroxide. If you get desperate, amazon sells the Ace stuff & few other brands. Good luck in your search- it can prove more difficult than you may realize.

 

[jlk]

My Walmart doesn't sell anything aquarium-friendly but that doesn't mean yours doesn't. Just check the ingredients before purchasing & you should be fine.

 

[Stephen Rollins]

My Walmart doesn't sell anything aquarium-friendly but that doesn't mean yours doesn't. Just check the ingredients before purchasing & you should be fine.

I'll check on in here within the next couple days and you can let me know if it's okay

 

[Stephen Rollins]

So in going to get ammonia today and an API master test kit.

How much ammonia do I put in the tank to start?

60 gallon tank

 

[jlk]

This will help as long as you know the % of your ammonia. Just change the 'ppm' to 4. Theres approximately 5mls in 1 standard teaspoon.

Calculator

 

[Stephen Rollins]

Ammonia at Walmart says its ingredients are. Ammonium and surfactant.

Is this still not okay to use because of the surfactant in it ?

 

[Stephen Rollins]

Ok so I got the ammonia from ace hardware.

Is this the stuff?
I had them print the MSDS for me. No ingredients are listed so I guess it's just ammonia and water.