Fishless Cycling....read two articles...which is correct??

[number2of7]

Okay, so I'm cycling a 10g the fishless way...however, I have read two conflicting articles:

#1 - add ammonia until you reach 5.0, add this same amount EVERY DAY until the nitrite spikes; reduce ammonia in half, and wait until all readings are 0 (except nitrates, of course)

#2 - add ammonia until you reach 5.0, then allow tank to just sit (not adding anymore ammonia) until the nitrites spike; reduce original amount of ammonia used in half....the rest is the same

SO, WHICH ONE IS CORRECT? I added my first dose of ammonia tonight, but while browsing, saw these two different articles....need to know what to do tomorrow....add or not add ammonia??

Thanks!

 

[jsoong]

I think the idea with fishless cycling is to maintain NH3 at 5 until it crashes, and you add whatever amount is needed to maintain that.

I think #2 is prob closer to the ideal. Since there is no bacteria initially, with #1, the NH3 will go past 5 until the bugs catches up, & high NH3 may stall the cycle.

Ideally, you would add small amounts of ammonia each day, increasing the amount each day as the bugs grow, always maintaining a highish NH3 level. But that would be too complicated to be practical, so the 2 approaches are compromises, and prob either one will work.

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

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[BrianNY]

If you think about it, when the tank is fully cycled and stocked with fish, the fish will constantly being adding ammonia to your tank. Therefore you must do the same in order to feed the nitrifying bacteria.

 

[number2of7]

Thanks guys....I'll just test the ammonia daily and add enough to keep it up around 5ppm.

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

I would start counting drops or get an exact measurement of the ammonia your adding and use the same amount daily. Increasing ammonia everyday so that it reads 5-6 ppm will make your tank take along time to cycle The reason for initially raising it to 5-6 ppm is to get to the ammonia peak faster. Then you add a certain amount daily like 3-5 drops per ten gallons regardless if ammonia reads 6 ppm or 2 ppm you would not increase the amount your adding. The reason why is that the bacteria that converts Nitrite is inhibited by high ammonia.

 

[TomK2]

I think #2 is prob closer to the ideal. Since there is no bacteria initially, with #1, the NH3 will go past 5 until the bugs catches up, & high NH3 may stall the cycle.

This has been said so many times, but is it true? I read on the link below that nitrosmas reactivation from a dormant state is actually optimal at 200 ppm ! I have no idea what that would do to the other nitrifying bacteria. The link is interesting if your into the science behind the nitrogen cycle.

http://article.dphnet.com/cat-01/naturewonders3.shtml

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

ghfjdh

 

[TomK2]

the reason why you dont go to 200 ppm ammonia is it would take forever for the Nitrobacter to convert the Nitrite to Nitrate

point taken. Since nitrobacter is even slower growing than nitrosomas, too high of a nitrogen load would just stretch out the nitrite conversion phase. and think of the massive nitrate level you would have at the end! Keep your eye open for any dose-response studies, I would find that quite interesting. All you would need is 3 or four identicle setups, and try 2.5ppm, 5ppm, 7.5ppm, and 10ppm. keep records, compare the results. Four different people could each try a different target concentration so one person didn't have to spend all year at it, although that wouldn't be as accurate.

I will be setting up another 55 gallon tank sometime in the next year. Even though I could seed it from my current tank, I might try an ammonia fishless start just to gather some data. What do you think, should I try a 2.5 ppm or a 10 ppm for comparison?

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

hmmmmm thats a good question I never tried either. Id try the 10 ppm first.

 

[TomK2]

Thanks guys....I'll just test the ammonia daily and add enough to keep it up around 5ppm.

Don't forget to tell us how it went! Good luck.