Been thinking about the question in the subject line. Thanks to an antibiotic entirely wiping out my biofilter about two weeks ago (even though the package claimed it was "safe for biofilters," grr), I am in the process of having to re-cycle my tank from scratch. I have some zebra danios and corys in there currently.
Now I realize that any level of ammonia is toxic to fish--but I also realize you need some ammonia in there in order to have the tank cycle at all. However, what impact does the ammonia level have on the bacterial growth? Would there be any benefit, for example, for only doing water changes every 3-4 days and allowing ammonia to hit near 1 ppm? Or should I be changing water every single day and aim to keep ammonia at or below 0.25 ppm? Would I see a faster cycling time in the first case (thinking there is more "food" around so the bacteria should grow faster?) Any input is appreciated.
Now I realize that any level of ammonia is toxic to fish--but I also realize you need some ammonia in there in order to have the tank cycle at all. However, what impact does the ammonia level have on the bacterial growth? Would there be any benefit, for example, for only doing water changes every 3-4 days and allowing ammonia to hit near 1 ppm? Or should I be changing water every single day and aim to keep ammonia at or below 0.25 ppm? Would I see a faster cycling time in the first case (thinking there is more "food" around so the bacteria should grow faster?) Any input is appreciated.