More cycling questions

[darryn]

I am in the process of doing a fishless cycle in my 100L tank.
I started by adding 3 teaspoons of ammonia to the tank. This pushed the ammonia to about 10ppm (the highest value my Sera test kit shows).
After about a week, my ammonia went down to 0 and my nitrites went through the roof.
I added about another teaspoon of ammonia. A day after that, my ammonia was sitting at about 1ppm. Another day later (yesterday) the ammonia is down to about 0.5 ppm.
My question is: do I wait for the ammonia to come down to 0 again before adding another teaspoon of ammonia, or should I just be adding a teaspoon a day regardless and wait for the ammonia and nitrites go down to zero?

TIA

 

[Mystery]

I would suggest adding a steady rate equivalent to the number of fish you want to add. That will set up the ideal bacterial load.

 

[asudavew]

Yep... add it everyday.
Twice a day if you can.
(but in smaller amounts)

How are your nitrites?
Have they come down?

Any nitrates yet?

 

[darryn]

Thanks for the advice.

I will only start by adding 4 Harlequins when the tank has cycled. So I assume that dosing with about 1 teaspoon of ammonia per day should be more than enough??

@asudavew: My nitrites are through the roof and show no sign of coming down yet. They are the highest that my Sera test kit can register. Have not started to test for nitrates yet as I have seen no reduction in nitrites.

 

[asudavew]

@asudavew: My nitrites are through the roof and show no sign of coming down yet. They are the highest that my Sera test kit can register. Have not started to test for nitrates yet as I have seen no reduction in nitrites.

Makes sense.

I bet you are pretty close.

From what I have read...most fishless cyclers shoot for around 5ppm of ammonia.

 

[gzeiger]

The recommendation of 5-8 ppm ammonia is based on optimal growth conditions for Nitrosomonas. It isn't necessary to maintain that once you've established a colony capable of reducing that concentration in a short time. Usually once that first dose drops to zero, if you redose that amount one time you have a colony that is capable of reducing that amount overnight. A teaspoon per day is quite adequate to sustain those bacteria while you wait for nitrite to drop back down.