Redox600

Hey y'all!
I have recently started cycling a 55G tank using the 'Add and Wait' method described in the Fishless Cycle sticky. I added enough Ammonia to get up to 5 ppm, and that was 7 days ago. I took a reading today and ammonia is now sitting at 1 ppm. I added a piece of filter from my cycled 10G tank into my 55G filter to try and speed things p a bit. How long should it take before I see 0 ppm?
Thanks.

Shawnie

congrats on the fishless cycle!!!!!!

unfortunately, no one has a set time frame..but you are doing everything great...just remember in between stages so the bacteria forming have something to eat...a lil flake food once a day is easy ...goodluck!!

COBettaCouple

It varies, but I found that raising the heater to maximum (remember to turn it back after cycling) and running aeration in the tank helped the cycling process.

Adding some good bacteria from the 10g tank should provide a boost, but watching the ammonia and nitrites is the only way to get an idea of how far into the cycle you are.

fishbum

That's great!What kind of ammonia did you add?Remember you need to keep feeding the bacteria or the cycle will crash.Because you borrowed some bacteria from another tank,the cycle should not take long.I have added fish 3 days after starting a new tank.I got the ammonia in there with fish food one day,transfered the filter media the next day,and added 1 fish on the 3rd day.Good luck with your new tank!What kind of fish are you planning on keeping?

steveangela1

Right now I have a 58g in a fishless cycle as well, last weekend when I cleaned the canister filter out I put some filter media in mine from an establised tank. So far in the coarse of a week my ammonia and nitrite spiked, yesterday the ammonia was at -0- and the nitrite was 2ppm its comming down slowly, I will check the levels again today andif my nitrites are lower I will check the nitrates.

It hasn't took long since I put that media in there, the other way was taking way to long for what I needed, (I was throwing food in there). I am needing this tank soon so I can order some new species of cichlids.

pepetj

Redox600. My experience so far ranges with tanks between 5.5 to 29gal.
I used another variant for fishless-cycling (adding daily Xdrops os Ammonia solution until 5ppm is attained, then add that amount daily until Ammonia levels go down in 12hrs -nitrites are present at that moment; at that point change to adding halfX drops daily until Nitrite spikes and fades; all the time with plants in the tank) and the timeframe has been 11 to 13 days.
I started fishless-cycle in a 145gal (two hours ago) and have no idea of how long it will take (that's a big tank, at least for me).

Good luck! It pays to go fishless-cycling!

Pepe
Santo Domingo

HatchetHaven

What do you plan on stocking with?

Redox600

I used "Goldex Household Ammonnia, with no fragrances or phosphates". But I think I screwed up because I wasn't putting food or anything into the tank daily to keep the ammonia levels up. I tested again this morning and its still at about 1 ppm so I think I stalled or crashed the cycle.

I think my next course of action will be to add more ammonia and get the levels up again, and make sure I add food on a daily basis to the tank. I did use a piece of filter from my Penguin 100, but I'm thinking that since I change that filter every 2 weeks that maybe there wasn't a sufficient amount of bacteria on it to kick start this cycle.

I still don't know what I'm going to stock with. I was going to put my Gups and Cory from my 10G into this new tank, but since that tank is being treated for 2 cases of fin rot, I think I will start completely fresh with the 55G.

Any suggestions?

HatchetHaven

Post something in the Aquarium stocking suggestions board! I'll look out for your post.

Redox600

Sorry, I meant more suggestions as to whether I'm doing the right thing with my tank cycling. But I will post in the stocking section because I do have some questions... cheers!

HatchetHaven

Personally, I'd just forget you failed to cycle and start over!

jdhef

I cycled with Danios (didn't know about fishless at the time). It took about 2-1/2 weeks for the ammonia levels to drop to zero. Then about 2-1/2 weeks for the nitites to drop to zero for a grand total of about 5 weeks plus or minus.

I like to say about cycling that once you are absolutley positive that the phase of the cycle you are in is not going to finish...three days later it will finally cycle.

sirdarksol

There shouldn't be any need to add fish food as long as you keep adding ammonia (though there's no reason you can't mix tactics).

jdhef

From what I've read the only downside to adding fish food, is that fish food releases phosphates as it decomposes, which is fertilizer for algae

sirdarksol

That's pretty much it.

HatchetHaven

It can also be a plant fert.

Redox600

Grrrr!
So its been 5 days since I put another 5ppm dose of ammonia in my tank, and its only gone down to 2ppm. I have the temp up to 84-86 to try and help out. I wish I had access to Bio-Spira cause this is like some form of torture for an impatient guy like me!!

I feel like I'm doing something wrong, cause this seems to be taking too long.
But patience is a virtue... right??

Lucy

I don't understand.........cycle by adding fish and pure ammonia? Wouldn't that kill the fish, for sure?

Hang in there Redox600. At least you don't have the water changes you would if you had fish.