Ammonia decreasing and no nitrites or nitrates

Hey all! I am fishless cycling my 55 gallon and I’m a little confused. The past two days I have added ammonia to my 55 gallon. Day one I added ammonia, waited an hour or two before checking the level, and it came back at 4ppm. I came home the next day and checked the ammonia and it was 1ppm with no nitrites. I added more ammonia, waited several hours, tested and had my ammonia at 3ppm. The next day ammonia was back at 1ppm again with no nitrites present. I’m a little confused as to where my ammonia is going. I have no live plants and no nitrate readings so nitrite is not being skipped.

Am I testing for ammonia to soon after adding it and getting an incorrect reading? This is my first fishless cycle so I am unsure on what the timing is supposed to be. It also seems like I’m putting in way less ammonia than most ammonia calculators are telling me to for a 55 gallon (using Ace Hardware 10%). I am putting in about 40 drops to get to 4ppm whereas most calculators say to put in well over 100 drops. I do have some ammonia in my tap water from chloramine (0.50ppm) but it still doesn’t quite make sense to me. Is anyone able to shed some light onto what is going on? Am I not adding enough ammonia and testing to soon so it’s reading high and then distributing out when I check the next day?

 

What are your nitrates ? You need to test that also. Sometimes the nitrites convert real quick to nitrates.

 

Plants in the tank? They also use ammonia.

Sometimes the nitrites convert real quick to nitrates.

It's also possible that the bacteria metabolize Ammonia directly to Nitrate.

What are your nitrates ? You need to test that also.

Agree. But we also don't know how long the tank is even set up.

 

What are your nitrates ? You need to test that also. Sometimes the nitrites convert real quick to nitrates.

Hey there, thank you for the reply. Nitrates are at 0.

Plants in the tank? They also use ammonia.


It's also possible that the bacteria metabolize Ammonia directly to Nitrate.


Agree. But we also don't know how long the tank is even set up.

Hi there, no plants in the tank, just rock and artificial plants. The tank has been set up for only a few days.

 

Hmm... Even if you seeded the filter with cycled media this is unlikely.

Are all possible testing errors ruled out?

 

Hmm... Even if you seeded the filter with cycled media this is unlikely.

Are all possible testing errors ruled out?

As far as I am aware I’ve followed all the instructions (using the API test kit). How long after adding ammonia can you test for it and be confident in your readings? I worry I’m just testing too soon after adding it maybe?

 

As far as I am aware I’ve followed all the instructions (using the API test kit). How long after adding ammonia can you test for it and be confident in your readings? I worry I’m just testing too soon after adding it maybe?

I normally suggest testing after about 30 minutes. This gives the ammonia enough time to get well mixed in all the water. It is really unusual for the ammonia to start going down this quickly. Did you add any kind of bottled bacteria?

 

Hm. Any algae? Algae can take up nitrate too.

Any bacterial bloom? I mean even if not, ammonia can be consumed by other means aside from nitrification, specifically via assimilatory metabolic pathways. That is when you can see ammonia decrease. Though usually if you dose pure ammonia long enough, you'll see that one day ammonia stops decreasing.

 

I normally suggest testing after about 30 minutes. This gives the ammonia enough time to get well mixed in all the water. It is really unusual for the ammonia to start going down this quickly. Did you add any kind of bottled bacteria?

Hi Mattgirl,
I am using seachem stability, dosing each day. Ammonia still seems to be decreasing, just super strange to me. Dosed to 5ppm last night and today when I came home from work I was at between 2-3ppm. No nitrite or nitrate readings however.

Hm. Any algae? Algae can take up nitrate too.

Any bacterial bloom? I mean even if not, ammonia can be consumed by other means aside from nitrification, specifically via assimilatory metabolic pathways. That is when you can see ammonia decrease. Though usually if you dose pure ammonia long enough, you'll see that one day ammonia stops decreasing.

Hi there,

the tank is quite clear with no algae or blooms.

 

Hi Mattgirl,
I am using seachem stability, dosing each day. Ammonia still seems to be decreasing, just super strange to me. Dosed to 5ppm last night and today when I came home from work I was at between 2-3ppm. No nitrite or nitrate readings however.

Hi there,

the tank is quite clear with no algae or blooms.

Stability must be working well for you. For some it does and for others not so much. There really is no need to dose the ammonia that high though. 2 to 3 ppm should be more than enough. It is still very early in the cycling process. Nitrite will show up at some point. Don't be alarmed it it takes 2 or more weeks for it to happen.