Ammonia Levels In Fishless Cycle

So I haven’t added any more ammonia to my tank for over a week but the ammonia levels are still really high. Here are my parameters:

temperature: 86.5 F

pH 7.2

ammonia 8.0 ppm

nitrites 1.0 ppm

nitrates 0 ppm


Is my ammonia levels too high for the nitrate forming bacteria? Should I do a water change?

 

@betapixie28


I think you are possibly right on the Tipping Point, where a modest water change will help with the cycle, because you have somewhat over fed the nitrifying bacteria.

Think of the water change as making room for new bacteria in the tank to grow, by removing some of the old bacteria and putting in new water.

It sounds like right now the reduction in ammonia of about 50% should get you on the right track.

This doesn't mean you'll be doing a 50% bacterial reduction if you do a 50% water change. You only going to knock down 5 or 10% of your bacteria. But that will leave room for bacteria which eat nitrites to bloom.

If you do this I suspect you will see nitrates within 36 to 48 hours. You can actually start cooling the tank down slowly at this point, just 2 degrees a day.

Ulu and Thunder_o_b , should I do like an 80-90% water change now, and test again tm or later tonight? or just top it off and leave for a few more days?
hope you don't mind if I taggaed you

Sorry I lost track of this business here.
I've been taking care of my mrs. since she injured her knee.

What did you end up doing.

 

its ok.I hoe you mrs. is doing better! I did a water change of 90% and then started one more time. dosed back to 12ppm and its now eating 2ppm in about 12-24 hours, so its ready, I'm just waiting for my snails to hatch so feding tank 2ppm or more every day

 

Okay, so I didn’t have a chance to do a water change because I was sick. I decided to check the parameters today:

pH: 7.2
ammonia: 8.0 ppm
nitrites: 5.0 ppm
Nitrates: 5.0


Is it time for a 50 % or 90% water change?

 

how long have you been doing it? when did you last dose?

 

how long have you been doing it? when did you last dose?

I started cycling my tank on 5/15. I haven’t added ammonia for almost 2 weeks. I just kept added Stability everyday. I tested the water about an hour ago.

 

If there are no fish, just let that ammonia convert to nitrates, and when it goes to zero and the nitrites go to zero, then do your water change.

Say you show high nitrates: 0 0 20 and you want to be at 0 0 5, you must change about 3/4 of the water.

Check the parameters 24 hours later and if they appear stable you can add some fish.

If you don't have fish within 24 hours add a pinch of food or another drop or two of ammonia to keep the tank alive.

 

If there are no fish, just let that ammonia convert to nitrates, and when it goes to zero and the nitrites go to zero, then do your water change.

Say you show high nitrates: 0 0 20 and you want to be at 0 0 5, you must change about 3/4 of the water.

Check the parameters 24 hours later and if they appear stable you can add some fish.

Thanks. Things are moving along.
Today’s parameters:

pH 6.8

ammonia 4.0 ppm

nitrites 5.0 ppm

nitrates 20 ppm

Should I be worried that the pH dropped to 6.8?

 

No, it will rise again when you change water.

Okay I would do a water change if the pH drops continually. I wouldn't let it go below 6.4.

 

Today’s reading:

pH 6.6

ammonia 0

nitrites 0

nitrates 40 ppm

It’s time for a water change. Do I remove 50% of the water or 75% of the water?

 

50, 60, 70.... the exact number is not critical but it depends on what your next move is.

What stock? One fish, two fish, 10 fish, or just more ammonia?


What will be your next step?

 

50, 60, 70.... the exact number is not critical but it depends on what your next move is.

What stock? One fish, two fish, 10 fish, or just more ammonia?


What will be your next step?

I don’t have any fish in the tank yet. I want to get a betta fish. I’m not sure if I’m going get it this weekend but if my tank is ready, I’ll definitely get a betta by next Friday, depending on when the pet store gets a new stock of bettas. I was also thinking about getting a nerite snail but I’m not too sure now.

I have a 10 gallon tank.

 

a 10 can def handle a betta and snail. congrats

 

The truth is that a betta and a snail will cycle the tank for you without any problems and all you have to do is change about half the water twice a week.

With that small stock most of your bacteria that you generated is going to die off right away. You've been adding way more ammonia than the betta and snail will produce and your tank is taking care of it.

Also I am constantly finding my bettas nipping at my snails and trying to bite their eyes and feelers off. At least one of the big mystery snail shells has turned up empty.

I don't think most bettas like snails very well at all, except for dinner.

 

The truth is that a betta and a snail will cycle the tank for you without any problems and all you have to do is change about half the water twice a week.

With that small stock most of your bacteria that you generated is going to die off right away. You've been adding way more ammonia than the betta and snail will produce and your tank is taking care of it.

Also I am constantly finding my bettas nipping at my snails and trying to bite their eyes and feelers off. At least one of the big mystery snail shells has turned up empty.

I don't think most bettas like snails very well at all, except for dinner.

So, will my tank not stay cycled when I add a betta? Would adding Stability help maintain the bacteria levels?

 

The tank is cycled for a certain bioload.

If you add or subtract from that bioload, normally bacteria will grow or die.

I've never used stability but you can add fish or not.

If you add 1 fish most of your bacteria will die off, but it will stay Cycled enough to support the Bio load of that fish. The bacteria will balance the bioload of additional fish rather quickly if you don't add too many or too fast.

I would say you could add three or four fish easily at this point. Not bettas of course.

 

The tank is cycled for a certain bioload.

If you add or subtract from that bioload, normally bacteria will grow or die.

I've never used stability but you can add fish or not.

If you add 1 fish most of your bacteria will die off, but it will stay Cycled enough to support the Bio load of that fish. The bacteria will balance the bioload of additional fish rather quickly if you don't add too many or too fast.

I would say you could add three or four fish easily at this point. Not bettas of course.

I love bettas. They have such funny personalities.

 

They are really fun little fish.

I have about 308 right now but 300 of them are just tiny fry.

The other 8 are trying to make more fry.

 

Are you planning to sell them when they get big?

I did a water change and now tank is cycled!




pH 6.6

ammonia 0

nitrites 0

nitrates 5 ppm

The pH is low though even though did a water change.

I’m planning to get a nerite snail today. I’ll get the betta after.

 

Are you planning to sell them when they get big?

No, I'm planning a big community of bettas. The biggest strongest ones I will eventually keep and rebreed.

There are lots of stupid laws here about selling things & I just don't need the money or want to get involved.

If I was in a hurry I could just order a hundred betta online and have them delivered but I thought it would be more interesting to try and breed them myself, plus I have lots of time

I did a water change and now tank is cycled!




pH 6.6

ammonia 0

nitrites 0

nitrates 5 ppm

The pH is low though even though did a water change.

I’m planning to get a nerite snail today. I’ll get the betta after.

Whether that pH is too low depends on a lot on the fish. If you get a fish that was bred and raised in that pH that he's going to be fine.

If you get a fish in the manual says it's best for pH 7.5 but you get an example that was raised in PH 6.5, putting him in that ideal pH could hurt him unless you spend some time acclimating him slowly.

The fish actually can "toughen up", and then they will tolerate different conditions.

 

No, I'm planning a big community of bettas. The biggest strongest ones I will eventually keep and rebreed.

There are lots of stupid laws here about selling things & I just don't need the money or want to get involved.

If I was in a hurry I could just order a hundred betta online and have them delivered but I thought it would be more interesting to try and breed them myself, plus I have lots of time

That’s so cool.

I got two Nerite snails. I have enough algae for them to eat for a long time.

Thanks Ulu, Thunder and Ms Rose for helping me with my tank.

 

You're welcome and I hope that when you're my age you will have lots of time to play around with the things you like to do.

 

I

You're welcome and I hope that when you're my age you will have lots of time to play around with the things you like to do.

I hope so!

Would 2 nerite snails, 4 shrimps and a betta be too much for a 10 gallon?

I’m thinking about getting shrimp.

Amano shrimp vs. ghost shrimp?

 

Depending on the betta he might be alone, but fatter, after a couple weeks

 

Depending on the betta he might be alone, but fatter, after a couple weeks

Lol I figure that would be the case. I’m going to try anyway lol.

I wanted to wait until the end of the week to get the betta but I might get it sooner because I think I have mosquito larvae in the tank and baby mosquitoes.

I found this in the tank just now:

I’m not even sure it’s a mosquito. I have no idea what kind of insect it is.

 

Okay. The insects disappeared after I increased the amount of bubbles the sponge filters and air stone put out.

Meet Sapphire and the 3 Musketeers:

 

After using this method for a few days now my Ammonia is starting to drop its at 2ppm right now. I'm sure the Nitrites will drop as well but currently they are at 4ppm. Do need to keep adding little bits of Ammonia to the tank to feed the Bacteria while it gets through my Nitrites?

 

After using this method for a few days now my Ammonia is starting to drop its at 2ppm right now. I'm sure the Nitrites will drop as well but currently they are at 4ppm. Do need to keep adding little bits of Ammonia to the tank to feed the Bacteria while it gets through my Nitrites?

Yes but you can let it go to zero for a day or two, it won’t cause any harm.

 

Yes but you can let it go to zero for a day or two, it won’t cause any harm.

Awesome, should I pop it back up to like 4ppm for the time being?

 

Awesome, should I pop it back up to like 4ppm for the time being?

Can do. The bacteria you get from 1 or 2 is enough for a tank full of fish, but 4’s fine. Watch your nitrites don’t go above 15(ish) though...

 

Can do. The bacteria you get from 1 or 2 is enough for a tank full of fish, but 4’s fine. Watch your nitrites don’t go above 15(ish) though...

Assuming you mean nitrAtes. But sure. My Ammonia is at like 2ppm rn so ill bump that up to 4, my nitrites are still at like 4ppm so idk how long it'll take for those to come down.

 

No, nitrites. Nitrates can go high, although they’ll slow the cycle down if they’re really high.

 

No, nitrites. Nitrates can go high, although they’ll slow the cycle down if they’re really high.

Not too sure what you mean by Nitrites going to 15, sorry.

 

4ppm ammonia will give you about 11ppm nitrite... added to the 4 you already have will be 15, if none gets converted to nitrate before then. Nitrites above 15(ish) will stall the cycle.

 

4ppm ammonia will give you about 11ppm nitrite... added to the 4 you already have will be 15, if none gets converted to nitrate before then. Nitrites above 15(ish) will stall the cycle.

Oh okay, sure. Using this method if I keep adding ammonia won't that just convert to give me nitrites? ( Fast Fishless Cycle. ) it says to do a change when both ammonia and nitrites are at zero. But that can't be if there's ammonia in the tank.

 

Oh okay, sure. Using this method if I keep adding ammonia won't that just convert to give me nitrites? ( Fast Fishless Cycle. ) it says to do a change when both ammonia and nitrites are at zero. But that can't be if there's ammonia in the tank.

Not sure I follow what you mean there...
Ammonia will convert to nitrite and nitrite will convert to nitrate. Usually nitrates will be quite high by the end of a cycle so the water change at the end is needed before you add fish.

 

Not sure I follow what you mean there...
Ammonia will convert to nitrite and nitrite will convert to nitrate. Usually nitrates will be quite high by the end of a cycle so the water change at the end is needed before you add fish.

Yeah, What I'm trying to say is if I keep adding ammonia to keep the Ammonia Bacteria alive how will I ever achieve 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrites. I guess the key is to stop adding ammonia and just wait for the nitrites to come down.