Cycle help - how long do I add ammonia for?

New 10 gallon tank !

I added my bottle of TSS, now I am adding fritz ammonia. I read that i want to get my water anywhere from 2-4 ppm.

After that, do I keep adding it? Or from there do I just wait till it goes down to 0, then converts to nitrate, then to nitrate, and then my cycle is completed?

Any help is appreciated.

From fritz's directions: "Once ammonia and nitrite concentrations are at zero, you should either add a second dosage of ammonium chloride or add fish so as not to interrupt the food source of your biological filter for more than 72 hours (3 days). "

Bit confusing. So for the first 3 days, I keep adding more everytime it hits 0? After 3 days I don't add anymore? So once ammonia and nitrite are at 0 after 3 days, my cycle is complete?

 

Your cycle will take much longer than three days. Anywhere between 3-8 weeks. Basically you constantly dose the tank with ammonia until it gets high and it then this ammonia is consumed by nitrites, than turn into nitrates which are removed by plants and water changes.

 

Your cycle will take much longer than three days. Anywhere between 3-8 weeks. Basically you constantly dose the tank with ammonia until it gets high and it then this ammonia is consumed by nitrites, than turn into nitrates which are removed by plants and water changes.

I am expecting to wait a long time, I just don't fully understand how I know when it's done. How do I know when I can stop manually adding it?
Thank you for the reply.

 

Basically, you dose the ammonia up to 2-4pmm and let it sit there until the bacteria grows and it turns into nitrite/ nitrate. In my experience, this part takes the longest. Once the ammonia drops close to 0, add a little more ammonia. Once your tank can convert 2ppm of ammonia to nitrate in 24 hours, your tank is cycled.

Also, don't be afraid to do water changes during your cycle! If nitrite or nitrate get too high (off the charts), they can stall your cycle. You won't screw anything up by doing water changes. I learned this the hard way when my nitrates get stupid high and I had to drain my tank about 4 times. So, yeah, go ahead and do those water changes.

What the instructions on the ammonia was trying to say was not to go more than 3 days without adding ammonia so that the bacteria doesn't go dormant. Your cycle definitely won't be done in 3 days (unless you use seeded bacteria) but that TSS might give you a bump.

One more thing: I used fritz to cycle my 10 gallon, and dosing something that small with something that potent is certainly tough. Here's what I found to work: I would dip just the tip of my finger into the ammonia powder and then put the ammonia in the tank. It usually got it up to around 3ppm but just test it so you know you didn't put way too much in there!

 

Basically, you dose the ammonia up to 2-4pmm and let it sit there until the bacteria grows and it turns into nitrite/ nitrate. In my experience, this part takes the longest. Once the ammonia drops close to 0, add a little more ammonia. Once your tank can convert 2ppm of ammonia to nitrate in 24 hours, your tank is cycled.

Also, don't be afraid to do water changes during your cycle! If nitrite or nitrate get too high (off the charts), they can stall your cycle. You won't screw anything up by doing water changes. I learned this the hard way when my nitrates get stupid high and I had to drain my tank about 4 times. So, yeah, go ahead and do those water changes.

What the instructions on the ammonia was trying to say was not to go more than 3 days without adding ammonia so that the bacteria doesn't go dormant. Your cycle definitely won't be done in 3 days (unless you use seeded bacteria) but that TSS might give you a bump.

One more thing: I used fritz to cycle my 10 gallon, and dosing something that small with something that potent is certainly tough. Here's what I found to work: I would dip just the tip of my finger into the ammonia powder and then put the ammonia in the tank. It usually got it up to around 3ppm but just test it so you know you didn't put way too much in there!

Extremely helpful information, thank you a lot!!!

 

Another thing you may or may not notice while your tank is sitting there full of ammonia is a smell. I didn't notice it but my mom certainly did and she sure did tell me! It'll go away once your filter grows the bacteria (at least that's what I was told by my mom) and converts the ammonia!

Extremely helpful information, thank you a lot!!!

No problem, glad to help!

 

Not sure why you used the Safestart if you were not going to add fish right away? You are going to get weird readings for awhile because of it.

 

Not sure why you used the Safestart if you were not going to add fish right away? You are going to get weird readings for awhile because of it.

I thought it would help develop the bacteria regardless, I have read other people do the same with fishless cycles

 

Not sure why you used the Safestart if you were not going to add fish right away? You are going to get weird readings for awhile because of it.

In case it matters, it is TSS+ not TSS.