Cycling New Tank -- Adding Ammonia

Do you have an air stone or air driven sponge filter in this tank? Most of the time surface scum for want of a better word can be prevented by having surface movement. Still water will get a layer of bio-film on it.

I just have a regular filter -- fluval C3. I currently have it on the lowest flow setting, so I could turn it up.

 

I just have a regular filter -- fluval C3. I currently have it on the lowest flow setting, so I could turn it up.

I would.

 

I think it is black algae

 

I think it is black algae

I guess that is a possibility. Thankfully I've never had to deal with it.

 

these worms are so gross. I cannot wait for this cycling to be done so I can throw in a school of serpaes and watch them devour the worms

 

I set up my new tank yesterday -- added sand, driftwood, a cave and a few plants -- and then added ammonia. Ammonia without additives is very difficult to find in Canada, but I did find some at the Dollar Tree. I'm starting to wonder, however, if it is quite dilute. Here's my progress so far:

tank -- 29 gallon
filter -- Fluval C3
heater set to 80 F

6:30 p.m. -- added 1 tsp ammonia
8 p.m. -- tested 0.25 ppm, added 2 more tsp
9 p.m. -- tested 0.5 ppm, added 2 more tsp
10:30 p.m. -- tested 0.5 ppm, added 4 tsp
went to bed
8 a.m. -- tested 0.5 ppm

what is happening here? do I just keep dumping more ammonia in??

The bottle of ammonia should state the concentration of ammonia in mg or %.

 

The bottle of ammonia should state the concentration of ammonia in mg or %.

Thanks Momgoose -- I learned my lesson about dollar store ammonia. I'm not sure there was even any ammonia in there! After three days of heavy dosing and no change, I switched to Dr Tim's ammonia and that got things going quickly!

my nitrate is holding steady at 20 (third day in a row) and nitrites are off the charts again. Time for another massive water change?? Hey at least I will be able to skip the gym after hauling around those 5 gallon buckets!

 

I was really hoping to be ready for fish this weekend, but no dice. I think it is very close though!!

Nitrites dropped from 5 to 0.5 over night. Nitrates are sitting steady at 20 but I think my plants may be keeping them from getting any higher. Does that sound plausible??

 

I was really hoping to be ready for fish this weekend, but no dice. I think it is very close though!!

Nitrites dropped from 5 to 0.5 over night. Nitrates are sitting steady at 20 but I think my plants may be keeping them from getting any higher. Does that sound plausible??

Good question. I know plants use ammonium over nitrate. but that would take care of a certain amount of ammonium converting to nitrite, not stop nitrite from converting to nitrate. If you have a ton of fast growing plants vs ammonia dosing...maybe? I think it might depend on your pH. I'm no help with ammonia fishless cycling, but following to see what others say.

Also from memory, nitrite will be harder to convert to nitrate in harder pH water.

Omg! I just reread and saw you meant keep nitrates from getting any higher. Yes they will use up a certain amount between water changes. If you had a bunch of plants and limited bioload, you might not even register nitrate.

But maybe that info above could still be helpful somehow lol.

 

Omg! I just reread and saw you meant keep nitrates from getting any higher. Yes they will use up a certain amount between water changes. If you had a bunch of plants and limited bioload, you might not even register nitrate.

But maybe that info above could still be helpful somehow lol.

It's all good -- I'm learning lots here from all of you and also through trial and error XD. That's the nicest thing about fishless cycling -- trial and error without endangering lives!!

I'm happy with this progress -- I started cycling this tank with Dr Tim's ammonia on April 9 so I think this is really good. I will check the nitrite again this evening at the 48 hour mark from when I last added ammonia. Hoping to see a 0.

 

It's all good -- I'm learning lots here from all of you and also through trial and error XD. That's the nicest thing about fishless cycling -- trial and error without endangering lives!!

I'm happy with this progress -- I started cycling this tank with Dr Tim's ammonia on April 9 so I think this is really good. I will check the nitrite again this evening at the 48 hour mark from when I last added ammonia. Hoping to see a 0.

Looks like you're VERY close to 'done'!

 

Ok nitrites are zero. Now what? Redose to 2 ppm and see how long it takes to get back to 0? or 4 ppm?

I'm not going to fully stock right away -- I plan on starting out with 10 or 11 serpae tetras and will add the rest in a couple months if all is well. (7-9 kuhlis and a pearl gourami as long as I have the ability to return it if it doesn't get along with my serpaes)

Momgoose56 Morpheus1967 mattgirl

 

Ok nitrites are zero. Now what? Redose to 2 ppm and see how long it takes to get back to 0? or 4 ppm?

I'm not going to fully stock right away -- I plan on starting out with 10 or 11 serpae tetras and will add the rest in a couple months if all is well. (7-9 kuhlis and a pearl gourami as long as I have the ability to return it if it doesn't get along with my serpaes)

Momgoose56 Morpheus1967 mattgirl

Yay!!!!! Now that they are gone dose the ammonia back up to about 2ppm. If it is gone within 24 hours and you are still seeing zero nitrites you can consider the cycle complete.

Check your nitrates. You want them no more than 20. If they are higher than that do a water change to get them down and you will be ready to get your fish. If you aren't going to get your fish right away just keep dosing ammonia every other day to continue feeding your bacteria.

 

Yay!!!!! Now that they are gone dose the ammonia back up to about 2ppm. If it is gone within 24 hours and you are still seeing zero nitrites you can consider the cycle complete.

Ammonia was gone in less than 24 hours, and nitrite took a little over 24 hours to clear — maybe 27 hours. I did a 50% water change last night and tested this morning.

I’m showing trace amounts of ammonia which is weird (no ammonia in my water source). It’s not as green as it looks in the photo though, it’s more like between 0 and 0.25. Nitrites are 0, nitrates are 5.

I did stir my sand up quite a bit last night and there was a little decaying plant material, which may explain the bit of ammonia.

Can I get fish today??

 

I never ever get true yellow since I have started testing in Jan or February in my cycled tank. If that helps? All the fish and 1 ADF have no signs of any issues in all that time as well?

 

I would say you are cycled!

 

I hope I didn't miss anyone mentioning it yet, but I use this calculator to determine how much ammonia to add. In my tanks (two so far!) it's been dead-on accurate with the 3% ammonia I found at the hardware store (Blue Ribbon clear ammonia).

For your 29 gallon tank, assuming 2.5% ammonia, a starting ammonia of 0, and a target of 5ppm, you'd need 22ml.

According to the internet, that's 4.5tsp, so your first addition should be right on. Out of curiosity, can you post the kind of ammonia you're using?

 

I hope I didn't miss anyone mentioning it yet, but I use this calculator to determine how much ammonia to add. In my tanks (two so far!) it's been dead-on accurate with the 3% ammonia I found at the hardware store (Blue Ribbon clear ammonia).

For your 29 gallon tank, assuming 2.5% ammonia, a starting ammonia of 0, and a target of 5ppm, you'd need 22ml.

According to the internet, that's 4.5tsp, so your first addition should be right on. Out of curiosity, can you post the kind of ammonia you're using?

She used Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. I think 4.5tsp is way too much using Dr. Tim's. I could get to 2ppm with 3 tsp in a 75 gallon tank. Using Dr. Tim's, to get to 2ppm, 1 tsp (approximately 100 drops) per 25 gallons should do it.

 

In my 29 gallon tank, 1 tsp of Dr Tim’s was enough for 2ppm.

I never did get higher than 0.25ppm with that Dollar Tree ammonia !! But I bought a great turkey baster there .

 

She used Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. I think 4.5tsp is way too much using Dr. Tim's. I could get to 2ppm with 3 tsp in a 75 gallon tank. Using Dr. Tim's, to get to 2ppm, 1 tsp (approximately 100 drops) per 25 gallons should do it.

Unless I misunderstood, she ended up using Dr. Tim's in the end, but she said she started with grocery store ammonia that she thought was 2.5% concentration. Dr. Tim's is reagent grade, and 100 drops in 25 gallons is about 10% concentration.

I'm just curious about the brand that she used, and why 4.5tsp of it wasn't enough to bring up the ammonia in the tank appreciably. For science!

 

In my 29 gallon tank, 1 tsp of Dr Tim’s was enough for 2ppm.

I never did get higher than 0.25ppm with that Dollar Tree ammonia !! But I bought a great turkey baster there .

Now let's see those fish!!

 

She used Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. I think 4.5tsp is way too much using Dr. Tim's. I could get to 2ppm with 3 tsp in a 75 gallon tank. Using Dr. Tim's, to get to 2ppm, 1 tsp (approximately 100 drops) per 25 gallons should do it.

Dr. Tim's is 5% Ammonium chloride. In case you need that for the

She used Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. I think 4.5tsp is way too much using Dr. Tim's. I could get to 2ppm with 3 tsp in a 75 gallon tank. Using Dr. Tim's, to get to 2ppm, 1 tsp (approximately 100 drops) per 25 gallons should do it.

I believe Dr. Tim's is 5% ammonium chloride (concentration is given in mg/l but converts to 5% solution) so using the above (most excellent) calculator provided by ManSkirtBrew , the dose, to get a 25G aquarium from 0 ppm ammonia to 2 ppm would be 3.8ml or ~76 drops of Dr. Tim's or any other 5% ammonia source.

 

Dr. Tim's is 5% Ammonium chloride. In case you need that for the

I believe Dr. Tim's is 5% ammonium chloride (concentration is given in mg/l but converts to 5% solution) so using the above (most excellent) calculator provided by ManSkirtBrew , the dose, to get a 25G aquarium from 0 ppm ammonia to 2 ppm would be 3.8ml or ~76 drops of Dr. Tim's or any other 5% ammonia source.

Science!

 

Now let's see those fish!!

It’s so cute how they school together .

I’ve ordered some colour enhancing food for them — hopefully they get redder!

For anyone who says fishless cycling takes too long-- I started my 5 gallon tank with 3 danios a week earlier than I started my fishless cycle on the 29 gallon, and still no sign of nitrites in the 5 gallon!

 

For anyone who says fishless cycling takes too long-- I started my 5 gallon tank with 3 danios a week earlier than I started my fishless cycle on the 29 gallon, and still no sign of nitrites in the 5 gallon!

It's waaaay faster!

 

This seems to be their favourite spot so far.

 

Did you get 9 serpea tetras? That is my exact same first stocking ever! I loved my serpeas, especially in a large group, so cool to watch them feed, like red baby piranhas haha. But beware, they can be nippy. Not a problem with their own kind and other fast swimmers, but not good for slow moving fish with long fins to tempt nipping behavior. The larger school helps a lot too. Just an FYI to keep an eye out.

 

Did you get 9 serpea tetras? That is my exact same first stocking ever! I loved my serpeas, especially in a large group, so cool to watch them feed, like red baby piranhas haha. But beware, they can be nippy. Not a problem with their own kind and other fast swimmers, but not good for slow moving fish with long fins to tempt nipping behavior. The larger school helps a lot too. Just an FYI to keep an eye out.

I got 11 and I love them!! I am aware of the nipping issue but I think kuhlI loaches will be ok. I’m considering a pearl Gourami too but the serpaes are top priority so if they nip at the Gourami, i’ll return it and keep my little nippers