Why is no ammonia showing up?

[Ollie76]

I have been trying to start the cycle in my 20 gal aquarium for weeks now, however no ammonia will show up. I’ve tried putting food in the water yet no ammonia. Please help.

 

[StarGirl]

How much food are you putting in? Did you do it just once?

 

[Ollie76]

I seen somewhere online to feed it a tiny bit every day so I’ve been doing that for maybe like a week in a half

 

[Azedenkae]

You need to add as much and as often as you intend to feed a fully stocked tank - i.e. ghostfeeding.

But even then, no ammonia/nitrite/nitrate necessarily shows up. This is a common misconception in the hobby.

All you are looking for when cycling by ghostfeeding is that ammonia and nitrite can consistently read zero for at least ten or so days straight.

 

[StarGirl]

All you are looking for when cycling by ghostfeeding is that ammonia and nitrite can consistently read zero for at least ten or so days straight.

So this member is going to think their tank is cycled already, because they are getting no ammonia or nitrite readings for 10 days?

 

[Ollie76]

You need to add as much and as often as you intend to feed a fully stocked tank - i.e. ghostfeeding.

But even then, no ammonia/nitrite/nitrate necessarily shows up. This is a common misconception in the hobby.

All you are looking for when cycling by ghostfeeding is that ammonia and nitrite can consistently read zero for at least ten or so days straight.

When the tank is done cycling will the nitrates show up if not how do I know when my tank is finished cycling

 

[StarGirl]

In theory yes. It will take a little longer with fish food than pure ammonia. The basic steps are ammonia shows up, then nitrites then nitrates.

 

[Azedenkae]

So this member is going to think their tank is cycled already, because they are getting no ammonia or nitrite readings for 10 days?

Assuming they have been ghostfeeding a proper amount of food consistently, yes that is correct. But they have not, so they should not be thinking that their cycle is done.

When the tank is done cycling will the nitrates show up if not how do I know when my tank is finished cycling

Nitrate does not necessarily show up. Like I said, and I quote:

All you are looking for when cycling by ghostfeeding is that ammonia and nitrite can consistently read zero for at least ten or so days straight.

 

[StarGirl]

Assuming they have been ghostfeeding a proper amount of food consistently, yes that is correct. But they have not, so they should not be thinking that their cycle is done.

You really cant assume anything.

 

[Azedenkae]

You really cant assume anything.

I am not assuming anything. They said they only added a tiny bit everyday.

 

[StarGirl]

But even then, no ammonia/nitrite/nitrate necessarily shows up. This is a common misconception in the hobby.

How can you load a tank with fish food and none of these show up? How is that even possible? Please explain as it is not very clear.

All you are looking for when cycling by ghostfeeding is that ammonia and nitrite can consistently read zero for at least ten or so days straight.

So how long do they ghost feed for? 10 days? That is how it reads to me. Forgive me for being confused on this one.

 

[Azedenkae]

How can you load a tank with fish food and none of these show up? How is that even possible? Please explain as it is not very clear.

Ammonia produced could be immediately consumed, specifically by heterotrophs as a nitrogen source, which can occur very quickly even with lower starting numbers of cells. This would not produce nitrite, which would only occur if ammonia is consumed as an energy source.

Nitrogenous compounds may also be consumed prior to being converted to ammonia, and therefore not producing ammonia even in the first place.

So how long do they ghost feed for? 10 days? That is how it reads to me. Forgive me for being confused on this one.

I am not sure why you read what I wrote as one only needing to ghostfeed for ten days. Can you elaborate on what made you think that?

 

[StarGirl]

Read all of it like you dont know much about fish keeping. They may not know all that you do. That is all I am saying.

Sorry OP for straying off your subject. If you have any more questions please ask away.

 

[Ollie76]

Hi again, sorry if I’m a bit confused but should the cloudy water be gone if the cycle is completed?

 

[StarGirl]

They cycle should take roughly 4-6 weeks. Maybe longer sometimes. The cloudy water is from the food, dont worry about that for now. You will get a ammonia reading at some point. Keep adding food like you are feeding your fish as stated.

 

[SparkyJones]

Ghost feeding flakes is the slowest method of cycling an aquarium.

In the simplist terms: if you start with food you will need that food to break down. That breakdown is done by decay bacteria. The decay bacteria, as it breaks it down, turns the food into nutrients and ammonia and all that jazz.
These decay bacteria can take 30 days to break something down completely.
That's the reason to just keep feeding the tank some food each day, because every 15 minutes the decay bacteria types are multiplying to break it down. The food you added by 30 days is at various stages of decomposition and releasing ammonia while also that decay bacteria is completing its life cycle with the replacements taking their places and those that die also get broken down and create ammonia.
That is called ammonification.

Once you have ammonification, then you can work on nitrification. The ammonia breakers will appear and start breaking down ammonia into nitrites, then the nitrite breakers will break the nitrite into nitrate.

It's going to take 30 days of ghost feeding to build the decay colony to a size that can produce the ammonia that can linger and then be used for nitrification and feed the ammonia breaker bacteria and grow that colony which will create nitrites which will feed the next colony. You can't get to nitrification without ammonia first. This is why it's a 6 week to 2 month process.

My advice if you are going to ghost feed in order to cycle the tank, Get 1 small fish per 10 gallons of water and feed him instead.
He is going to come with every bit of bacteria that was in his environment before you brought him home, and he's going to produce ammonia just from living, he's going to require food, and he's going to poop.

With a fish in, it's going to speed it along to 3-4 weeks, and colonize everything you need at once. And you arent just feeding water. You are keeping a fish. The mistake people make is wanting too many fish too early to keep it safe and sometimes not testing the water and doing water changes when it needs to happen. To keep it safe a water change should be done any time the ammonia test hits 0.50 and brought down to 0.25 or lower. It can go higher than 0.50 but because I don't want to do the math and figure out temp and pH, the safe bet is to set that limit and it won't hurt the fish.

Ghost feeding is the slowest.
Using pure Ammonia is the next slowest, at about 4 weeks, but its totally safe (you won't have much decay bacteria at first after it's cycled)
1 small fish per 10 gallons of water fish in cycling is the fastest at less than 4 weeks, BUT you have to be attentive to testing and doing what you gotta do with water changes because a life depends on it.

With ghost feeding you aren't going to really see any ammonia for the first 15 days or so, it's going to be minimal and there are bacteria that will use it as was mentioned and not turn it into nitrogen. Beyond 15 days, out to day 25 and 30 the first feeding is fully broken down and the next day and the next and this is when you start seeing the ammonia building. It's the main reason flake ghost feeding is slow, it starts at the beginning, while using pure ammonia starts in the middle of the whole cycle and cuts the time in half, while controlled fish in cycling is the fastest because the fish brings starter bacteria in it and on it with it for every step at once.

I can't say what's right for every person. we are all different types of personalities. Some very patient, some very impatient. Some very attentive, others quite lackadaisical.

 

[Ollie76]

Ghost feeding flakes is the slowest method of cycling an aquarium.

In the simplist terms: if you start with food you will need that food to break down. That breakdown is done by decay bacteria. The decay bacteria, as it breaks it down, turns the food into nutrients and ammonia and all that jazz.
These decay bacteria can take 30 days to break something down completely.
That's the reason to just keep feeding the tank some food each day, because every 15 minutes the decay bacteria types are multiplying to break it down. The food you added by 30 days is at various stages of decomposition and releasing ammonia while also that decay bacteria is completing its life cycle with the replacements taking their places and those that die also get broken down and create ammonia.
That is called ammonification.

Once you have ammonification, then you can work on nitrification. The ammonia breakers will appear and start breaking down ammonia into nitrites, then the nitrite breakers will break the nitrite into nitrate.

It's going to take 30 days of ghost feeding to build the decay colony to a size that can produce the ammonia that can linger and then be used for nitrification and feed the ammonia breaker bacteria and grow that colony which will create nitrites which will feed the next colony. You can't get to nitrification without ammonia first. This is why it's a 6 week to 2 month process.

My advice if you are going to ghost feed in order to cycle the tank, Get 1 small fish per 10 gallons of water and feed him instead.
He is going to come with every bit of bacteria that was in his environment before you brought him home, and he's going to produce ammonia just from living, he's going to require food, and he's going to poop.

With a fish in, it's going to speed it along to 3-4 weeks, and colonize everything you need at once. And you arent just feeding water. You are keeping a fish. The mistake people make is wanting too many fish too early to keep it safe and sometimes not testing the water and doing water changes when it needs to happen. To keep it safe a water change should be done any time the ammonia test hits 0.50 and brought down to 0.25 or lower. It can go higher than 0.50 but because I don't want to do the math and figure out temp and pH, the safe bet is to set that limit and it won't hurt the fish.

Ghost feeding is the slowest.
Using pure Ammonia is the next slowest, at about 4 weeks, but its totally safe (you won't have much decay bacteria at first after it's cycled)
1 small fish per 10 gallons of water fish in cycling is the fastest at less than 4 weeks, BUT you have to be attentive to testing and doing what you gotta do with water changes because a life depends on it.

With ghost feeding you aren't going to really see any ammonia for the first 15 days or so, it's going to be minimal and there are bacteria that will use it as was mentioned and not turn it into nitrogen. Beyond 15 days, out to day 25 and 30 the first feeding is fully broken down and the next day and the next and this is when you start seeing the ammonia building. It's the main reason flake ghost feeding is slow, it starts at the beginning, while using pure ammonia starts in the middle of the whole cycle and cuts the time in half, while controlled fish in cycling is the fastest because the fish brings starter bacteria in it and on it with it for every step at once.

I can't say what's right for every person. we are all different types of personalities. Some very patient, some very impatient. Some very attentive, others quite lackadaisical.

If I were to go get 2 guppies tomorrow would that be ok?

Ghost feeding flakes is the slowest method of cycling an aquarium.

In the simplist terms: if you start with food you will need that food to break down. That breakdown is done by decay bacteria. The decay bacteria, as it breaks it down, turns the food into nutrients and ammonia and all that jazz.
These decay bacteria can take 30 days to break something down completely.
That's the reason to just keep feeding the tank some food each day, because every 15 minutes the decay bacteria types are multiplying to break it down. The food you added by 30 days is at various stages of decomposition and releasing ammonia while also that decay bacteria is completing its life cycle with the replacements taking their places and those that die also get broken down and create ammonia.
That is called ammonification.

Once you have ammonification, then you can work on nitrification. The ammonia breakers will appear and start breaking down ammonia into nitrites, then the nitrite breakers will break the nitrite into nitrate.

It's going to take 30 days of ghost feeding to build the decay colony to a size that can produce the ammonia that can linger and then be used for nitrification and feed the ammonia breaker bacteria and grow that colony which will create nitrites which will feed the next colony. You can't get to nitrification without ammonia first. This is why it's a 6 week to 2 month process.

My advice if you are going to ghost feed in order to cycle the tank, Get 1 small fish per 10 gallons of water and feed him instead.
He is going to come with every bit of bacteria that was in his environment before you brought him home, and he's going to produce ammonia just from living, he's going to require food, and he's going to poop.

With a fish in, it's going to speed it along to 3-4 weeks, and colonize everything you need at once. And you arent just feeding water. You are keeping a fish. The mistake people make is wanting too many fish too early to keep it safe and sometimes not testing the water and doing water changes when it needs to happen. To keep it safe a water change should be done any time the ammonia test hits 0.50 and brought down to 0.25 or lower. It can go higher than 0.50 but because I don't want to do the math and figure out temp and pH, the safe bet is to set that limit and it won't hurt the fish.

Ghost feeding is the slowest.
Using pure Ammonia is the next slowest, at about 4 weeks, but its totally safe (you won't have much decay bacteria at first after it's cycled)
1 small fish per 10 gallons of water fish in cycling is the fastest at less than 4 weeks, BUT you have to be attentive to testing and doing what you gotta do with water changes because a life depends on it.

With ghost feeding you aren't going to really see any ammonia for the first 15 days or so, it's going to be minimal and there are bacteria that will use it as was mentioned and not turn it into nitrogen. Beyond 15 days, out to day 25 and 30 the first feeding is fully broken down and the next day and the next and this is when you start seeing the ammonia building. It's the main reason flake ghost feeding is slow, it starts at the beginning, while using pure ammonia starts in the middle of the whole cycle and cuts the time in half, while controlled fish in cycling is the fastest because the fish brings starter bacteria in it and on it with it for every step at once.

I can't say what's right for every person. we are all different types of personalities. Some very patient, some very impatient. Some very attentive, others quite lackadaisical.

So if I were to get 2 guppies tomorrow would that be ok?

If I were to go get 2 guppies tomorrow would that be ok?

So if I were to get 2 guppies tomorrow would that be ok?

Idk why that send twice

 

[SparkyJones]

Ollie76,
Yes. In a 20 gallon, if you got 2 guppies tomorrow/today, it would be OK if you do your water testing and do water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite low... check ammonia and nitrite daily while it's cycling though and water change when it reads the ammonia is at 0.50 or the nitrites are at 1.0, it will most likely be safe up to 1.0 ammonia and 2.0 nitrite but I don't recommend pushing your luck on it. It will cycle completely in a month or less and remain safe as long as you keep an eye on the water tests.

You would also need to clean up the tank, vacuum the food out and water change, just to have a good starting point for the fish and not have the food waste you've put in until now sitting on the bottom breaking down. It will just be a little more controllable doing that with the fish in the scenario now.

I can't however guarantee fish will adjust from the store to your tank. I lose new fish sometimes and my tanks are cycled. It wouldn't mean you did something wrong necessarily just that the fish couldn't adjust to the new home.

Generally though if you do drip acclimation, or just float the bag for half an hour to match temperature and then dump the fish to a net and get rid of the stores water it generally works, just saying no way is always going to be perfect and never lose a new fish.
It can go well though and the fish acclimate. I've never done guppies beyond feeder fish guppies though, no idea how hardy or sensitive they are.

 

[jdhef]

Welcome to FishLore!

My prefered method of cycling is to fill the tank, wait 24 hours (this is because you have to wait 24 hours after adding a water conditioner/dechlorinator before adding SafeStart+), add a few fish and imediatly add an entire, well shaken, appropriate sized bottle of Tetra SafeStart+. Then do nothing but lightly feed your fish for 14 days. At the end of those 14 days, assuiming everything worked properly...you're cycled.

I have used Tetra SafeStart several times to cycle tanks and was always successful.

 

[Ollie76]

Guppies acquired. Thanks for helping everyone

 

[StarGirl]

Ok now keep the ammonia as close to zero as possible. Keep an eye out for nitrites too.

 

[Ollie76]

Hey again. The 2 guppies I got are just floating on the surface and not swimming around. The ammonia is 0.25 and nitrite 0. I have my filter on high and my air pump because I think their gasping but I don’t really know. Is this ok or should I do something? They also don’t react if I put my hand above them like they did when I got them.

 

[StarGirl]

Have you tested your tap water?

Usually when fish are acting funny I do a water change. They dont like something.

 

[Ollie76]

Have you tested your tap water?

Usually when fish are acting funny I do a water change. They dont like something.

Yea I did a water change earlier today but I didn’t test my tap water. I’m out rn but when I get home I will

 

[Ollie76]

this is my tap water, Also I found one of the guppies struggling to stay upright so I put his in a bucket with some aquarium salt for 30 min although he ain’t lookin good

 

[StarGirl]

How did you acclimate the guppies? Gups arent the strongest of fish now a days because of heavy breeding. You seem to have pretty low pH water.

 

[Ollie76]

How did you acclimate the guppies? Gups arent the strongest of fish now a days because of heavy breeding. You seem to have pretty low pH water.

I floated the bag on the water for an hour then put them in but I was reading online that guppies were a strong fish but I feel I was very wrong. And the guppy that couldn’t stay up is now belly up floating soooo lovely

 

[StarGirl]

Yeah it is sad I know. That is why people do fishless cycles.

 

[Nickguy5467]

I have been trying to start the cycle in my 20 gal aquarium for weeks now, however no ammonia will show up. I’ve tried putting food in the water yet no ammonia. Please help.

much easier to use Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride. if its a fishless cycle anyway as far as i know anyway. no waiting for food to decompose

 

[jdhef]

With your pH appearing to be well below 7.0, that .25 ammonia has turned into ammonium which is far less toxic (some claim it's non-toxic).

When acclimating fish, it is best practice to float the bag for say 15 minutes, then every 15 minutes or so add some tank water to the bag. Do this for a couple of hours.

The fish store you bought your fish from may very well have had water with a higher pH level, and the the fish are not tolerating the rapid change in pH.

Additionally, guppies prefer harder water (a pH of 7.0 to 8.4).

Best of luck.