is this true aout fish cycling?

[dpatte]

BigDaddy - i think that the tank should be cycled planted, or non-planted, as it will be when it will be finished cycling.

The whole idea is to build a cycle that is sufficiently strong to be able to consume 5 PPM of ammonia per day - more than enough for any fish you add to the tank when its ready.

So, if the tank is to have plants after it is cycled, it should also have them in while its being cycled.

[luvfishies]

Sorry, Dpatte, I would edit to say that you add 5 ppm ammonia to get things started, then let it drop to 3 ppm, and dose to get 3 ppm ammonia thru the whole fishless cycle.

It's been noted that 5 ppm DAILY at the start will actually stall the cycle, and even dosing to 5 ppm once all the ammonia is consumed can cause a nitrITE spike. Dosing to 3 ppm after the initial 5 ppm seems to stop this from happening.

Ambushman, there's no "need" to seed the tank, but it's mucho mucho faster if you do. My first fishless cycle took 6 weeks, now they take 3-4 days with lots of seed material from established tanks.

[dpatte]

ok - ill try to maintain my next tank at 3PPM and see how it goes.

[artw]

I thought the reason for the stalled cycle was the high nitrites (from 5ppm every day.)  inhibited the growth of the nitrite eating bacteria.

I dont bother with fishless cycles.   I just move filters around. hehe

[FishBreath]

Ok I got me a 90 now filled it 3 days ago ,its got a aquaclear 300 on it I added half the filter media( from my 25g that has been up and running for a couple months now)into the basket of the aquaclear as well as the media that comes with the aquaclear, . I also added about 3/4 of a 1 gallon iceream bucket of sand from my 25g to the 90g
I am going to try this fishless cycle thing even though I don't know what I am doing.I do have a question on the ammonia ingedients
I found a Safeway brand bottle of ammonia in the house the only ingredients listed are .....Water, Ammonium Hydroxide. ...............My question is. the ammonium hydroxide? I take it is the ammonia  is this right and hence this product is OK to use.
I have been testing for Nitrate and Nitrite and Ammonia for the last few days the first two there was nothing showing but today day 3 I have a slight showing of Nitrate now but no ammonia and no Nitrite showing yet ....Is this the start of a cycle already, even though I haven't added any ammonia yet.  and do I start to add ammonia  If this Safeway brand is ok  ... Any input appretiated
Thanks

[luvfishies]

Your ammonia is fine, as long as it doesn't have perfumes and as long as it doesn't suds up when you shake the bottle.

Yes, you're seeing a mini-cycle from the existing bacteria dying off and creating ammonia -> nitrites -> nitrates.

Add fishfood, ammonia or fish, so the biobugs don't die off.

[FishBreath]

I am going to try the Fishless way so do I add just the ammonia or ammonia and food and if it is just ammonia is it to 3 ppm or to 5 ppm
thanks again

[luvfishies]

Fishbreath, if you're doing a fresh fishless cycle, dose the tank to 5 ppm, then WAIT til it drops to 3 ppm (ammonia). When the ammonia drops under 3 ppm, dose enough to get it back up to 3 ppm.

After the initial spike, you'll be dosing 3 ppm ammonia daily, while waiting for the nitrITE to drop. Lowering the dose to 3 ppm helps prevent the nitrITE stall that so0me people had while doing the fishless cycle. Too much ammonia inhibits the needed biobugs.

[FishBreath]

Ok I dosed it to around 4.9 Thats what my chart says the next colour is 7.3 so it may very well be slightly higher then 4.9      nitrite =.3
nitrate = 10
so now i have both nitrate and nitrite showing
PH = 7.8 to 8 Seems high to me as the usual an cosistent ph of my 25g has been 7.4
does this all sound ok so far

[luvfishies]

Ok I dosed it to around 4.9 Thats what my chart says the next colour is 7.3 so it may very well be slightly higher then 4.9      nitrite =.3
nitrate = 10
so now i have both nitrate and nitrite showing
PH = 7.8 to 8 Seems high to me as the usual an cosistent ph of my 25g has been 7.4
does this all sound ok so far

Yep, you're right on track.

[FishBreath]

I have some concerns , or maybe its normal   the first 3 days were run with nothing added  to the tank except for i did add gravel a piece of wood  and the filter media  to the filter  ond day 4 (or day one,24 hrs after the day with ammonia added)
readings were
- Ammoniia 4.9 or slightly higher Nitrate=10 - Nitrie=.3 the next day  Ammonia was 0.6 Nitrate was 110  and Nitrite was 1.6
i added amonia back to around 3 the next day results before adding Ammonia , Amonia was 0.6 Nitrate=110 plus Nitrite=3.3 I then added more Ammonia to back to around 3
What concerns me is the Nititrates and Nitrites  are these supposed to be this High? ....Is this part of the cycle ? Maybe I'm concerned over nothing
I appreciate all your guys/gals  help and thank you again in adavance