# Is my cycling doing ok?



## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

What do you think, i anything needs to be done at this point?

I am adding 150 drops of ammonia per day.

http://www.virtualdesigns.com/water.htm


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## LiLMic (Apr 14, 2004)

stop wit the ammiona drops is a hlp


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

But the cycling program I am using says to add daily...

http://www.aquamaniacs.net/cyclingsafelyfishless.html


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## LiLMic (Apr 14, 2004)

hmmm how long it been cyclin should be dun?


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

What kind of test kit are you using ? I find it hard to believe you had 80 ppm nitrates at one point and 10 minutes later its alot lower.


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## joefromcanada (Apr 16, 2004)

ok, heres what id do now... id stop adding ammonia, id go buy some feeders, just so u continue to have a ammoina source, i wouldnt even bother checking my nitrate readintgs, cause it says right on my test kit and ive looked it up, that high hitrite readings will affect nitrate readings and u have 2.0 on the nitrite.... so go buy like 20 feeders and just wait till ur ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, then check for nitrate... then do a water change... if u nitrates are super high like 110+, id do a 15% or so waterchage for a couple days in a row to lower it, then go with weekly waterchanges.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I think you are doing fine. I would keep adding the straite ammonia. you are somewhere in the middle of the cycle. you only really need to test the ammonia every couple days and waite for the spike and then a drop. Then start testing for Nitrites..wait for the spike and then drop. Then check your Nitrates. The process should take about 3 weeks for your tank...give or take a week.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Also of note is that with a fishless cycle once you get a nitite spike you are suppose to cut the ammonia dosage in half.


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## EZmoney (May 13, 2004)

Your tank looks great so far. nice setup for the p's.
BTW what brand of heater are you using? I want to get a titanium one too!


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

Ok. Have I seen the spike yet?

I have dropped it down to about 200 drops a day.

That nitrate reading you saw with such a big change, was in a 12 hour period (note the am/pm.)

So how much further do you all think I have to go?

I have been keeping the ammonia arounf 4ppm.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

According to your readings you have nitrites so cut the ammonia to 2-3 drops per gallon of water. *My bad on the am pm thing, regardless nitrates should not go down unless you perfomed a major water change.*


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

But I am reading from the site, that I should cut it IN HALF of what it took me to get to 5 ppm.

sh*t, theres a storm rolling into southern pa, my battery backup is beeping, and I think were about to lose the juice!


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

dont drop the amount of amonia down..

keep going.. it looks fine.

dont add feederfish.. just keep doing what you are doing.


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

The site said to cut back to half of what it took to get 3-5 ppm ammonia after you get a nitrite reading. It took 500 drops, so since I have nitrites I should be dropping 250 daily right?


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

dont drop.. dropping the amount of NH3 will drop the amount of bacteria.


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

After talking with grosse gurk, I am cutting back to 150 drops a day. He says since I am keeping only one 5" Rhom, that I don't need as high of a bio load, so dropping the ammonia will actually make it cycle faster.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

doctorvtec said:


> After talking with grosse gurk, I am cutting back to 150 drops a day. He says since I am keeping only one 5" Rhom, that I don't need as high of a bio load, so dropping the ammonia will actually make it cycle faster.


 he is correct.. if you are only planning on keeping a single Rhom then you are allready overloaded with Nitrosomonas Bacteria, and probly have enough Nitrobacter.


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

Sounds good, actually he said 100 drops so thats what imma go add.

Thanks for all your help otherwise!


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

100 drops is still an overload.


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

Just going by what he suggested. What do you think I should do?


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

go ahead and do the 100 drops per day.

but dont over do it.. only add NH3 when you need to.. if there is a reading of NH3 in the tank.. (above 2ppm) then dont add any amonia..

only add NH3 when you need to.


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