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Cycling tank with ammonia


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39 minutes ago, sarah said:

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/how-to-start

You need to keep adding ammonia to keep it at the right the levels. At the end, you do a big water change to remove the large amount of nitrates that will have built up.

Do I still have to add ammonia even after adding the beneficial bacteria from biodigest? 

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myself i would cycle without the bacteria in a bottle.

you have to keep adding ammonia and make sure you don't add too much.*

 

(if not using bacteria in a bottle),it takes a little less time on a tank that size.

there is less surface space for bacteria so you start off with less ammonia.

less total volume of nitrites to consume.

 

*i cycled a 5g with 1ppm ammonia in 2 weeks.

a shrimp tank you want it aged at least that long before adding them.

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8 minutes ago, zodiac said:

myself i would cycle without the bacteria in a bottle.

you have to keep adding ammonia and make sure you don't add too much.*

 

(if not using bacteria in a bottle),it takes a little less time on a tank that size.

there is less surface space for bacteria so you start off with less ammonia.

less total volume of nitrites to consume.

 

*i cycled a 5g with 1ppm ammonia in 2 weeks.

a shrimp tank you want it aged at least that long before adding them.

Oh okay! The main thing to take note is that the ammonia and nitrites can be reduced to 0ppm in 24hrs also right? So I just keep maintaining the ammonia levels at either 1 (yours) or 4 (Christine's method)?

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anybody saying 4ppm is giving bad advice.

that high is bad for the bacteria.

any size tank,the most is 3ppm.

 

for testing,you would have stopped using the bacteria in a bottle,so you know it's live bacteria.

it's add 1ppm and then if 24 hours both are zero...cycled.

that size i would do 0.25-0.5ppm.

 

shrimps bioload are low.

the tank doesn't need a lot of bacteria.

as they grow or breed the bacteria will grow as there is more ammonia is being produce.

 

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3 minutes ago, zodiac said:

anybody saying 4ppm is giving bad advice.

that high is bad for the bacteria.

any size tank,the most is 3ppm.

 

for testing,you would have stopped using the bacteria in a bottle,so you know it's live bacteria.

it's add 1ppm and then if 24 hours both are zero...cycled.

that size i would do 0.25-0.5ppm.

 

shrimps bioload are low.

the tank doesn't need a lot of bacteria.

as they grow or breed the bacteria will grow as there is more ammonia is being produce.

 

I see :o 

so do I just wait for ammonia to go down to 0.5 or do a water change? 

 

And if bacteria dies, it will contribute to the ammonia level right?

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no need for water change unless ammonia or nitrites are too high.
 
bacteria are living things,so i guess so.
in a cycled tank,they end up as nitrate. [emoji4]

Okay! Yesterday at 1pm ammonia was at 4ppm and at 6pm it dropped to 2ppm.
I hope it would drop to 1 or less by tonight then I'll just maintain it at that level.

Is it weird that the nitrites dropped from 5ppm to 2ppm and nitrates are still at 5ppm? At 1 and 6pm respectively.


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