Professor_J
Mon Jul 16, 2007, 08:26 PM
Hello all!
Am starting to try to cycle my tank without fishies... Added conditioned water to the tank (used prime). Then seeded with bacteria starter, and a few hours later added some ammonia to bring it to ~5ppm according to the math.
Tested for ammonia to see how much, and got 8ppm (max on chart) but didn't worry much (have since learned that should wait a couple days before testing for NH3 as prime and the like stuff up the reagents in most test kits).
It has now been 4 days, have still seen no nitrite or nitrate and testing the tank water (diluted with distilled water) for ammonia I'm finding it to be about 25ppm!!! :shock: :shock:
I know I haven't added more, and I know that initially I added only about 7mL of 28 wt% NH3 (density 0.90 g/mL) which works out to 1760 mg NH3 in a 340L (90 gal) tank or 5.1 ppm.
Where is the extra ammonia coming from?!? and more importantly, will my bugs be ok if I keep adding starter, or is there too much in there for them to survive? Should I change some (most) of the water for them too, or should I just leave them be and let them go nuts in the bacterial all you can eat buffet?
Oh and the filter is a Fluval 405 with just the supports for the bacteria in it and the sponges for mechanical filtration in it right now - no bags of carbon.
Any ideas?
Am starting to try to cycle my tank without fishies... Added conditioned water to the tank (used prime). Then seeded with bacteria starter, and a few hours later added some ammonia to bring it to ~5ppm according to the math.
Tested for ammonia to see how much, and got 8ppm (max on chart) but didn't worry much (have since learned that should wait a couple days before testing for NH3 as prime and the like stuff up the reagents in most test kits).
It has now been 4 days, have still seen no nitrite or nitrate and testing the tank water (diluted with distilled water) for ammonia I'm finding it to be about 25ppm!!! :shock: :shock:
I know I haven't added more, and I know that initially I added only about 7mL of 28 wt% NH3 (density 0.90 g/mL) which works out to 1760 mg NH3 in a 340L (90 gal) tank or 5.1 ppm.
Where is the extra ammonia coming from?!? and more importantly, will my bugs be ok if I keep adding starter, or is there too much in there for them to survive? Should I change some (most) of the water for them too, or should I just leave them be and let them go nuts in the bacterial all you can eat buffet?
Oh and the filter is a Fluval 405 with just the supports for the bacteria in it and the sponges for mechanical filtration in it right now - no bags of carbon.
Any ideas?