New Tank Cycle With Dr Tim

[reef keeper]

saturday night I dumped in a bottle of Dr times and added Dr tims ammonia. 350 drops! The ammonia was 2 on my api test. By Sunday night, it dropped to .5, so I hit it again back to 2 ppm. Last night the ammonia was down to .5 again. My nitrates were .5 as well. So I hit it again back to 2 last night.

Now my nitrite reads 1 on the api and the ammonia has dropped again to .5 in only 12 hours.

How close am I to being done?

 

[yveterinarian]

Once it clears 2 ppm of ammonia in 12 hours and the nitrites also test zero you are done. Keep putting it back up to 2 until both clear and say zero on your test kit. Not long now...

 

[reef keeper]

Every day? Or every other day

 

[yveterinarian]

Every time the ammonia level reaches zero add more ammonia to bring it up to 2 ppm. If you do it every other day you won't know when it is clearing 2 ppm in 12 hours consistently. It needs to be added each time the ammonia reaches zero in order to strengthen the ammonia clearing bacteria and to allow time for the nitrifying bacteria to multiply enough to clear the nitrites. Do a large water change once it is done in order to reduce the nitrates and it will be ready. If Dr Tim's ammonia is too expensive you can use regular household ammonia that you get from Walmart. It has to be fragrance and additive free though. That's what I have always used.

 

[reef keeper]

Ahh. Makes sense. I'll check it again in the morning

How much ammonia do you use per 10 gallons. I need to multiply x 35 lol

 

[heath]

wow, this all sounds so complicated, Yvette when it time to do the sea ponies if you don't mind I will get you do my tank, if you don't mind..

 

[reef keeper]

I tested this morning at 7 am. 0 ppm ammonia

So I hit it again up to 2 ppm. I'll test again at 6 pm

 

[EricTMah]

Sounds like you're real close to being done the cycle already.


Sony Xperia Z3

 

[reef keeper]

You go DR TIM

I took at reading last night at 10 pm and it was .5

I need to get those fish out of my frag tank!

 

[teebone110]

I would be cautious adding all of your fish too quickly, as there will be an instant increased bioload placed on a new system. I would think that it would still take some time to adjust. Just my 2 pennies

 

[yveterinarian]

How much ammonia do you use per 10 gallons. I need to multiply x 35 lol

I'm not sure because I've never done a 10 gallon tank. I began doing my tanks by adding drops and testing until I reached 2 ppm then I recorded what I added so that I could repeat it. When I did my 20 gallon in preparation for all of my dwarfs I was raising it to 8 ppm every time because I had so many dwarfs arriving at once.

I agree with teebone but when you use the ammonia method you have built up a lot of beneficial bacteria already so I would feel confident saying you could add at least 4 - 6 fish in the beginning then one or two at at time a couple of days apart. Test your ammonia the day after you add the fish and see if there is a spike but I don't think you'll get one. I added 4 seahorses (heavy bioload) at the same time when I did my main tanks with no ammonia spike and 100 dwarfs all at once to the dwarf tank.

wow, this all sounds so complicated, Yvette when it time to do the sea ponies if you don't mind I will get you do my tank, if you don't mind..

Heather it is not complicated and I can type it out for you in simple terms. I know you can do it.

 

[heath]

thank you, can you tell that I didn't take chem is school, physic's yes, please do send me how to do it..

 

[reef keeper]

I was going to add a few every few days. They aren't big, but there's a few lol.

I just ordered my 15 ft cable for my apex from J&L. Once that gets here I can hook in my power bars and connect to the tank.....

 

[EricTMah]

I was going to add a few every few days. They aren't big, but there's a few lol.

I just ordered my 15 ft cable for my apex from J&L. Once that gets here I can hook in my power bars and connect to the tank.....

I thought @Torx had a link to a place that sold cables that weren't apex but still worked. For cheaper of course


Sony Xperia Z3

 

[reef keeper]

He may but for a small saving I figure the risk might not be worth it

 

[reef keeper]

Ok. So dosed at 7 am. At 7 pm it was down to .25. Nitrites still at 1 ppm.

Getting close to the nitrite spike I would guess.

 

[reef keeper]

Must be getting close, no?

 

[reef keeper]

Is this ammonia safe?

 

[yveterinarian]

I would say you are definitely getting closer. The nitrites may continue to rise a bit but since they seem to be staying at 1 ppm they may not go any higher and may start coming down. Once the nitrites get down to zero you are done the cycle, yippee!
The ammonia I get is clear. Check the bottle carefully to make sure there are no additives in it. I'm not sure what they have put in to make it yellow.

 

[TORX]

Just pee in the tank.