Ammonia Spike! Advice Needed

[CrackFox]

Hi. So about three days ago I received my bottle of pure ammonia through the post. My tank was already testing 1ppm due to the fish flakes I had been feeding it prior. On the day I received the ammonia I dosed the tank and got the levels to about 2ppm/3ppm. I figured to get a more exact reading of 3ppm I would add a touch more ammonia. I literally added three little drops and today when I tested the tank water I got a reading of 6ppm! Now i'm unsure what to do, if I leave the water and don't add anymore for a couple of weeks will it naturally go down itself when nitrites are introduced, or are the high levels or ammonia going to stop the cycle commencing altogether?

Please advise.

[Cliff]

You might want to change a little water to bring the level down to 4ppm.

At 6ppm, your fishless cycle might slow down a little

[Cermet]

From a research paper on the subject, a level of 1 ppm was recommended - up to 2 ppm should also work but higher will speed the ammonia conversion cycle while slowing the nitrite conversion cycle. An 70 - 80% WC should knock the level down to a better range.

[imma24]

It's a good thing you asked because we often get people here who tell us they started their ammonia high like yours (well, maybe not that high lol) - probably thinking the higher I start off, the faster it'll cycle - and they wonder "why isn't it dropping??"

[Lady Hobbs]

The dose also depends on the tank size. Little tanks have little filters and no where for tons of bacteria to grow and will only house a few small fish. If you had massive canister filters and had tons of room for bacteria it could handle that dose of 6 but not in a small tank with a small filter.

[CrackFox]

The dose also depends on the tank size. Little tanks have little filters and no where for tons of bacteria to grow and will only house a few small fish. If you had massive canister filters and had tons of room for bacteria it could handle that dose of 6 but not in a small tank with a small filter.

It's a 15 gallon tank, so yeah it's quite small. Anyway, I did a PWC today, around 50% and after waiting an hour I checked the ammonia levels again and now they're around 2ppm/3ppm (closer to the 2pmm mark) so I think i'm out of the woods for the time being. It's been four days now since I began adding pure ammonia and still no nitrites, hopefully in the next three to four days I might start seeing some

[jeffs99dime]

Don't forget how much ammonia it takes to get to 2ppm for your tank and write it down so you remember.

[Lady Hobbs]

Read the cycling threads in my signature, as well. That may help clear up a couple questions. Good luck.

[CrackFox]

Read the cycling threads in my signature, as well. That may help clear up a couple questions. Good luck.

Thank you. I've already read them