What is the next step?

**Kuroshio** · 06-16-2013, 07:08 PM

I am doing a fishless cycle with a bottle of ammonia and old fish food in 20 gallon long with a penguin 350 filter.

I started last Monday and my numbers now are:

Ammonia: 1.0 ppm
Nitrate 15.0 ppm
Nitrite 5.0 ppm
PH: 7.6
Temp: 81.0

What should I do next?

**Cliff** · 06-16-2013, 07:12 PM

Cut back the ammonia level to half of what you started dosing. Only dose ammonia up to that amount when it hits 0ppm and only dose once per day. I would only use the pure ammonia at this point as it is easy to maintain a target level.

How much ammonia (in ppm) did you start your cycle with ?

There also is a link below in my sig to a thread that explain more details about how to fishless cycle

**Kuroshio** · 06-16-2013, 08:01 PM

Ok thanks.. I have no idea exactly how much. I just poured in a small amount every other day.

**Cliff** · 06-16-2013, 09:33 PM

I meant, what level of ammonia were you maintaining during the cycle until now,.. 1ppm,... 2ppm..... 4ppm....

**Kuroshio** · 06-17-2013, 05:41 AM

Sorry I misunderstood, 4ppm.

**Kuroshio** · 06-21-2013, 01:38 AM

I did a 50% water change tonight,

Ammonia: 0.0 ppm
Nitrate 10.0 ppm
Nitrite 2.0 ppm

I'm going to bring the ammonia back to 1ppm. The Nitrites seemed to have dropped and so has the Nitrates.

**Cliff** · 06-21-2013, 06:09 AM

Why did you do a waterchange ???

**Longshot** · 06-21-2013, 12:01 PM

Changing the water interrupts the cycle, only do a water change after the niTRITE level hits ZERO on it's own.This why it is called a CYCLE. It will take time be patient my friend, in the end it is well worth the effort. Crash course as follows:Add a METERED amount of ammonia (till it is 4ppm) until it registers niTRITES, cut ammonia in half - to bring the level to 2ppm. This allows the bacteria to keep making TrIte of the amm.After a few weeks the nitrIte level drops because the bacteria makes NiTRATE from the nitrIte( (will drop to 0ppm) When that happens, and not before, change the water to lower nitrAte levels below 20ppm (lower is better- 0ppm). Then you are ready for fish. Read the thread in Cliffs sig as he suggested. Good times JUST ahead.

**Longshot** · 06-21-2013, 12:06 PM

P.S. We all want to see you succeed!!!! We want to see the fruits of your labor as much as you do, so add pics. You GOT this.....

**mommy1** · 06-21-2013, 12:21 PM

Changing water does not interrupt the cycle, it just isn't necessary during cycling with ammonia. . Small tank = small fish and you wont need as much bacteria as you are growing bringing the ammonia up to 2-4ppm. Bringing the ammonia up that high will make the cycle take longer to complete and I suggest bringing the ammonia back up to 1ppm once a day once it starts reaching 0ppm without a water change.