Nitrogen Cycle Help

[Kevron56]

Hallyx has a thread where people have posted their cycling logs, reading what others have done, or not done, may help. I posted my log on that thread =). Do you have pure ammonia? If so, that's what I used! I'm glad to hear your snail is sitting on the sidelines on this one =)

[Bowser416]

Originally Posted by shellieca

If you can get pure ammonia YES I recommend it. You dose it to 4, wait 24 hrs test your water, if down to one re-dose to 4. When it hits 0 in a 24 hr period, re-dose to 4 if it does it again & your nitrites have spiked & are now 0 you should be cycled. You'll also see your nitrates spike up so you'll have to do a big water change or 2 before you add fish.

So I trusted this
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/nic...090620-product
"ingredients: water, ammonium hydroxide" but when you actually get the bottle it says "ammonium hydroxide & surfactant" so Ill stick to the shrimp and fish food for now. Ill go ammonia hunting soon. I get the process now though thanks for clearing that up

[Hallyx]

Having used fishfood and shrimp, and getting reports from others, I would only recommend "pure" ammonia available from ACE hardware or, online, from Dr Tim/Amazon/Foster&Smith. It should NOT foam when shaken.

Recent reading suggests no real time advantage to dosing ammonia >2.0ppm.

In any case, keep your nitrite (when you get it) <5.0ppm and your nitrate <40ppm.

Heat >82* and lots of filter flow and aeration. your 7.8pH is perfect for cycling. You can lower it (naturally) later, if you like.

Depending on your level of patience and your budget:

Tetra Safestart, Dr Tim's One-and-Only, ATM Colony, Microbe lift Nite-Out 2, TLC Smartstart among a few others, each contain the nitrosomonas and nitrospira bacteria necessary for the nitrogen cycle. They can be more or less effective depending on their freshness They contain live bacteria, after all.