Many moons ago when I joined Koko's, I remember reading the Cycle of a Tank article and how to do a fishless cycle. At the time I had a beginners 10 gallon and it was already cycled but, as we've all experienced, the time came (yesterday) to bring home a bigger tank (30 gal) so my little buddies would have a bigger happier home.

I set everything up today and did the fishless cycle. Only I forgot to reread the article regarding the exact amount of clear ammonia to put in and I actually dumped in half the jug.

Man! Can you smell the ammonia when you open the lid!

There are no fish in the tank (obviously). What should I do about this? Do I need to worry about it at all? Should I do water changes until I bring the ammonia level down to 5 ppm? I'd prefer not to have to cycle for a year but that might be exactly what I've backed myself into with the amount of ammonia I threw in.

Thanks all!

Brenda

Brenda, I haven't done a fishless cycle but I would dump half the water out and add more un ammonia water back. Test and see where you are at.
have you re read the article since? You could always start again.

Having too much ammonia may even slow the cycle - there is a point of too much. I think I would suggest that you do exactly as Laurie suggests - dump 1/2 the water or 3/4 the water or whatever to get the ammonia down closer to 4-5 ppm.

Hi all,
thanks for responding. I've been struggling with this tank and the fishless cycle. I did an 80% water change TWICE. I tested my water straight from the tap and it's at a 0 ppm for ammonia, but the minute it gets in the tank it goes up to 4 ppm. I'm so bummed. How could it be doing this when I don't have fish in there and haven't added anymore ammonia?

I want to put in biospira (finally found a dealer) but am worried that a 4 ppm will be too high for the biospira to be effective.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Brenda

That is most odd. What does the tank test to, before a water addition? Do you have a heavy gravel base that has been used by fish before ( detrius load that gets "opened" up during a water change)?

The ammonia has to come from somewhere - fish, decaying plants, detrius, waste or decaying food. Is the filter clean? Are the plants healthy? What is the ammonia before the addition of new water?

BioSpira will do just fine in a tank with 3-5 ppm ammonia. But you must remember that it does not attach itself to your biomedia for a few weeks - so if you change out the water, you will be dumping BioSpria down the drain. That is why it works so well to do an abreviated fishless cycle with BioSpira - you do not have to change the water until you are done for there are no fish to harm.

I think I would try to solve the mystery of the "magically appearing ammonia" first, though.

My water out of the faucet is definitely a 0 ppm for ammonia but then it immediately spikes to 4 ppm ammonia when it gets into the tank. I have about 2" of gravel that is larger than the average colored stuff in the stores. I added a handful of gravel from my established 10 gallon tank with the thought that it would help introduce the good bugs into the tank.

I wonder if the gravel plus the one ornament I have in the new tank has ammonia "clinging" to it somehow from when I originally dumped a bunch of ammonia from a jug into the tank to start the fishless cycle.

I did get 90 gallons worth of biospira and put in 1/3 of it into the new 30 gallon tank. That was early yesterday that I did that.

From what I'm reading, it'll probably take up to 2 weeks before I see any marked change in the ammonia as I wait for the biospira to take hold. I'm thinking the people who report an immediate cycle of 2 days after adding biospira are either smoking their wheeties or are cycling a 1 gallon tank. Or they were born under a star and I was born under a rock, LOL

Brenda

Oh yeah, I forgot to answer your questions....everything in the 30 gallon tank is brand spankin' new. New filter, new light, new gravel, new tank, new everything. The only thing in the tank right now is the operating filter, a castle ornament, air stone, 2" of gravel and a lot of water (plus the biospira and some bio-safe).

Brenda

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