cycling help please?

[joec]

I fully cycled a 15G QT early with 2L of pond matrix in a media bag inside the tank and a HOB power filter. Afterwards, I set up the 53G DT and placed the seeded 2L in Matrix from the QT in the sump of the new DT. I then dosed Ace ammonia to approximately 2.0PPM.

After 5 days, the Ammonia is nearly but not quite zero with nitrites somewhere between 2.0-5.0ppm with API kit.

Should I wait until current ammonia and nitrites are zero with nitrates present and then dose ammonia to 2.0 ppm again, and keep repeating this until 2.o ppm ammonia and the resulting nitrites zero out within 24 hours to confirm a completed cycle and be able to add animals? Is this the protocol?

Thanks!

 

[Crabs McJones]

I fully cycled a 15G QT early with 2L of pond matrix in a media bag inside the tank and a HOB power filter. Afterwards, I set up the 53G DT and placed the seeded 2L in Matrix from the QT in the sump of the new DT. I then dosed Ace ammonia to approximately 2.0PPM.

After 5 days, the Ammonia is nearly but not quite zero with nitrites somewhere between 2.0-5.0ppm with API kit.

Should I wait until current ammonia and nitrites are zero with nitrates present and then dose ammonia to 2.0 ppm again, and keep repeating this until 2.o ppm ammonia and the resulting nitrites zero out within 24 hours to confirm a completed cycle and be able to add animals? Is this the protocol?

Thanks!

Sounds like you've got it

 

[redfishbluefish]

Yes, wait. Ammonia is highly poisonous, even at very low doses. A cycle is complete when you have NO ammonia or nitrite....and if you dose ammonia, it "disappears" quickly.

 

[joec]

By "quickly", do you mean both ammonia and resulting nitrites at zero within 24 hours from newly added 2.0 ammonia level dose?

I understand that no animals with ammonia and/or nitrite present, no worries

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ammonia should be able to disappear in a couple of days or so. If not, it isn't sufficiently cycled (IMO).