So for those who might happen along here (and re above, I don't know why people are talking as if I haven't used Dr. Tim's, that's exactly what I'm using):
I figured out that using Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride bottle dropper, 20 drops is 1 ml, pretty much exactly. So today (Day 3) I know that I added the equivalent of 4 drops per gallon, as Dr. Tim's instructions say to do (I had essentially no ammonium and no or .01 nitrites, hard to say). Whether it was easier to use the syringe vs. just standing there and counting 152 drops, I dunno.
I still say the ammonium chloride should ship with some far easier mechanism to add it. I used to teach AP Chemistry 20 years ago, that doesn't mean I can or want to revisit converting stated concentrations to some useful way of adding this stuff to a mere 38 gallons of water.
Anywho... will measure my ammonium now (and 24 hours from now), just to see what the Salifert test kit looks like when I know there should be about 2 PPM ammonium in there. I don't think Dr. Tim's bacteria will have converted it in 10 minutes... or will it?
I doubt it will show significant change in 10 min. LoL, but it could in 24 hours.
I know I am in the minority on this tread with my hap hazard approach here.
But this to me is a hobby and if I needed a doctorate in chemistry and lab grade equipment to get exacting precision measurements then I would never want a reef tank.
I think the majority feel the same.
I appreciate the the diligent hard work and efforts to the ones who take this to that level of accuracy and concentration. If it were not for these folks we all would have other hobbies as the reef tank would be an impossible task.
This level of or type of personality is why we humans have everything we have.
All I am saying is that if you added 6 drops per gallon VS the directed 4 this will not be a catastrophe leading to the death of the tank, or the bacteria.
Yes it may alter the time line of the cycle but it will happen none the less, and the end result will be the same, a fully cycled tank, ready for livestock.
I doubt you will need to continue to add ammonia unless your going to be gone for a few months. The initial dose will be sufficient. This is my hap hazard opinion though.
Raise of hands here on the folks that are reading this and have thrown a pile of dry rock into a brute trash can with saltwater, heater, a frozen shrimp or two and a bottle of their favorite bacteria, closed it up and 6-8 weeks later no testing no additional feedings, had fully cured rock with mass amounts of beneficial bacteria.
Pull the rock from the can, put it into the DT with fresh saltwater wait 24 hours test parameters and find a problem that they could not add the first fish or two?
I can raise two hands as I have done this method successfully twice now.
Please know that I am not belittling the people who know a heck of a lot more than I do on this subject.
I know and understand that everything they say is accurate information and hard earned and learned information.
These are the folks that have led us to the current knowledge and ability to have these tanks in the first place.
My tank here is a result of a hap hazard cycled tank.
With just the rock, crushed coral, two frozen jumbo shrimp, and both a bottle of Dr Tims and BioSpira. added everything at the same time.
Tested Ammonia after three days and it popped positive at around 1- 2 ppm.
Pulled the shrimp carcasses and waited.
Two and a half weeks later tested for Ammonia, was roughly 0 and Nitrate was around 30+. Never tested for Nitrite once. Did a full 75% water change waited 24 hours tested Nitrate at around 10ppm.
Added three fish and here I am today.
Everything has grown in size, and the fish are healthy and happy.
