How Often to Add Ammonia

[DocRose]

How often should you dose ammonia to a new tank (after its been cycled) to keep the denitrifying bacteria alive, if you don't plan to immediately add any livestock? If it's worth noting, this tank was started using the Dr. Tims method, dumping a whole bottle of bacteria on day one and dosing ammonium chloride on days 1, 3, and 6, with a 25% water change on day 14. Fish are SUPPOSED to be added on day 9; but we plan to wait longer. So the question is, after day 6, how often should the ammonium chloride continue to be dosed?

 

[Jekyl]

How often should you dose ammonia to a new tank (after its been cycled) to keep the denitrifying bacteria alive, if you don't plan to immediately add any livestock? If it's worth noting, this tank was started using the Dr. Tims method, dumping a whole bottle of bacteria on day one and dosing ammonium chloride on days 1, 3, and 6, with a 25% water change on day 14. Fish are SUPPOSED to be added on day 9; but we plan to wait longer. So the question is, after day 6, how often should the ammonium chloride continue to be dosed?

Rarely, if ever. The bacteria kind of go dormant and don't require constant feeding.

 

[AydenLincoln]

How often should you dose ammonia to a new tank (after its been cycled) to keep the denitrifying bacteria alive, if you don't plan to immediately add any livestock? If it's worth noting, this tank was started using the Dr. Tims method, dumping a whole bottle of bacteria on day one and dosing ammonium chloride on days 1, 3, and 6, with a 25% water change on day 14. Fish are SUPPOSED to be added on day 9; but we plan to wait longer. So the question is, after day 6, how often should the ammonium chloride continue to be dosed?

And be very careful you don’t overdose on ammonia and stall the cycle or cause more problems. There’s other ways to start the cycle not involving dumping pure ammonia into the tank. Sometimes it’s just a waiting game or you can perform large water changes to get it down.

 

[DocRose]

Rarely, if ever. The bacteria kind of go dormant and don't require constant feeding.

So then I'd just need to pick the dosing back up about a week before I'm ready to add? Just a day or two (spaced apart) to wake them back up?

And be very careful you don’t overdose on ammonia and stall the cycle or cause more problems. There’s other ways to start the cycle not involving dumping pure ammonia into the tank. Sometimes it’s just a waiting game or you can perform large water changes to get it down.

Mhm! Of this I'm aware. Not my first tank, but this will be the first one that I'm going very slow with. I usually add fish as soon as the cycle is done. In previous tanks I didn't do the ammonia method. I just used a piece of raw table shrimp. This time I decided to go with Dr. Tims. And no worries... ...it's not pure ammonia.

 

[Jekyl]

So then I'd just need to pick the dosing back up about a week before I'm ready to add? Just a day or two (spaced apart) to wake them back up?


Mhm! Of this I'm aware. Not my first tank, but this will be the first one that I'm going very slow with. I usually add fish as soon as the cycle is done. In previous tanks I didn't do the ammonia method. I just used a piece of raw table shrimp. This time I decided to go with Dr. Tims. And no worries... ...it's not pure ammonia.

A tank will cycle on its own with nothing added what so ever. @brandon429 might have a better insight. However I really don't think you'll need to add anything at all.

 

[DocRose]

A tank will cycle on its own with nothing added what so ever.

That's not true... The denitrifying bacteria won't just appear out of nowhere. It has to be added somehow. Whether it's by adding live rock/sand, or bottled bacteria.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Everytime the fish poops or pee's, or when food rots, ammonia is added to the tank. No need to manually add it.

 

[DocRose]

Everytime the fish poops or pee's, or when food rots, ammonia is added to the tank. No need to manually add it.

You didn't read the OP closely enough. There are no livestock (fish) in the tank, and there won't be any, any time soon.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

ya my bad, sorry. it will last a long time. as mentioned above, I think Brandon has threads showing this. Certainly, a few days is no problem at all.

 

[trainbob]

Maybe it depends on what you intend to add and when you intend to add it

 

[Lavey29]

I don't really think it matters either way once it cycled. You can add a small amount of ammonia (ghost feed) weekly to simulate a bioload and have it processed by your bacteria or not add any and the bacteria will still be present in the tank when you are ready for fish. Merchants sell nitrifying bacteria in a bottle that's probably been sitting in there for a year with no ammonia.

 

[Lavey29]

That's not true... The denitrifying bacteria won't just appear out of nowhere. It has to be added somehow. Whether it's by adding live rock/sand, or bottled bacteria.

This is not accurate.

 

[DocRose]

Maybe it depends on what you intend to add and when you intend to add it

Well, first would obviously be a CUC (astrea, torchus, nassarius, and MAYBE turbo); but not for a bit. The lights are staying off for now. If I see algae growing (due to ambient lighting) I'll pull the trigger on the CUC.

The fish stocking list is:

1. Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse
2. Yellow Wrasse
3. Red-Lined Wrasse
4. McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
5. FIlamented Flasher Wrasse
6. Pistol Shrimp & Goby
6. Melanurus Wrasse ( MAYBE...due to their affinity for shrimp)

Once Nitrate begins to climb I'll be adding in the refugium (chaeto and pods), and then begin dosing phyto.

Corals will come in at some point before the fish list is complete. A mix between SPS and LPS, with the only softies being Dragon Fur on the back wall, and some Firework Cloves.

As for the WHEN...I plan to grab a nice size piece of live rock with a well-established biome and QT it for a couple months to check for hitchhikers and/or pests. Once I'm satisfied that it's clean, I'll introduce it to the tank to help the tanks bio-diversity. After a few weeks I'll pull the rock (maybe just toss it in the sump), and then I'll start adding fish.

So I suppose we're talking 2.5 - 3 more months before I'm ready (wanting) to introduce fish.

 

[DocRose]

This is not accurate.

Why do you believe it's not accurate? Things don't just appear out of nowhere.

 

[Lavey29]

Why do you believe it's not accurate? Things don't just appear out of nowhere.

Because bacteria is everywhere, in the air, in your tap water/ rodi, on your hands in the tank, coming out of your ducts when your AC is on, on any media you are currently using for your tank the list is endless. There are easily searchable you tube videos from people cycling their tanks adding absolutely nothing to the water. They chose a very natural approach to starting.

 

[DocRose]

Because bacteria is everywhere, in the air, in your tap water/ rodi, on your hands in the tank, coming out of your ducts when your AC is on, on any media you are currently using for your tank the list is endless. There are easily searchable you tube videos from people cycling their tanks adding absolutely nothing to the water. They chose a very natural approach to starting.

I'd ask that you supply the links to the "proof" you speak of. ...and even then I'd be skeptical of whom I believe. Yes, bacteria is everywhere, but we're not just talking about ANY bacteria. Denitrifying bacteria is a very specific bacteria...and no it's not just found inside your home. As for it being found on the media in your tank, that's because it got there by being introduced. The only natural approach to starting a tank, is by adding rock/sand/other from the ocean.

 

[Jekyl]

That's not true... The denitrifying bacteria won't just appear out of nowhere. It has to be added somehow. Whether it's by adding live rock/sand, or bottled bacteria.

It is true actually. You can add dry rock to a brand new tank and over time it will cycle on its own. It takes longer, however nature takes course.

Edit: to further drive the point home, you can have a heat treated, sterile system and pods can show up on their own also.

 

[DocRose]

Let me be MORE SPECIFIC. Nothing JUST HAPPENS...

Algae just doesn't grow in water. It needs light to have a platform to jump from. That's why water in a blacked out container will stay clean. Whereas water in a translucent/transparent container, in direct lighting, will eventually grow algae.

A tank full of saltwater will not just grow bacteria. It needs something in it to make that bacteria grow. That SOMETHING...is ammonia. The easiest way (today) to introduce that ammonia, is via ammonium chloride. The other ways are by introducing fish...or having die-off. The sort of die-off that comes from rocks being placed into the water that have dead (or dying) matter on them. That matter breaks down into ammonia, which sets off the bacterial growth.

So no...my original statement is correct. "Denitrifying bacteria won't just appear out of nowhere." Something happens in our tanks to make it grow. Whether it's by pouring in a bottle of it. Or creating the proper environment for it to grow.

 

[Lavey29]

I'd ask that you supply the links to the "proof" you speak of. ...and even then I'd be skeptical of whom I believe. Yes, bacteria is everywhere, but we're not just talking about ANY bacteria. Denitrifying bacteria is a very specific bacteria...and no it's not just found inside your home. As for it being found on the media in your tank, that's because it got there by being introduced. The only natural approach to starting a tank, is by adding rock/sand/other from the ocean.

Well I'm not your secretary so I encourage you to search yourself and educate yourself. It will benefit you overall in your reef hobby.

 

[Jekyl]

Let me be MORE SPECIFIC. Nothing JUST HAPPENS...

Algae just doesn't grow in water. It needs light to have a platform to jump from. That's why water in a blacked out container will stay clean. Whereas water in a translucent/transparent container, in direct lighting, will eventually grow algae.

A tank full of saltwater will not just grow bacteria. It needs something in it to make that bacteria grow. That SOMETHING...is ammonia. The easiest way (today) to introduce that ammonia, is via ammonium chloride. The other ways are by introducing fish...or having die-off. The sort of die-off that comes from rocks being placed into the water that have dead (or dying) matter on them. That matter breaks down into ammonia, which sets off the bacterial growth.

So no...my original statement is correct. "Denitrifying bacteria won't just appear out of nowhere." Something happens in our tanks to make it grow. Whether it's by pouring in a bottle of it. Or creating the proper environment for it to grow.

The environment you're talking about can be achieved by adding rocks, salt water, heaters and flow. Actually adding anything else speeds up the process, but isn't necessary. As soon as @brandon429 turns his cpu on, the documentation will be coming