Quick Cycle question

[ucdcrew]

I'm using Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride solution as ammonia for fishless cycle. Per my test kit, the tank is starting to convert ammonia to nitrite. No nitrates yet. Do I keep adding the ammonia to keep it at 2 ppm or do I just leave it now?

[Chungy]

You leave it until ammonia and nitrite goes to 0. You want to re-dose to 2ppm until the ammonia is converted to nitrate within a 24 hour period.

Then some people prefer to do a water change to bring down the nitrate, but personally I let the bacteria do it's job to bring the nitrate down on it's own.

[ucdcrew]

I don't have a deep sand bed capable of supporting denitrification, so a water change it will be.

[Chungy]

Rather denitrification required a deep sand bed is up for debate, but personally I have never had a deep sand bed and also never had problem getting nitrate to 0 without a water change during the initial cycle.

Whatever flows your boat. :thumbsup: