# Cycling a tank with brand new Ada soil!!!



## Jiinx (May 28, 2012)

Hi!
I'm very excited to start my new tank. I've had a 55 g medium planted tank w success but haven't dipped into co2 or ferts. I am now upgrading to a 79 g tank! I'm going w Amazonia new...
I hear it spikes ammonia. I'm planning on putting substrate first, plants and then fishes.

This may be a dumb question...for a week, would there be any merit to do daily water changes? To dump the ammonia water that the soil leeches?


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

I don't have AS but I hear many people do large daily water changes til the AS stops leaching toxins..sometimes it can take 2 weeks to drop the level of NH4..this is what I understand to be true but I have no experience with new AS only tank, I have just used it as part of my substrate..


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

Whether or not you do the large water changes during the early part of the cycling or a couple of days before adding fish sort of depends upon your priorities and objectives.

I like to just add water and plants and then let them go for a couple of weeks before I start to try and manually intervene by doing water changes or other things to reduce the ammonia.

Given enough time it will all be converted to nitrate. By having a lot of plants it can help speed up the process because both the bacteria and the plants and using/breaking down the chemicals.


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## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

In my experience. Add substrate, fill 1/3 of the tank with water,next day do 100% WC, second day again 100% then you are OK to plant the tanks-other ways you will kill most of the plants because of PH drop PH4.5-5 in first 1-2 days. After 30 days you can add fishes but be sure that your fish will like ph 6 or less. I never kill angelfishes in ADA when adding them on 10 day after planting but I kill a lot of cardinals and rasboras.


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## Jiinx (May 28, 2012)

Thank you! I'll add the water and Ada soil and put some plants in!


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

I do not know if your water will drop that low. it depends on how it starts. but the water change part he has is very good. Do that plant away let the bacteria build up and start the cycle. 2-3 weeks after that do a water change let it sit and see what your readings are. If Amonia Nitrite are 0. Fish will be ok. My tap is about 7.2-7.4 depending on the water lake latley. Amazonia New brought it down to 6.0-6.2


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Use the ammonia to do a fishless cycle. 

Set it all up, tank, substrate, decor and filter. You can plant, too. 
Then do enough water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite under 5 ppm. This will grow nitirifying bacteria the fastest. Nitrifying bacteria need some minerals, so make sure the GH and kH are at least 3 degrees. 
Whenever the numbers drop to 0 ppm and hold then you can do a really big water change, the nitrate may be sky high (I have heard of triple digits in a non-planted tank). Then add fish. 

If the plants are thriving they might also be removing a lot of the ammonia, so there is not such a large population of nitrifying bacteria. You would know this by the lower NO3 near the end of the cycle. Still, when the ammonia and nitrite hit zero and stay there, it is cycled and ready for fish.


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## Vermino (Jun 14, 2012)

i'm changing out my substrate to new ADA soil as well right when i leave for vacation. is this a bad idea to do re-cycle while on vacation? I wont be here to watch the levels (no plants yet and my betta has a fish bowl and a person feeding him till i get back)

i've heard people talk about letting the ammonia build up so beneficial bacteria can grow more (which would mean "dont do water changes") but other say do 40-50% daily to cycle quick (not like i care if it cycles quickly)


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Vermino said:


> i'm changing out my substrate to new ADA soil as well right when i leave for vacation. is this a bad idea to do re-cycle while on vacation? I wont be here to watch the levels (no plants yet and my betta has a fish bowl and a person feeding him till i get back)
> 
> i've heard people talk about letting the ammonia build up so beneficial bacteria can grow more (which would mean "dont do water changes") but other say do 40-50% daily to cycle quick (not like i care if it cycles quickly)


ADA soil contains ammonia in the substrate (pretty sure) so you wouldn't need to do anything in the cycle besides let it finish by itself. Just make sure the temperature in the tank is pretty stable to let the bacteria colony grow.


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

sbarbee54 said:


> I do not know if your water will drop that low. it depends on how it starts. but the water change part he has is very good. Do that plant away let the bacteria build up and start the cycle. 2-3 weeks after that do a water change let it sit and see what your readings are. If Amonia Nitrite are 0. Fish will be ok. My tap is about 7.2-7.4 depending on the water lake latley. Amazonia New brought it down to 6.0-6.2


what is your estimate that how long will ur Amazonia last? it is using a lot of buffering power to take ur pH down.
looking also for purchasing NEW connected with fingerwood to lower ph, too and not weaken AS too early.


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