# Fishless cycle - how much ammonia?



## Miira (Feb 15, 2011)

I've recently moved and had to tear down my tank, plus bought another one, and want to do a fishless cycle this time. I've tried Googling, but all I've seen is "add ammonia". How much ammonia? Tank sizes are 29 and 37 gallons. Thanks!


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

add enough to get it up to 3ppm


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## Miira (Feb 15, 2011)

ChadRamsey said:


> add enough to get it up to 3ppm


Can you give me a ballpark figure? Will I be adding a few tablespoons or do I need to get out the measuring cups?


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

Hard to tell you exactly how much you need to add. It varies on different volumes of water. You won't need a measuring cup.

Just raise it until your tests show it's close to 3ppm, then continue the cycle.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

It takes approx. 4-5 ml's of 10% ammonia for every 10 gals of water to produce an ammonia level of around 4ppm's.
One level teaspoon contains 5 ml, so you would need slightly less than 3 tspns of the 10% ammonia to bring the level up to around 3ppm's, or to a little higher level, for a 30 gal tank. Your 37 gal tank would need about 3.5 tspns of the ammonia.
Suggest you start with 2 to 2.5 tspns in your 29 gal tank, and 3 tspns or so for the 37 gal - then test a little later to see what level you get, and adjust accordingly next time around.
Hope this helps.


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## manik (Jul 26, 2012)

I considered doing this method a while ago. When I went out to buy some ammonia, everything I found that was "Ammonia" as a clear all listed: Ammonia, Surfectants as the ingredients. I didn't purchase it because I'm not wanting to add these random surfectants to my tank (I think I'd rather pee in my tank). Has anyone else run into this... or have some thoughts on it?


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

You'll just have to keep looking until you find an ammonia solution with no surfectants - it is available you just need to find a place that has it - have you tried asking for it at a drug store, or even a harware store, and not a grocery store.


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## Miira (Feb 15, 2011)

discuspaul said:


> It takes approx. 4-5 ml's of 10% ammonia for every 10 gals of water to produce an ammonia level of around 4ppm's.
> One level teaspoon contains 5 ml, so you would need slightly less than 3 tspns of the 10% ammonia to bring the level up to around 3ppm's, or to a little higher level, for a 30 gal tank. Your 37 gal tank would need about 3.5 tspns of the ammonia.
> Suggest you start with 2 to 2.5 tspns in your 29 gal tank, and 3 tspns or so for the 37 gal - then test a little later to see what level you get, and adjust accordingly next time around.
> Hope this helps.


This is the info I needed. Thanks!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The 4-5ml is not exact. It varies from ammonia source to ammonia source.

As others have suggested, just add a small fixed amount, let the water circulate and then test. Maybe do it with every ml. That way you have a good idea of how each ml you add impacts the measurements in your particular tank.

Knowing that information will come in handy when your tank begins to consume the ammonia you add and you need to eventually bump things back up to 3ppm.


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## Miira (Feb 15, 2011)

I didn't need an exact amount, just a reasonable start point. I didn't want to way over or under do it.


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## Smitty83 (Sep 19, 2008)

When i did it on my 180gal I bought the ammonia at the 99cent store I think the brand was Goodman's but it was not 10% ammonia it was like 3% or around there and i was was using like 2-3 cups of it to get 3ppm. In the end I used like almost 3+ gallons of ammonia but is worked great. Just test you water alot until it is you can almost predict what its going to be then start test alot again when it starts to drop. Have Fun!!!


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## CatSoup (Sep 21, 2012)

I have a question; how is ammonia better than Tetra SafeStart? I would think that ammonia would have lasting chemical effects, but I know people have been using it to start cycles for a long time. My mom occasionally used the stuff to clean hardcore stains, and that stuff was harsh. I couldn't imagine it not harming plants, even in small amounts. That's why I started using SafeStart when I learned about cycling. I'm open to learning though.


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

Pure ammonia would be damaging, yes, if you poured it directly on the plants. However small amounts of ammonia, like around 3ppm in a tank, is around what the plans NEED.

Compare it to sodium. If you were to bury yourself in it, you would dessicate and die. But it is an essential mineral to live.


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## wetbizquit (Jul 9, 2006)

CatSoup said:


> I have a question; how is ammonia better than Tetra SafeStart? I would think that ammonia would have lasting chemical effects, but I know people have been using it to start cycles for a long time. My mom occasionally used the stuff to clean hardcore stains, and that stuff was harsh. I couldn't imagine it not harming plants, even in small amounts. That's why I started using SafeStart when I learned about cycling. I'm open to learning though.


there is a large difference between the two, but usually Tetra safe start is used when your wanting a quick cycle, i use it a lot with most my tanks that i quickly add fish to, or when i tear down a tank and need a tank ready to go with the same bio load as it was before...

the ammonia is used to do a fishless cycle, but it takes longer, its not designated to house fish as your pouring ammonia....


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

The only place I can any find "pure" ammonia is at the dollar store.


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## Goldchex (Jan 23, 2012)

Miira said:


> I've recently moved and had to tear down my tank, plus bought another one, and want to do a fishless cycle this time. I've tried Googling, but all I've seen is "add ammonia". How much ammonia? Tank sizes are 29 and 37 gallons. Thanks!


I've found this calculator to be useful:

http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Tetra Safe Start has the actual species of bacteria you are growing when you cycle the tank. Look for _Nitrospira_ in the ingredients. When you add Nitrospira it takes them a few days to get well attached and really start kicking in handling the ammonia and nitrite, but you can essentially 'instantly' cycle the tank. 
There are some cautions. 
Nitrospira is a delicate bacteria, and any problem during shipping, or just being stored too long can kill them. 
Here are a few ideas that can reduce the risk of getting bad bacteria:
Plan on stocking the tank perhaps 25% at a time, once a week for a month. 
Then use a larger dose than the bottle says for the first load. Monitor it REALLY CAREFULLY. There may be a blip of ammonia or nitrite, but these should go right back down by the next day. Store the unused Nitrospira in the fridge. 

Ammonia without surfactants or perfumes is the one you want to add during the fishless cycle. The cheaper stores like Dollar Tree, and hardware stores are likely to have it. Grocery stores might, but they also have the scented and foaming types, which you do not want. Since the amount of active ingredients vary, there is no way to know how much ammonia to add to any specific amount of water. The method suggested above it right: Add a small, known amount to a known amount of water. Let it circulate maybe half an hour. Test. Do the math, and add more, let it circulate. Test again. Did the math work out? Write it down. 
X ml /gal. or X ml/ 10 gal. = Y ppm. 
That will only be good for that brand of ammonia. Another brand might be more concentrated, or less. 

Here is the fishless cycle. 
Fishless Cycle
You too can boast that "No fish were harmed in the cycling of your new tank"
Cycling a tank means to grow the beneficial bacteria that will help to decompose the fish waste (especially ammonia). These bacteria need ammonia to grow. There are 3 sources of ammonia that work to do this. One is fish. Unfortunately, the process exposes the fish to ammonia, which burns their gills, and nitrite, which makes their blood unable to carry oxygen. This often kills the fish.

Another source is decomposing protein. You could cycle your tank by adding fish food or a dead fish or shellfish. You do not know how much beneficial bacteria you are growing, though. 

The best source of ammonia is... Ammonia. In a bottle. 

Using fish is a delicate balance of water changes to keep the toxins low (try not to hurt the fish) but keep feeding the bacteria. It can take 4 to 8 weeks to cycle a tank this way, and can cost the lives of several fish. When you are done you have grown a small bacteria population that still needs to be nurtured to increase its population. You cannot, at the end of a fish-in cycle, fully stock your tank. 

The fishless/ammonia cycle takes as little as 3 weeks, and can be even faster, grows a BIG bacteria population, and does not harm fish in any way. 

Both methods give you plenty of practice using your test kit. 

How to cycle a tank the fishless way: 

1) Make sure all equipment is working, fill with water that has all the stuff you will need for the fish you intend to keep. Dechlorinator, minerals for GH or KH adjustments, the proper salt mix, if you are creating a brackish or marine tank. These bacteria require a few minerals, so make sure the GH and KH is at least 3 German degrees of hardness. Aquarium plant fertilizer containing phosphate should be added if the water has no phosphate. They grow best when the pH is in the 7s. Good water movement, fairly warm (mid to upper 70sF), no antibiotics or other toxins. 

2) (Optional)Add some source of the bacteria. Used filter media from a cycled tank is best, gravel or some decorations or a few plants... even some water, though this is the poorest source of the beneficial bacteria. 
Bacteria in a bottle can be a source of these bacteria, but make sure you are getting Nitrospira spp of bacteria. All other ‘bacteria in a bottle’ products have the wrong bacteria. This step is optional. The proper bacteria will find the tank even if you make no effort to add them. Live plants may bring in these bacteria on their leaves and stems. 

3) Add ammonia until the test reads 5 ppm. This is the non-sudsing, no surfactants, no-fragrance-added ammonia that is often found in a hardware store, discount stores, and sometimes in a grocery store. The concentration of ammonia may not be the same in all bottles. Try adding 5 drops per 10 gallons, then allowing the filter to circulate for about an hour, then test. If the reading isn't up to 5 ppm, add a few more drops and test again. (Example, if your test reads only 2 ppm, then add another 5 drops) Some ammonia is such a weak dilution you may need to add several ounces to get a reading. 

4) Test for ammonia daily, and add enough to keep the reading at 5 ppm. You probably will not have to add much, if any, in the first few days, unless you added a good amount of bacteria to jump start the cycle. 

5) Several days after you start, begin testing for nitrites. When the nitrites show up, reduce the amount of ammonia you add so the test shows 3ppm. (Add only half as much ammonia as you were adding in part 4) Add this reduced amount daily from now until the tank is cycled. 
If the nitrites get too high (over 5 ppm), do a water change. The bacteria growth is slowed because of the high nitrites. Reducing the level of ammonia to 3 ppm should prevent the nitrite from getting over 5 ppm. 

6) Continue testing, and adding ammonia daily. The nitrates will likely show up about 2 weeks after you started. Keep monitoring, and watch for 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite and rising nitrates. 

7) Once the 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites shows up it may bounce around a little bit for a day or two. Be patient. Keep adding the ammonia; keep testing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. 
When it seems done you can challenge the system by adding more than a regular dose of ammonia, and the bacteria should be able to remove the ammonia and nitrite by the next day. 
If you will not be adding fish right away continue to add the ammonia to keep the bacteria fed. 

8) When you are ready to add the fish, do at least one water change, and it may take a couple of them, to reduce the nitrate to safe levels (as low as possible, certainly below 10 ppm) I have seen nitrate approaching 200 ppm by the end of this fishless cycle in a non-planted tank. 

9) You can plant a tank that is being cycled this way at any point during the process. If you plant early, the plants will be well rooted, and better able to handle the disruption of the water change. 
Yes, the plants will use some of the ammonia and the nitrates. They are part of the nitrogen handling system, part of the biofilter, they are working for you. Some plants do not like high ammonia, though. If a certain plant dies, remove it, and only replace it after the cycle is done. 

10) The fishless cycle can also be used when you are still working out the details of lighting, plants and other things. If you change the filter, make sure you keep the old media for several weeks or a month. Most of the bacteria have been growing in this media (sponges, floss etc).


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