# Fishless cycle, Seachem Headstart.



## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

I am doing a fishless cycle atm, and I picked up the Seachem Headstart pack, it comes with 3 bottles, 1rime, 1:Stability and 1:clarity.

I also picked up some pure ammonia before hand as I thought I was going to use that. My question is should I use the ammonia with the headstart pack? Or just use the Headstart only? I also seed in some items from an existing aquarium, some rocks, plants and slate, I will probably dig out some gravel and put it in a bag and drop it into the tank as well to help it along.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

You need ammonia to ensure whatever you seed the tank with actually does what it's supposed to. Dose 2-3ppm and start checking at 24 hour intervals for ammonia to drop to 0. Once it's at 0, you need to check nitrites.

Dechlorinate the water in the tank with Prime. Stability may or may not help with seeding. Rocks, plants and gravel from your existing aquarium will definitely help.

Don't bother with the Clarity.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

First water test, roughly 24 hours after starting fishless cycle.
Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite:0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
I know you usually don't test Nitrate right away, I mostly did it for S&G but also because I seeded several items from an established aquarium so was curious

I did do the first dose of the Seachem Headstart but I am not sure I should continue, if I can limit the amount of chemicals I put in my aquarium, that would be great, plus they told me when I start putting all that stuff in, it can upset my PH and the PH tested at 7.4, which is low(for cichlids).

I need to get a test kit to test my GH and KH still, not sure where those stand.

How do these numbers look so far?

I have a nice bag of aquarium salt laying around, I haven't add any yet, should I go ahead and add some to help buffer the PH? or someone gave me an api proper ph 8.2 package, but it says to add 1 packet for every 20 US gallons and it only has two packets, I really don't feel like going out and getting two more of these packages, especially if I have some aquarium salt laying around ready to use.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm guessing there's no change from where you started. If the ammonia level dropped you'd be getting a nitrite reading. It's still early in the process. I would add some ammonia so that you're at about 2ppm. 0.5ppm is pretty low.

I wouldn't use aquarium salt to buffer. Baking soda is much more effective as a buffer and also doesn't change the salinity of the water. Dose 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons to bring it up just over 8.0. This is a helpful article.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Did my first does of ammonia, per the article on here, calling for 2 drops ammonia per gallon(125 gallon aquarium and already slightly elevated ammonia) I decided to go with 2 tsp(roughly 100 drops per) ammonia, waited between 20 and 25 minutes and re-test, ammonia was 4ppm, so for future reference I should use probably only 1tsp, but at 4ppm, should I let it ride or do a small water change?


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

yeah,u could do a small wc. 25% or so.. then "let it ride" till its 0.....then dose again,to 2-3ppm. have fun,keep us posted


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Ammonia finally dropped tonight on day 5, I left it at 4ppm and tested it every night, lastnight it was still 4ppm but tonight it tested at 0.5ppm. Now for the next stage. I also discontinued the use of the Seachem Stability, I really wanted to limit how much stuff I was putting in my tank.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Question about Nitrites, my nitrites have been high(5ppm or higher, test only goes up to 5ppm) since it started converting ammonia to nitrite. I have been dosing ammonia every 2-3 days(3 days now to try and keep nitrites down) and doing pwc(20%-30%) every day to try and keep nitrites down also. Lastnight I did two back to back pwc(20-25%ish) to try and get nitrites down but tonight they are still at least 5ppm. Should I just continue what I am doing, or keep doing double small pwc till I get nitries down to a better range(less then 5ppm)?
I know high amounts of nitrites can have the same effect as a high amount of ammonia, and inhibit the cycle or even stall it, I think for tonight I am going to do two small pwc again and continue the ammonia does every 3 days.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

I would reduce the ammonia dosing to about 2ppm. You'll continue to struggle with high nitrites if you add high doses of ammonia. Changing too much water can cause problems too so just stay the course with everything else you're doing.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Sorry, I should have said how much ammonia I was dosing, which is 2ppm, I didn't want to go any higher then that.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Boe82 said:


> Sorry, I should have said how much ammonia I was dosing, which is 2ppm, I didn't want to go any higher then that.


Are you waiting till ammonia drops to 0 before dosing again? You could stretch out the time between dosing further if you wait. On my last fishless cycle I just dosed 1-2ppm twice per week and did a pwc once per week.

If you're doing regular pwc and not overdosing with ammonia, don't worry too much about the nitrite levels. It'll take time but they will drop. As I indicated in my last post changing too much water can also cause problems so it's important to find the right balance.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

zimmy said:


> Boe82 said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry, I should have said how much ammonia I was dosing, which is 2ppm, I didn't want to go any higher then that.


Are you waiting till ammonia drops to 0 before dosing again? You could stretch out the time between dosing further if you wait. On my last fishless cycle I just dosed 1-2ppm twice per week and did a pwc once per week.

If you're doing regular pwc and not overdosing with ammonia, don't worry too much about the nitrite levels. It'll take time but they will drop. As I indicated in my last post changing too much water can also cause problems so it's important to find the right balance.[/quote
+1 for zimmy.
wait till amm drops to 0 before redosing .. and only dose to 2 ish..

zimmy said, don't worry too much about the nitrite levels. It'll take time but they will drop.
and they will,my 90 took 5-6 weeks. every single tank is different..be patient my friend, and soon you will have :fish: swimming around!!!!! which is what we ALL want! :drooling:


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Boe82 said:


> Ammonia finally dropped tonight on day 5, I left it at 4ppm and tested it every night, lastnight it was still 4ppm but tonight it tested at 0.5ppm. Now for the next stage. I also discontinued the use of the Seachem Stability, I really wanted to limit how much stuff I was putting in my tank.


Yes, the night after this it was 0, I dosed it back up to 2ppm, in 24 hours it was 0 so the tank is converting ammonia in 24 hours or less, so now i am just waiting on the second stage of converting nitrites.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

This current phase of waiting for the nitrites to drop usually takes the longest time. You're right on track so just be patient and keep doing what you're doing.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

if I would have waited one more day, I would have got my answer lol, my tank tests zero nitrites tonight!  That was a very quick cycle I must say, from what I have read and seen others experiences. From start to finish: March 16th, filled the aquarium, add decorations, rocks, plants etc from an established aquarium, nylons bags full of gravel out of established aquarium, and I even put more gravel in the extra media holders that came with the Emperor 400. Did first does of Seachem Headstart but I didn't continue it, probably wouldn't have hurt if I did. Add first dose of ammonia on the 19th, add a little too much, but it was only 4ppm so I left it, test it every night until finally on the 26th is dropped to 0.5ppm, I left it and test it on the 27th and it was 0, dosed ammonia back to 2ppm, 24 hours later it was 0 and I had nitrites. Knowing I could convert ammonia in 24 hours, I stopped testing for it. I did a PWC and dosed ammonia back to 2ppm(I used Prime after every pwc) every 24 hours I did a small pwc(20-30%) testing for nitrites every night and dosing ammonia every 2-3 days. The last two nights I have done two back to back small pwc(still 20-30% each, drain and add then drain and add again then add Prime) and now on April 5th, I have 0 nitrites. I have yet to test for nitrates, that is next, then I may do a small pwc, dose some ammonia and see if I can convert that to nitrates in 24 hours, very excited! I may put some of my convicts in the tank just to make absolutely sure the tank has cycled correctly then take them out and put them back in there tank before putting the cichlids in.

Also as a side note, I have kept the water temps at roughly 84F the entire time. Every day or every other day I would reach in and shake n squeeze the bags of gravel to push out the bacteria etc, I kept them close to the intake for my Fx6 as well so a alot of it got sucked right up into the canister. The rest would float off and either land on other stuff or get sucked into the other filters. Tomorrow will make 3 weeks after I started this, I am very pleased with this! I was figuring it was going to take at least another week or two till it finished.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Congratulations! I forgot you added items from an established tank. That definitely speeds things up. I cycled a newly set up 110G in a week by adding a sponge filter from a 10G once. Make sure you leave the things from the established tank (including the nylong bags full of gravel) in your newly cycled tank for a while still. Pulling them out could set you back.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

zimmy said:


> Congratulations! I forgot you added items from an established tank. That definitely speeds things up. I cycled a newly set up 110G in a week by adding a sponge filter from a 10G once. Make sure you leave the things from the established tank (including the nylong bags full of gravel) in your newly cycled tank for a while still. Pulling them out could set you back.


I have read that, at least two weeks I believe? But thank you! incase I had not read that, that would be a good piece of info to know  I also finally put in the permanent rocks tonight as I hadn't got around to do it yet, I love the way they look, will be nice once I can get all the clutter out.


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## sbrotty (Apr 14, 2014)

Would I be able to use my saltwater filter media " sponge bio balls" to cycle my african cichlid tank ?


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