# Cycling in 5 gallon bucket



## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

OK, I have to cycle a large tank but I don't have any seed material and I have a week or so before the tank is filled.

So I started building seed material in a bucket. I threw in four bags of ceramic medium which will be added to the cannisters once it becomes live. Then I stuck in a couple of air lines to agitate the water and added ammonia. I couldn't find pure ammonia, no Ace Hardware near by and people doubt the Dollar Tree's LA's Totally Pure Ammonia (although I think it'd be OK) so I found this on ebay and ordered it. And since I wanted to get going and didn't want to wait for my delivery I tinkled in the bucket a bit  . No biggie to me. Pee doesn't scare me, been producing and transporting it for years.

I'll let you know if this works, theoretically I should have excellent seed material when I fill the tank.

Only time will tell

And yes I made this same post on another forum


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## boomer92 (Apr 17, 2013)

Thanks for the smile on my face while taking a break during a stressful day at work! I'll be interested to see how this works out. I'm currently ironing out some issues with my first tank. Would love to start growing some nitrifying bacteria in the meantime.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

So what is your ammonia reading in the bucket? My guess would be that it's 0 ppm.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

I once used my own "Home made ammonia" too. .

Just a heads up, water has to flow through and over biomedia for it work and get seeded properly. You can't just kinda plop it in the water. Then it's like gravel. You want to get yourself some sort of vessel (a tetra whisper 40i comes to mind) and dump all the biomedia in the thing's filter well. Much more effective than plopping an airstone in and hoping for the best.


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

Thanks Pablo, that's good to know. I got it up to about 5 and now I'll wait a couple of days and give her a check.

Boomer, try that link on my first post, that stuff's pure ammonia and it costs a lot less than that Ace Hardware Ammonia, you can't beat $5 with shipping. We don't have an Ace so I thought about buying that ammonia on line and I was surprised at the cost.


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

OK, for some reason the ammonia jumped from 5 to 8 after two days. It will probably still go down but I made some changes. I removed old gravel that used 2/3 of the five gallon (mistakenly thought it may have some stray bacteria) and added a cannister filter.

Let's see what happens


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Ammonia concentrations over 5ppm can hinder the cycling process, I suggest bringing it down to 2-3ppm. You may also want to check pH from time to time, under ~6pH probably won't cycle.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

GTZ said:


> Ammonia concentrations over 5ppm can hinder the cycling process, I suggest bringing it down to 2-3ppm. You may also want to check pH from time to time, under ~6pH probably won't cycle.


+2 do a 60% water change


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

I never meant for the ammonia to get that high, apparently I got super piss, days later and it's still growing in strength 

OK, I quit pissing around :lol: and I'm getting serious



There's 2 ceramic media bags in the tank and 2 more on top of the intake. Ammonia Chloride still hasn't arrived so I drank a lot of water before I..............


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

Get a plastic water bottle, cut the end off put the media in it, run the pump's output through the bottle. As I said earlier, water has to flow through media, not around it.


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

The media is in the cannister, just threw a couple of extra bags on the intake for kicks


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

Set it up Sunday and it was reading 5, still at 5 today. I'll wait till it drops and start dosing with the Ammonium Chloride which arrived today. I'd be surprised if this didn't work. I'll post my readings tomorrow.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

MeCasa said:


> Set it up Sunday and it was reading 5, still at 5 today. I'll wait till it drops and start dosing with the Ammonium Chloride which arrived today. I'd be surprised if this didn't work. I'll post my readings tomorrow.


It'll work. Other people have done it in the past.



MeCasa said:


> The media is in the cannister, just threw a couple of extra bags on the intake for kicks


Oh ok. That's good.


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

I almost waited too long and I did it just to PROVE to myself that I am a patient man. I looked this morning and my test tube was almost clear. No harm done, it was a short period and this some ground food flakes in there.

I added the ammonium chloride and kicked it back up to 4 +/- and I'll keep a better eye on it now.


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

Every couple of days the ammonia goes back down to 0 and I kick it back up to 5. I have test kits for both Nitrate and Nitrite but I see no reason to test since this is not usable water but simply water to maintain seed stock.

My problem now is maintaining the seed stock since I won't be ready for fish for 30 days or so. I may fill half the big tank, cycle the water and add live plants while the water is low (almost need goggles and snorkel when the tank is full). After I have the half tank totally cycled I can add a couple of those big bug eyed guppies to maintain the ammonia level. Then the guppies can go in my buddy's outside pond.


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

MeCasa said:


> Every couple of days the ammonia goes back down to 0 and I kick it back up to 5. I have test kits for both Nitrate and Nitrite but I see no reason to test since this is not usable water but simply water to maintain seed stock.


I think you'd want to test for Nitrite, since cycling includes the bacteria that processes nitrite to nitrate (and this was a MUCH longer period for me than the ammonia processing). I also read that the nitrite bacteria are much less hardy than the ammonia bacteria, and sensitive to temp and high concentrations of nitrite prohibiting their growth. I think I'd be careful about assuming a cycled filter until I saw the media fully process Ammonia all the way through zero nitrites. I'd agree on not necessarily testing the water for Nitrates though except maybe once to confirm their presence after zero on the others.



MeCasa said:


> My problem now is maintaining the seed stock since I won't be ready for fish for 30 days or so. I may fill half the big tank, cycle the water and add live plants while the water is low (almost need goggles and snorkel when the tank is full). After I have the half tank totally cycled I can add a couple of those big bug eyed guppies to maintain the ammonia level. Then the guppies can go in my buddy's outside pond.


Seems like no matter where the filter material is, you can just add a little ammonia every couple of days to keep the bacteria growing and fed. I'd think more like 2-3 ppm rather than 5 though.


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

Good informative post. After reading your post I agree that testing is worthwhile. My way was assuming that the rest of the process followed through but since I went to this effort, it would be smart to follow through and _make sure_. Get some of my back for the test kits.

I'll cut down to two, I've already cut the tester back to half the white line and 4 drops although results seem a little slower. This powdered Ammonium Chloride is great. Takes very little, it's very cheap (5$US)and look amazingly like an 8 ball, everybody that walks in my office says "what's that" followed by a wisecrack.

Take care


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

^ $$$ back ~ _Get some of the $$$ back_ ^


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

It's working. I've been feeding it ammonium chloride everyday bringing the water up to 2-4ppm and a day and a half later it's gone. The Nitrites peaked and dropped fast and the Nitrates are above 20 and rising.

So today I added three bags of the seeded media to the top of the 700gph pump and left 2 seeded bags in the 500gph and put them both pumping into the seeded water. i replaced half the water in the ice chest and I'll continue to add ammonia every day.

Water will go into the big tank Sunday the 25th and after a few days I'll add a couple of goldfish to see if they survive. If they do I'll buy my fish June 7th


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)




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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

Final Analysis

This a great and easy way to make some seeded media. With both tanks running my ammonia goes fast. I already had to supplement with ground up fish food. If they keep on multiplying at this rate I may have to pick up some steaks.

Pissing in the water does work, do it a little at a time because it seems that the ammonia is on a time release. Because of this time delay, you should wait an hour and test, then tinkle some more if necessary

Ammonium Chloride, if you have it's easier than pissing because it's easy to regulate. That powder remains the same while the ammonia levels in your piss you be affected by how many Corona's you've consumed. Ammonium Chloride is pure Ammonia, it's a white powder that comes in a small plastic bag. and it sells for $5 on ebay and it's pharmaceutical grade. For that $5 you get a lot of cycled tanks.

The next test is how long it will take these seeded cannisters to cycle a 150gallon

Lucky for you, in a couple of weeks I will supply that answer.

MeCasa


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

I cycled too much material too soon. Because I got involved in plants it may be another 30 days before I fill and stock mt tank. The cycled ice chest is quickly using up what's left of my ammonium chloride. Even though I'm throwing some food flakes in every two days my test kit is totally clear :-?

I'm not buying any more ammonium chloride, at this rate I'll be back to pissing in the tank within a week

This is almost having bacteria with a crack habit :roll:

WE NEED AMMONIA!!!
WE NEED AMMONIA!!!
WE NEED AMMONIA!!!


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## dbradley26 (Apr 22, 2014)

I've actually been using dollar tree ammonia and it's working fine. It's Austin's Clear Ammonia, only ingredient was Ammonium Hydroxide. Just an FYI for future reference.



MeCasa said:


> OK, I have to cycle a large tank but I don't have any seed material and I have a week or so before the tank is filled.
> 
> So I started building seed material in a bucket. I threw in four bags of ceramic medium which will be added to the cannisters once it becomes live. Then I stuck in a couple of air lines to agitate the water and added ammonia. I couldn't find pure ammonia, no Ace Hardware near by and people doubt the Dollar Tree's LA's Totally Pure Ammonia (although I think it'd be OK) so I found this on ebay and ordered it. And since I wanted to get going and didn't want to wait for my delivery I tinkled in the bucket a bit  . No biggie to me. Pee doesn't scare me, been producing and transporting it for years.
> 
> ...


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

I'm not surprised that the Dollar Tree Ammonia works. I went and looked at it but someone had claimed that if you shook it and it bubbled you couldn't use it.

I shook...it bubbled and I chickened out.

I'm going to pick some up today

Thanks


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## dbradley26 (Apr 22, 2014)

MeCasa said:


> I'm not surprised that the Dollar Tree Ammonia works. I went and looked at it but someone had claimed that if you shook it and it bubbled you couldn't use it.
> 
> I shook...it bubbled and I chickened out.
> 
> ...


It's likely that Dollar Trees in different areas may carry different products. The stuff I bought does not bubble. If it's 100% it shouldn't, check the ingredients, it probably has surfactants if it bubbles..


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## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

LA's Totally Awesome Pure Ammonia

I did check the ingredients, only ammonia

As for the bubbles, even if you shake water hard enough it forms some air bubbles on top. I think I was being OVERLY cautious because some of the folks on the other forums are half nuts. If you said you were putting five cichlids in a tank and one might die they go into fits

What am I laughing at, I'm starting to listen to them :lol:

Thanks


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