# Lost and Confused



## dhoch (Jul 14, 2014)

We started a 20L about 2 1/2 weeks ago and after about 1 week when the ammonia started to climb we took the fish out and put them in a smaller tank to hold until we get the 20 cycled. We initially were told by someone to use fish food to cycle. We put a nylon with fish food in it into one of the filters which has been running for 1 1/2 weeks now. My water testing is reading:

5.0 ppm Ammonia
.15 ppm Nitrites
20 ppm Nitrates

For the last week and a half the Ammonia has been at between 4.0 - 5.0 ppm and Nitrites have gone from as high as .50 ppm to what it is now .15 ppm. However, three days ago the Nitrates started climbing from 0 three days ago to 20ppm this morning. 

Should I remove the nylon of fish food and start with ammonia dosing? Should I do a water change? I am so confused and lost right now and really need guidance. I know I am messing this up but don't know how to get it right any more. What do the water test results mean? Is it starting to cycle?

My fish in the smaller tank really need a bigger tank as we are having to do daily water changes to keep them happy and the ammonia levels down so it does not hurt them. Sometimes 50% changes, we will do whatever it takes to make it right for them.

We inherited the small tank and fish from someone and did not have any choice but to attempt to get the bigger tank running. They overpopulated the little tank so badly and had a bad habit of over feeding.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Sounds like you are on the right track.Using fish food or the deadshrimp method are somewhat unpredictable as you have no control how fast the food/shrimp degreade and enter the water column.Ammonia would have been easier to control,but now you already have ammonia present so figuring the proper dose will be diffacult.
If you have access to ammonia,then remove the food and keep testing until ammonia goes to 0-1ppm.Then you can try to dose up to 2 ppm and finish out with ammonia.I think you are pretty close right now(1-2 weeks left).
DON'T change any water as with no fish there is no reason.With nitrItes being present you would like to keep your ammonia no higher then 2ppm until cycle is complete.


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## fishlips (Jul 8, 2014)

I found pure ammonia with no surfactants or other sudsing agents at Ace Hardware, per the sticky here on the board. Be sure there are no suds when you shake the bottle before buying and using. It does sound like you're close to being cycled!


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## Jep (Jul 15, 2014)

I didn't understand what mean the part, where you tell about the ''fish food'' and ''ammonia dosing'' (I don't speak well English, because I'm italian) ...why you give them the food with the nylon?.... however you can reduce and neutralize the values with water changes of 40 % (every 3-2 days for 3-4 week) with reverse osmosis water (I think you say so), and you gotta greatly reduce the quantity of fish food.


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## dhoch (Jul 14, 2014)

I think that something bad happened and do not know how to correct or if I should. I removed the fish food Monday and the Ammonia spiked last night at 8.0 ppm and is still there this morning. The Nitrites are now at 0. What do I do to get back on track (or am I off track)?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I would just wait it out.If you were dosing with pure ammonia you would get levels of ammonia much higher.Considering how low the nitrite levels were I wouldn't be too worried.The nitrites should spike pretty high themselves during the cycle process(5ppm+).
You will probly at some point still need to introduce a source of ammonia to complete the cycle in a somewhat timely manner,but I think my point of how uncontrollable the food can be should be clear.Try to find pure ammonia so you can have some controll over how this finishes .


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