tank not cycling?

[side19]

ok so i've had my tank sitting for about two weeks now and i've been testing the water and slowly raising the salinity of the water (10 t spoons the first day and a t spoon a day since then) and i added a cup of gravel from my 20 gallon tank thats been fully cycled and added some fish food to let it decay. i've noticed the ammonia has been raising (it was .50 a few days ago when i checked) but in two weeks no nitrites or nitrates have appeared. is there just not enough ammonia yet? or is my tank just not cycling? if its not cycling how can i get ti to cycle becuase i don't know how to introduce any bacteria. if the bacteria i already introduced is dead due to the salt then how am i supposed to get some that will handle the salt? i'm just confused that after two weeks there's still no nitrates or nitrites.

[Pufferpunk]

Read the artricle on Fishless Cycling in our Library.

[side19]

i have read the article a few times now. i don't have any source of pure ammonia other than letting fish food decay in the tank. should i just add even more to get more to decay and produce even more ammonia? i know people will most likely say i should just get pure ammonia but i can't find it anywhere and i'm on a very tight budget and can't order it from anywhere to be shipped.

[Pufferpunk]

Where are you located? Where have you looked?

It is always helpful to fill out your profile.

[side19]

Manchester ct in the usa. i've tried my local high school's chem department and their supply company. they both said they can't get me any becuase i'm only 17.

[apachepufferman]

Can your parents ask them for it? They are probably over 17 so they might be able to get it. Ask them to sign a letter to the chem department stating that they know of your request for the amonia and that you are using it in you fish tank for a cycling experiment. If you make it educational your teacher might jump all over it. He may not even know that you can make nitrites and nitrates in water just by adding pure amonia. Its worth a shot and if you are willing to write a 3 page paper on it you might get the amonia you need for free from the school. That should fit any tight budget. Good luck!!!!

[Pufferpunk]

An local hardware store or drug store should have the cheap, generic, pure ammonia.

[side19]

ok so i finally got my hands on some ammonia. i went up to this farm up the street from me (my girlfriend's aunt owns the place) and got some ammonia thats been diluted with de-ionized water. i shook it up and it didn't fizz so i'm assuming it is just ammonia and water. i'm going to add a little bit each day and hopefully the amount of ammonia i'm going to be adding will be enough i start the process. thanks for the help everyone.

[Pufferpunk]

You don't just "add a little bit each day". There is a science to this. Please folllow the Fishless Cycling article.

[side19]

i know there's a science to it and i did read the fishless cycle article. i just didn't feel like typing out eh exact amount of ammonia i'll be adding each day. thanks for the help though.

[Pufferpunk]

You could say you will be raising the am to a certain ppm though.

[side19]

my scale goes from 3 to 6, so i'm aiming for a color right between. more lenient to the 6 side becuase i read 5 is ideal.

[side19]

ok just checked the water up in my 10 gallon and i'm very surprised how fast the cycling is going. its only been the second day of adding ammonia and the nitrates are already 10 ppm and the nitrites are between 0 and 20 ppm. not sure what the ammonia is right now i haven't tested becuase i just added some and letting it disperse. i'm very pleased how well fishless cycling actually works. i must admit i was expecting it to take much longer but seems to be going very well right now. thanks for the help.

[Drix]

For an ammonia i went Wal-mart and Bought the Generic Ammonia its called clear ammonia there is not additives in it and i have cycled 4 tanks using it. Its the Wal-Mart Great value brand.

[side19]

ok, so i've been testing my water every day no with the test strips (its all i have atm and i'm planning on buying a liquid kit soon) and iv'e noticed the water levels haven't changed at all. the ammonnia is at 0 by the end of teh day (down from 5 ppm when i add teh ammonia) but the nitries are staying at 10 ppm, but there are nitrates and they are at about 20 ppm but arne't going any higher. any clue why this is happening? there's obviously the second kind of bactieria if tehr are nitrates present, is tehre just not enough yet?