Am I cycling this right?

AmyK

I have a 5 gallon corner Eclipse that I started cycling Sunday night using Stability ("bacteria in a bottle"). I added enough ammonia to make the reading 4 ppm. The Stability said to use it for 7 days.
I am still getting a reading of about 4 ppm ammonia (this morning, day #4).....do I just wait till it goes down before I add more ammonia? Meanwhile just keep adding the Stability every day?
Thanks!

PS: I am doing the fishLESS cycling

adpierin11

I have no idea about the stability product. I simply take the ammonia and pour it in the tank to about 5ppm and I keep adding the same amount everyday. And once my tank starts reading nitrites I lower the amount of ammonia added to about 3ppm. And then once the tank starts reading nitrates, you are done.
I don't trust any of those "bacteria in a bottle" things.

AmyK

Ok thanks. But if I add ammonia every day, won't that raise the ammonia to a really high level if the Stability hasn't started working yet and I am still getting ammonia at 4 ppm readings with just adding it that once?? I'm so confused!~

Twistersmom

I have not used Stability, But when doing a fishless ammonia cycle, I did not add any more ammonia until I saw a drop in levels.
I would wait till you see ammonia drop to 2ppm, then bump it back up to 3-4 pm.
Keep bumping it back up around 3ppm daily.
The cycle is finished when ammonia and nitrites can both drop to zero 12hrs after adding the ammonia. (after the nitrite spike)