Help with ammonium chloride dosing!

[biom]

Yeah...I think the leeway on the amount of ammonia is pretty broad and therefore it isn't crucial how much NH4 is added. ...

It should be less than 5 mg/l otherwise nitrification process will be inhibited

 

[alin2]

It should be less than 5 mg/l otherwise nitrification process will be inhibited

Yeah...well at 50 mg/ml and 3 drops per gallon...we're not even close to 5 mg/L or 5 ppm...:rolleyes:

I can't seem to get it to .5 with the Elos kit. o_O

 

[biom]

there are many uncertainties you should have in mind - net water volume in your tank, test inaccuracy, that's why i suggested first to test 1 gallon fresh water with 3 drops solution.

 

[alin2]

Well...Dr. Tim's emails have stopped so I'm a bit in the dark on what to do with my QT that should be cycling now.

I've dosed ammonium chloride and Dr. Tim's One and Only nitrifying bacteria and am now on day #8 with "0" NH4/NH3 and probably >2 ppm of nitrite. The nitrite has remained >2 ppm now for 3 days. The Elos test kit only reads up to 2 ppm. Dr. Tim's website states to do a water change if the Nitrite is >5 ppm. I can't really tell how much nitrite I have since the Elos test kit's darkest color is 2 ppm.

I wonder if I should just do a 25% water change...or, wait it out on the nitrite.

My QT set up is a 19 gallon tank with an oversized Eheim canister electronic filter working at 50% capacity with tons of Eheim filter material and some Seachem Matrix. UV for the fish QT is off. There is no skimmer. No lights. No filter socks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd just wait. :)

 

[StikHedRon]

You should really watch his video on how to dose the ammonium chloride.

 

[alin2]

You should really watch his video on how to dose the ammonium chloride.

Yup. I've watched the video and read the guides on his website. The problem is that the stated concentration on the ammonium chloride solution he sells will not achieve the concentration of NH4/NH3 he suggests. That's why he responded by saying the website is wrong and that the correct dosage is 3 drops/gallon.

Now I'm having issues with a "stalled" cycle with high nitrites. Dr Tim suggested it was due to my Eheim media and Seachem Matrix not being able to colonized quickly.

 

[StikHedRon]

Yup. I've watched the video and read the guides on his website. The problem is that the stated concentration on the ammonium chloride solution he sells will not achieve the concentration of NH4/NH3 he suggests. That's why he responded by saying the website is wrong and that the correct dosage is 3 drops/gallon.

Now I'm having issues with a "stalled" cycle with high nitrites. Dr Tim suggested it was due to my Eheim media and Seachem Matrix not being able to colonized quickly.

Interesting, during the video he states that 1 drop per gallon equates to 2ppm, and that if you test any nitrite not to dose anymore until nitrite is below .5ppm then dose 1 drop per gallon again, you may not read any ammonia on your test kit as the bacteria is at work right away. I followed his directions and my tank didn't cycle in 7 days as advertised. Took 4 weeks using dry rock.