[Cycling] When will the ammonia level drop?

[BinaryRun]

Hello guys,

Quick question, how many days does it take before ammonia starts to drop? It's currently around 4ppm. (Certainly not 5ppm yet, using the JBL Liquid kit and the ammonia test isn't blue / the 5ppm color)

 

[Boomsloth]

It depends when the nitrifying bacteria start to colonize. It could be as little as a week or can sometimes take longer. That's why many owners seed with an already established media.

 

[BinaryRun]

Thanks, in that case I won't have to worry about the levels not lowering yet as I'm only a few days in.

 

[Boomsloth]

It can be a pain waiting for it to be fully cycled but once you have one tank going its super easy to get another started by seeding media.

 

[Kaini]

Cycling takes weeks, sometimes up to a month. You just have to be patient and keep monitoring your levels

 

[layna]

My Fishless cycle took 8 weeks in both tanks.
It is a lot quicker if you can use material from an established tank in your filter, but not everyone has access to that.
Just be patient, dont rush and in the long run, your axies will be healthier and you'll be happier