Things You'll Need
- 10 gallon fish tank
- Filter
- Heater
- Gravel
- Water
- Fish tank decor (optional)
- Pure ammonia
- Ammonia and nitrite tests
- Fish appropriate for a 10 gallon tank
Instructions
Fishless Cycling
Set up your fish tank with the filter, heater, gravel and water. Get the filter running and set the heater to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the decorations if desired.
Add three to five drops of ammonia for each gallon in the tank. You will know if you have enough ammonia in the tank when the ammonia test reads 4 to 5 ppm.
Test the tank's ammonia level every day. Any time ammonia level reaches 1 ppm, add more to bring it back up to 4 to 5 ppm. Continue this step every day until the ammonia reading reaches zero ppm within 8 to 12 hours of adding ammonia (approximately two weeks).
Test the tank's nitrite level. It will read very high, which is fine. Continue daily ammonia readings, bringing the level back to 1 to 2 ppm. Continue bringing the ammonia level back to 1 to 2 ppm and checking the nitrate levels daily until the nitrite level reaches zero and stays that way for at least 24 hours. This step may take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Once the nitrite level reaches and remains at a zero level, change about 75 to 90 percent of the water in the tank. Do not rinse or clean anything else in the tank. Turn the heater down to a temperature livable for the fish you will be putting in the tank.
Once the tank has been cycled, you can add your fish.