Cycling with Ammonia

[lastchoice]

I have been cycling my new 125 gallon tank for about 3 weeks now. I have been adding Ammonia directly to cycle the tank. When I add enough ammonia to bring the level up to about 1 it goes back to 0 in 12 hours or less. The problem seems to be the nitrites. I didn't add any ammonia to the tank for 3 days when the ammonia level was 0, but the nitrites stayed at 1.
Has my cycle stalled? What should I do?
Should I keep adding ammonia when the ammonia goes to 0 or let it sit?
Will I lose my ammonia reducing bacteria without an ammonia source to feed it?
I have been trying to keep the heat around 80, about as high as my 300w heater can keep it. I know I need another heater.
I am not sure if the lights should be on or off during the cycle so I have kept them off for the most part. Does that matter?
Do I have to worry about nitrates during the cycle?
I am also wondering about pathogens from donated filter sponges. If there are any pathogens will they die off after the cycle with no fish to infect? I know parasites will.
I also have questions about DSBs or nitrate reducing bacteria. There is too much confusing and contradicting information. So I went with a 1 1/2 inch deep sugar sized sand bed with some other larger sand mixed in. I figured I could increase it later if I need to. I am just not sure how deep my sand bed should bee and what grain size. I heard bad things about DSB failing after 3 years. The only good LFS around hear has almost bare bottom.
Thanks,
John

 

[snakeblitz33]

Using ammonia to cycle will make your cycle longer if you don't know what you are doing. The simplest thing that you can do to cycle a new tank is to throw in a couple shrimp tails and let it cycle naturally over the course of 30 days.
If you leave your tank alone and let it do its thing, everything will balance out. Once you are no longer reading ammonia or nitrite, add one small damsel to build up more bacteria and stabilize the tank.

 

[trouble93]

+++1 Just let it go. you will have a more healthier tank in the end

 

[trouble93]

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/3147361
Using ammonia to cycle will make your cycle longer if you don't know what you are doing. The simplest thing that you can do to cycle a new tank is to throw in a couple shrimp tails and let it cycle naturally over the course of 30 days.
If you leave your tank alone and let it do its thing, everything will balance out. Once you are no longer reading ammonia or nitrite, add one small damsel to build up more bacteria and stabilize the tank.
+++1 Just let it go. you will have a more healthier tank in the end

 

[geoj]

Give us a list of your set-up.
Don’t fret it will cycle if you leave it be as is.
You have to decide if you are going to use the shallow sand bed or deep sand bed method. For sugar sand ½-1 inch is a shallow bed and you should siphon it every few weeks to keep it clean. A sugar bed of 1 ½ is deep and you would use the DSB method. This does not mean you have to use the DSB method just it is deep enough to do it.
Edit: I wanted to say 1-1/2 would be deep enough to be a DSB

 

[cranberry]

I disagree with the Damsel part along with not understanding it's usefulness in this particular instance. Unless a Damsel is part of your desired stocking list, don't put one in so that you'll have to tear apart your tank later to remove it when you realize how nasty they can be.
The shrimp would do the job of the Damsel. Why would you put a damsel in after the shrimp? I don't get the purpose of that. A single Damsel will also do nothing in a 125 as far as helping to build up bacteria. (Which was already "built up" with the shrimp).
Your cycle shouldn't be stalled with an ammonia level of 1. I always shoot for 1-2ppm initially.
In cycling my 100g, I've used the "Bag O Guts" method. It's about what my volitan would consume in a feeding. I don't throw it directly in the tank because I don't want that nastiness to stay in there forever and if the levels rise too much I can remove it easily to let the levels settle.

Sponges are good. Just make sure you keep the tank fallow for 6 weeks after introducing them, IMO. If there are parasites that are on there that are obligate fish feeder, they will die in the 6 week period.
You DSB isn't so deep at 1.5" and being sugar fine. It will actually decrease in depth as time goes on to become a SSB at your current depth. But I personally think a DSB to be maintained outside of the display tank where it can be removed easily. The only tank that didn't do well for me, and I've have was a bare bottom. I'll never do it again based on my own experiences.
I don't turn on my lights unless there are things on the rock that requires it. With that much ammonia and soon to be nitrate in the tank, there's no need to encourage nuisance algae that early in the game.
80 is plenty high and is actually the upper limit for me. I don't go over 80 because I don't like what it does to oxygen levels after that point.
No, don't worry about nitrates until your cycle is finished. Once everything is settles, I change out a good portion of water and then turn on the lights when the nitrates have been lowered.