# Other Aquarium Forums > Fish Care, Nutrition and Water Management >  Cycling tank with ADA Amazonia soil

## Solstice

Hi all, I have this question to clarify before I embark on my first fishless cycling tank. I read some of the treads pertaining to ADA soil. It appears that ADA soil gives off lots of ammonia . So the question is if I use ADA Amazonia soil for fishless cycling, the first input of ammonia will be from the soil? Am I correct to say, basically, when i use ADA soil, all I need is to run the whole setup with the filter. Ammonia will be provided by the soil .. Will just wait for the bacteria to breed. There after wait for nitrite spike and wait for the new bacteria to breed again.. When I get nitrate reading with zero nitrite and ammonia reading, my tank is basically cycled and I will have a balance colony of beneficial bacteria in my set up. It is only now that I should introduce fast growing plants and plants that take up nitrate to reduce the level to a acceptable 20-40 ppm...so that algae growth will be under control.. Ay can he verify this?

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## Shadow

You should introduce your plant on day one and cylce it together. Plant will take any source of N, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Algae is more complicated, Nitrate alone will not cause algae

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## Solstice

Yes , I manage to get that information.. But I am just not sure about the part after a nitrite spike. It will take a few days before bacteria grow and during this period, I am suppose to continue dozing ammonia ( small amount ) to feed the colony. I suppose this will be constantly provided by the ADA soil. I am suppose to stop dosing ammonia once nitrite drop and nitrate is detected. Eventually I will have only nitrate reading. But if ADA soil continue to give off ammonia, how do I achieve this.. Any one who has done fishless cycle successfully please help. Yes adding plant on day 1 actually help speed up the process with their own individual plant requirement..

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## wind88

I did not add anything during my cycle, it works fine too.

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## Shadow

> Yes , I manage to get that information.. But I am just not sure about the part after a nitrite spike. It will take a few days before bacteria grow and during this period, I am suppose to continue dozing ammonia ( small amount ) to feed the colony. I suppose this will be constantly provided by the ADA soil. I am suppose to stop dosing ammonia once nitrite drop and nitrate is detected. Eventually I will have only nitrate reading. But if ADA soil continue to give off ammonia, how do I achieve this.. Any one who has done fishless cycle successfully please help. Yes adding plant on day 1 actually help speed up the process with their own individual plant requirement..


does not matter, by that time the BB colonies has been established. Ammonia in water column will be converter to nitrite and nitrate.

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## marimo

> When I get nitrate reading with zero nitrite and ammonia reading, my tank is basically cycled and I will have a balance colony of beneficial bacteria in my set up. It is only now that I should introduce fast growing plants and plants that take up nitrate to reduce the level to a acceptable 20-40 ppm...so that algae growth will be under control.. Ay can he verify this?


ADA amazonia do not need addition ammonia as its sufficient for cycling .. I test mine like 5ppm

1. You can add BB solution to speed up, usually double dosage for initial setup into filter, 3 times for 1st week
2. You can add things from an establish tank like a rock, plant, sponge, filter media to spread the mature BB - very useful!
3. Things to speed up, oxygen and good Bacteria house like glass ring, lava rock and ceramic rings.
4. You can add plants to absorb excess ammonia
5. You can do a big water change after the end of cycling to bring down nitrate instead of using plants
6. Lastly You can add frogbits to absorb the excess remaining nitrate 

I manage to cycle my new tank in 7 days using all of the above methods i gave u

 :Smile:

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