cycling a 150 gallon tank
Or any size tank for that matter.
1. Set up your tank, but do not add any fish.
2.Leave the tank running for a few days to ensure that the equipment is working as it should be.
3.Calculate the volume of household ammonia required to raise the level in the tank to 4-5ppm. There are a few calculators on the web which require you to know the volume of your tank, the % ammonia in your solution (printed on the bottle, usually around 9%) and the ppm of ammonia required in the tank.
4.Add the required volume of ammonia to the tank.
5.Test the water every day, or every other day, for ammonia using a liquid test kit. Wait for it to reach approximately 1ppm- at this point the filter contains bacteria that break down ammonia into nitrite
6.Add more ammonia to raise the level in the tank back up to 4-5ppm. You no longer need to test for ammonia. Instead, test for nitrite.
7.Wait until the nitrite level starts to drop, continuing to add ammonia to feed the bacteria in the tank. At this point, the filter contains bacteria that break down nitrite into nitrate.
8.When you have 0ppm of ammonia, 0 ppm of nitrite, and a nitrate reading, your tank is ready for fish.
9.Continue adding ammonia until you add your fish. This will keep the bacteria from dying. Then, do a large water change (70-90%) to get your nitrate under 40ppm. Once the fish are added, continue to test the water for both ammonia and nitrite to ensure that no spikes occur.