fatheadminnow
Fish Aficionado
Yeah, that should work. You can also clean your gravel from your old tank right in your new tank, allowing some bacteria to fall off into the tank.
But yea, the tights should work.
-FHM
Biorb Life 60 Litre
- Thread starter joeskandal
- Start date
Yeah, that should work. You can also clean your gravel from your old tank right in your new tank, allowing some bacteria to fall off into the tank.
But yea, the tights should work.
-FHM
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
what so just use the water from the new tank and wash the gravel around for a bit then dispose of the gravel?
i imagine then if i just get a cup full of gravel and water from my old tank and swill it all around for a bit then just pour the water into the tank this will work too?
So in doing this, will the ammonia spike?
like, what i mean is, do i add the gravel, then the next day check the ammonia levels, then carry on adding it each day, keeping it at 5ppm?
i imagine then if i just get a cup full of gravel and water from my old tank and swill it all around for a bit then just pour the water into the tank this will work too?
So in doing this, will the ammonia spike?
like, what i mean is, do i add the gravel, then the next day check the ammonia levels, then carry on adding it each day, keeping it at 5ppm?
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
i just found a picture of my old tank, this is before i added plants etc. but thought i would share it with you. as you can see, its a total change of aquarium like...
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/237/24072008m.jpg
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/237/24072008m.jpg
fatheadminnow
Fish Aficionado
On the rocks in your old tank, since you have a UGF(under gravel filter), live thousands upon thousands of beneficial bacteria called Autotrophics. These bacteria live off of ammonia. When ammonia is present in a tank (ammonia comes from fish waste, rotting fish food/other debris, but mainly from respiration; when a fish breathes, the fish gives off ammonia). Ammonia is toxic to all fish if over a level of .25 ppm (which is very little). These beneficial bacteria will process/eat the ammonia in the tank, so that the ammonia level is at a constant 0 ppm (safe for fish). When these bacteria eat ammonia, ammonia then turns into nitrite. Nitrite is also toxic to fish if over .25 ppm. So again, there is another type of Autotrophic bacteria that process/eat Nitrite. When Nitrite is processed, it turns into Nitrate. Nitrate is not as toxic to fish unless in very large amounts (400+ ppm). In your tank, I would not expect nitrate to exceed about 40 ppm. There are no bacteria that process nitrate, so weekly water changes must be performed to keep the nitrate levels down.
So, Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate -> Weekly water change.
Now, it takes time to colonize enough bacteria to constantly keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0 ppm.
You see... these bacteria do not create ammonia. Ammonia is present in the tank when fish are present.
So, you must add ammonia to the tank to keep the bacteria alive. A fishless cycle uses bottled ammonia to "simulate" a fish, or a harder way is a fish-in cycle where fish are added directly to the tank to produce ammonia. However a fish-in cycle leaves the fish to be present to high levels of ammonia and nitrite until the bacteria colonize enough to keep ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm. This is why a fish-in cycle is not recommend; but one should do a fishless cycle.
So, take some rocks from your old tank, and just rinse the rocks off in your new tank and put the rocks back in your old tank. Then I would like to see you do a fishless cycle, where the bacteria you just added would kick start the fishless cycle.
But, if you do not want to do a fishless cycle, you could do a fish-in cycle, but you will be doing a lot of water changes until the fish-in cycle completes. Read this to learn about fish-in cycling:
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=224306
-FHM
So, Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate -> Weekly water change.
Now, it takes time to colonize enough bacteria to constantly keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0 ppm.
You see... these bacteria do not create ammonia. Ammonia is present in the tank when fish are present.
So, you must add ammonia to the tank to keep the bacteria alive. A fishless cycle uses bottled ammonia to "simulate" a fish, or a harder way is a fish-in cycle where fish are added directly to the tank to produce ammonia. However a fish-in cycle leaves the fish to be present to high levels of ammonia and nitrite until the bacteria colonize enough to keep ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm. This is why a fish-in cycle is not recommend; but one should do a fishless cycle.
So, take some rocks from your old tank, and just rinse the rocks off in your new tank and put the rocks back in your old tank. Then I would like to see you do a fishless cycle, where the bacteria you just added would kick start the fishless cycle.
But, if you do not want to do a fishless cycle, you could do a fish-in cycle, but you will be doing a lot of water changes until the fish-in cycle completes. Read this to learn about fish-in cycling:
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=224306-FHM
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
Cheers FHM, your a goodun.
I have put the mature media into the tank.
Gonna buy some ammonia tomorrow from the chemist hopefully.
I have decided to keep a diary of my progress, and document each stage of the cycle, so if needs be, i can refer back to specifics, i.e how much ammonia on which day etc...
I have put the mature media into the tank.
Gonna buy some ammonia tomorrow from the chemist hopefully.
I have decided to keep a diary of my progress, and document each stage of the cycle, so if needs be, i can refer back to specifics, i.e how much ammonia on which day etc...
fatheadminnow
Fish Aficionado
Very good! Make sure the ammonia only contains ammonia and water (there will probably be some bonding agent as well). Other additives will hinder the ammonia useless.
If it does not list the ingredients, then it is probably just fine. If you unsure give the bottle a good shake, if some air bubbles appear and then disappear within a couple second, then the ammonia is good to use. If; however, you shake the bottle and it seems to foam up and the bubbles remain longer than 4 seconds... then the ammonia is useless. I got my ammonia at my local hardware store.
-FHM
If it does not list the ingredients, then it is probably just fine. If you unsure give the bottle a good shake, if some air bubbles appear and then disappear within a couple second, then the ammonia is good to use. If; however, you shake the bottle and it seems to foam up and the bubbles remain longer than 4 seconds... then the ammonia is useless. I got my ammonia at my local hardware store.
-FHM
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
Cool, cheers mate.
Gonna try the pharmacy in the morning.
goodnight.
Gonna try the pharmacy in the morning.
goodnight.
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
no ammonia for sale ANYWHERE!! im gonna have to just use the old fish food option...
fatheadminnow
Fish Aficionado
Sorry to heat that!
-FHM
-FHM
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
i just banged about 10mls of filter start in, gonna see what happens to the ammonia levels tomorrow.
There is somewhere that sells household ammonia but its only 10% apparently.
dunno if that is worth a go...
There is somewhere that sells household ammonia but its only 10% apparently.
dunno if that is worth a go...
fatheadminnow
Fish Aficionado
Filter start, or other products that claim to cycle tanks are rubbish and do not work.
You need to get some ammonia, and perform a proper fishless cycle, this is the best way.
-FHM
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
I GOT AMMONIA!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
fatheadminnow
Fish Aficionado
Nice! Now you can go ahead and start a fishless cycle!
-FHM
-FHM
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
You can search for the fishless cycling thread of a manber named "martinking" to see a good one-line type log format for the first post of your fishless cycling thread. Be sure to post up all the dimensions, volume and tap water results up above the log so we have the basics. Its also a good idea to have a plain old aquarium notebook where you first log these things so you aren't dependent on this forum stuff and so that you have your records no matter what.
You can use the ammonia calculator within the calculator at the top of our forum to get a rough estimate of the number of milliliters that your ammonia might need to reach 4ppm in your tank. Its better to use a graduated (markings on it) syringe and start below what the calculator gave you and then test after 20 min of it mixing in the tank circulation. Then add more, making notes as you go so you'll remember amounts. Over the first week or so you will hone in on the right amount to squirt in to get a good 4-5ppm ammonia concentration. (well, actually, the ammonia may not drop back to zero ppm in the first couple weeks unless you're lucky, so you won't get much practice at first.
~~waterdrop~~
You can use the ammonia calculator within the calculator at the top of our forum to get a rough estimate of the number of milliliters that your ammonia might need to reach 4ppm in your tank. Its better to use a graduated (markings on it) syringe and start below what the calculator gave you and then test after 20 min of it mixing in the tank circulation. Then add more, making notes as you go so you'll remember amounts. Over the first week or so you will hone in on the right amount to squirt in to get a good 4-5ppm ammonia concentration. (well, actually, the ammonia may not drop back to zero ppm in the first couple weeks unless you're lucky, so you won't get much practice at first.
~~waterdrop~~
OP
OP
joeskandal
Fish Crazy
aww\man, i hope it drops quickly. its perfect now, 4.0
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