Bottled Ammonia

[fidjet2]

I can't find it ANYWHERE in australia i am wanting to fishless cycle my mums 40L tank but can't find this stuff anywhere.....
Is there any alternative?

 

[Tizer]

use some of your media (assuming you have another tank/filter) and chuck fish in it, then test daily for a few days and see how you go, just go light on the stocking and build up slowly.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

If you can't find any matured media you should be able to get a product called Biomature by Waterlife, that's ammonia, and I believe it's available in Australia.

 

[fidjet2]

I can put some of my media in.....if i can cram it in is the sponge better then the wool?? i would only plant that and put my Betta in and wait awhile before i add the others

 

[Tizer]

depends on your filter really, you can normally take 1/3 of the mature sponge away (replace it with a new one) and chuck it in another filter and stock your new tank, in this case, with your betta and you should be fine. instant cycle. just do a few water tests after.

 

[fidjet2]

Awsome now all i have to do is figure out plants

 

[fidjet2]

I transferred one sponge and the few ceramic noodles i had in the second smaller filter i had in my tank to the 40L's filer, if i wait till tomorrow and test, and all is fine, can we buy our Betta?

 

[CezzaXV]

Ideally you want to put the fish and plants in right away, else the bacteria in the media you moved across will just be sat there slowly dying without a food source.

 

[fidjet2]

it has some fish food in there i couldn't find pure ammonia anywhere -as above- so i added some fish food...WELL i couldn't see it in the gravel until i changed the gravel and it went EVERYWHERE (not to self, don't add too much) so there is still a fare bit in there ( i plan to get it out before any fish go in) so will that be alright?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

With all that food in there rotting down it should be fine. Just be sure that you do a really good clean before the fish goes in.

 

[fidjet2]

awsome my mum will be happy now ( she hates the process of fish-less cycle )

 

[Mcbenthy]

I can't find it ANYWHERE in australia i am wanting to fishless cycle my mums 40L tank but can't find this stuff anywhere.....
Is there any alternative?

You seem to have it solved for now, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't get ammonia from a Boots or similar (large pharmacy chain that does meds, shower stuff, purfumes, contact lenses etc etc) in case you need some in future, it's a fairly common cleaning product

 

[fidjet2]

thanks i will have a look,

My test results this morning weren't good -
ammonia- .25-.5
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- .0 ( maybe a little discolouration

so i take it it isn't cycled??
what should i do?

 

[fidjet2]

Would i be able to buy my plants for the tank?? or do i have to wait until it is cycled?

 

[pern]

Hi Fidjet - I'm in New Zealand and had the same problem - no pure ammonia in any retail shop. I just rang a local industrial chemical manufacturer and a really nice chemist working there gave me 200ml of pure 25% ammonia when I explained what I wanted it for. Good luck!