Cycle Questions

[ddowling01]

Hey All,

I'm totally new to the whole fish keeping scene. Yesterday I went out and bought a Juwel Rekord 600 after spending a week or so reading up during lunch hours at work and got fixed on the idea.

So yesterday I bought the tank, a fake plant for scenery, 8KG of multi-coloured gravel and a bottle of Interpet "Fresh Start", which I believe is a de-chlorinating chemical, an air pump and a 5" air stone.

I set all this up, washed all the gravel in a collinder etc, fitted the air stone under the gravel at the back behind the plant, set up the filter/pump/heater (set to 28C), filled it with water that I treated as per the instructions in the Fresh Start box.

Today after further reading I discovered I needed some form of ammonia, so I popped down to my LFS and the guy sold me a bottle of "BacterLife" he said it would be better to use that, as ammonia is the last thing I want apparently, he instructed me to treat the tank with that and to come back next week for some fish.

Im slightly concerned now that although I've got some bacteria starting to grow, and at a nice temperature for it to grow quickly, that it won't keep living as there is no ammonia for it deal with.

Can anyone help me now? I'm lost as to whether I am meant to now get some ammonia, whether I listen to the guy in the shop and just go back next week after carrying out a daily 10 - 15% water change, or whether I need to get some zebra fish and do a fish-in cycle?

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys!

Dan.

 

[Truck]

he has sold you what can be described as a pile of crap! go to the hardware store and cycle with ammonia like you were going too.

 

[ddowling01]

he has sold you what can be described as a pile of crap! go to the hardware store and cycle with ammonia like you were going too.

Thought so! I'll go to my local hardware store during my lunch tomorrow, if they don't have any can you hint anywhere else that would have it? Would it be worth checking pets at home or somewhere like that to see if they sell it|

 

[Truck]

he has sold you what can be described as a pile of crap! go to the hardware store and cycle with ammonia like you were going too.

Thought so! I'll go to my local hardware store during my lunch tomorrow, if they don't have any can you hint anywhere else that would have it? Would it be worth checking pets at home or somewhere like that to see if they sell it|

its very rare to find an LFS that sells it, i persuaded my boss to stock it.
homebase and boots are the best places

 

[ddowling01]

he has sold you what can be described as a pile of crap! go to the hardware store and cycle with ammonia like you were going too.

Thought so! I'll go to my local hardware store during my lunch tomorrow, if they don't have any can you hint anywhere else that would have it? Would it be worth checking pets at home or somewhere like that to see if they sell it|

its very rare to find an LFS that sells it, i persuaded my boss to stock it.
homebase and boots are the best places

Hey,

Ok i'll pop into town after work, thank you very much for your help

Dan.

 

[vinylman]

Just make sure it's pure, unscented ammonia. It shouldn't froth up when you shake the bottle.

 

[jonh95]

once you have added the ammonia, obviously the tests will go sky high but after about a week or so the tests will go back down to 0, ur lfs shop was just making money out of you by selling you that bacteria, make sure you have pure ammonia

 

[waterdrop]

yes, agree with above, in addition to finding pure household ammonia (clear, no dyes, no fragrances, no surfactants.. thus should not foam when shaken) you will need to find the right kind of water chemistry testing kit. Many of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which is a liquid-reagent based kit (little bottles of chemicals to drip in test tubes of tank water) and its handy to have two syringes with quantity markings for handling the tank water and the ammonia.

The learning articles are in the Beginners Resource Center up above in our forum and the working article for actually doing the fishless cycle is by rdd1952 and you usually want the Add & Wait method. There's also lots to be learned by reading other beginner's threads and by searching and reading old threads of people doing fishless cycles.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[ddowling01]

yes, agree with above, in addition to finding pure household ammonia (clear, no dyes, no fragrances, no surfactants.. thus should not foam when shaken) you will need to find the right kind of water chemistry testing kit. Many of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which is a liquid-reagent based kit (little bottles of chemicals to drip in test tubes of tank water) and its handy to have two syringes with quantity markings for handling the tank water and the ammonia.

The learning articles are in the Beginners Resource Center up above in our forum and the working article for actually doing the fishless cycle is by rdd1952 and you usually want the Add & Wait method. There's also lots to be learned by reading other beginner's threads and by searching and reading old threads of people doing fishless cycles.

~~waterdrop~~

I've found something even better

I work as an IT manager at a school, with a large science department, who are going to knock me up a 10% pure ammonia solution for tomorrow morning. B.E.A.U.TIFUL. Thanks for your help with this one guys.

 

[pammy172]

hmm - not sure I'd trust it from a source like that tbh. To much scope for something being not quite right.

Homebase ammonia is easy to get and the right stuff plus it's only a couple of pounds a bottle.

To echo Waterdrop's recommendation to look trhough the forum's beginner's resource centre. Loads of useful info there to get you started. Then go and get the biggest bucketful of patience you can find as you'll need it. and good luck!

Welcome

 

[ddowling01]

hmm - not sure I'd trust it from a source like that tbh. To much scope for something being not quite right.

Homebase ammonia is easy to get and the right stuff plus it's only a couple of pounds a bottle.

To echo Waterdrop's recommendation to look trhough the forum's beginner's resource centre. Loads of useful info there to get you started. Then go and get the biggest bucketful of patience you can find as you'll need it. and good luck!

Welcome

Homebase were totally useless when I tried at lunch, so i've phoned a hardware store near my colleagues house, they have some ammonia cleaner so i'm going to check the bottle on the way home and buy if necessary.

 

[ddowling01]

Hey,

I finally found some Jeyes Kleen Off, which seems to have done trick.

Today I got my testing kit through, and it says the water hardness and carbon hardness is the highest it can be, 180ppm I believe. Is this right? This was showing both in clean tap water fresh from my kitchen tap and from the tank, which has now gone slightly cloudy

I know the strip testing kits are crap, but I only discovered this after I bought it on eBay, i've just ordered an API Master liquid test kit.

 

[Christi_22]

Hey,

I finally found some Jeyes Kleen Off, which seems to have done trick.

Today I got my testing kit through, and it says the water hardness and carbon hardness is the highest it can be, 180ppm I believe. Is this right? This was showing both in clean tap water fresh from my kitchen tap and from the tank, which has now gone slightly cloudy

I know the strip testing kits are crap, but I only discovered this after I bought it on eBay, i've just ordered an API Master liquid test kit.

Hi there & Welcome

I am not sure which test kit you are using, I use eSHa Aqua Test testing strips (which really aren't too bad for the dip strip type test)! the measurements are in a different format (i.e. for Carbonate hardness only goes up to 20KH). I live on London/Kent borders, and so can confirm that the tap water is really quite hard. It doesn't seem to pose too much of a problem though with regards to the fish.

 

[ddowling01]

Hi,

So I don't need to look into water softening? I'm using API test strips that I purchased on eBay.

I've also just done my first water change, did a 10% change as the water was starting to become cloudy.

 

[Christi_22]

Hi

With regards to softening the water I would leave well alone. Concentrate on cycling your tank and following the steps for Add and Wait. (I am presuming that you have similar water conditions to me, (Kent is really chalky and that makes the water hard)

When you are ready to stock your tank and if you buy locally, the fish will most likely be used to similar conditions (in terms of water hardness etc.). I have 8 Cardinal Tetras, who ideally prefer more softer/acidic water conditions then I have and they have been absolutely fine. (The tank is mature and cycled though).

I have noticed that once the tank has matured the PH does drop a little (probably due to the wood and organic materials that I have in the tank).

I also still have much to learn, and there is a wealth of information on this forum and on the internet to help you, and as Waterdrop says, check out the beginners forum. (I still do).

Hope this helps, and feel free to ask questions if there is anything you are unsure of.

Regards
C