Cycleing

[littlenemo]

sorry for all the post but i guess the more questions i ask the better chance i have of getting it right.
day 1 i filled tank and conditioned water then added that nutrafin cycle biological supplement. the next morning it was cloudy bactiria bloom i guessed. so left it for 2 days still same. was advised by you guys not to use nutrafin cycle so not added any more. so last night made my return pipe fire loads of bubles into tank and seems to clearing the water.and my cotton filter pads have started to go a little discouloured good thing i think. so my question is should i wait till water is clear again then start to cycle my tank again using amonia as advised.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd start cycling now; the cloudy water won't make any difference

 

[littlenemo]

ok best get me self to boots for some amonia. cornwall my mother in law lives dwn there

 

[littlenemo]

the cloudy water has gone now. but my cotton pads in my sump have started to go brown? do i need to clean them anyone??

 

[Tolak]

Nope, don't clean them. Bacterial growth will tend to give them a brownish look, expect some gunk as well. Leave them be, you won't have to worry about cleaning them until well after cycling.

 

[littlenemo]

good good. im going to test water today. all i have used is that nutrafin cycle stuff must be working?

 

[Tolak]

You don't need the cycling products, just ammonia & dechlorinator for the water. The best way to jump start a cycle is with some bio media from a mature tank.

 

[littlenemo]

i no yer but could not find any mature media. that cycle stuff made me water really cloudy. but not used any more so going out today to get amonia test kits etc. but not looking forward to the water changes. my tank is 200ltr and my sump is 100ltr bad times